When Directline.com Insurance sold their first policy over the telephone on 2nd April 1985, Directline.com took their first step towards revolutionising the UK motor insurance market. Previously, buying motor insurance had generally meant visiting high street brokers and paying them commission to arrange insurance.
Directline.com's approach was different. Recognising that customers wanted simplicity, service and value for money, they dispensed with the middleman, offered direct access by telephone and introduced highly sophisticated computer systems to make transactions swift and simple.
The difference was dramatic. The streamlined operation resulted in lower prices for customers and a service which outclasses anything the insurance industry had ever previously made available.
And this approach has now been applied to other areas. Customers can now arrange not just insurance, but credit cards, loans, savings and even mortgages over the phone.
And now even the phone has a partner. On 1st September 1999 Directline.com launched directline.com where customers can buy immediate cover for motor, home and breakdown insurance online. Directline.com Insurance have since added travel insurance and were the first in the world to offer life assurance online - where customers can be put 'on risk' in as little as 10 minutes. Their latest launch was online loans.
Directline.com History
Directline.com began in 1984 when four businessmen, led by the company's former chief executive Peter Wood, used their experiences in the insurance and IT industries to take a fresh look at private motor insurance. Their view - that traditional insurers had lapsed into a culture of complacency typified by over-pricing and under-service - provided the stimulus for a new perspective on the industry. They focused on the consumer and developed an idea that brought new standards for simplicity, service and value for money into the industry.
Following a search for companies to back their proposals, an agreement was reached with The Royal Bank of Scotland who provided initial funding of £20 million for Peter Wood’s plans and on 2nd April 1985, Directline.com opened its telephone lines to the British public. Today, the Directline.com Group remains a wholly owned subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland and now has over 3 million customers.
Why are Directline.com better?
There's no middleman. Directline.com give you the cover you need – not what somebody else thinks you need. No cover notes - you can be covered immediately. Directline.com keep things simple if you claim - you phone them. They sort it out. Nothing more needs to be said. And if you choose a Directline.com repairer after a bump they'll take the hassle away by picking up the car, getting the estimates themselves, guaranteeing the repair for 3 years and delivering your car back to you cleaned inside and out. Need to replace your car after an accident? Directline.com's jamjar.com can help ease the car buying process for you, to give you a car that matches your requirements and budget – not the dealers!
Additional information can be found on the Directline.com Insurance website.
(See the links above)
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