Rebecca Gambrell on how we’re making it easier for you to trade Commercial Combined business online

Mark: Rebecca Gambrell is Managing Director, SME and Delegated Authorities at Aviva UK Commercial. She joins me now. So Rebecca, some big changes afoot in the digital UK Commercial Combined proposition. What are the headlines?

Rebecca: Yeah, it's a really really exciting time in Commercial Combined and across digital. Specifically on Commercial Combined, the biggest headline I think at the moment is moving that product to a more modular product structure and what that means is that the broker can really tailor the cover for the customer and how they want to build it up and make sure that that product and that cover is really relevant to their customer. So that's really key. We're supporting that with underwriting resource and a team dedicated to commercial combined. We've also introduced some new operational tech to help make service faster, more seamless and make sure that we're responding to the broker in the right way. And so all of that I think is underpinned with this focus on service, on speed, on responsiveness and making sure that we are there for the broker to trade in the right way. So for commercial combined a lot going on, but really fantastic to see that happening.

Mark: And there's so much now which is online. So are you doing anything to join up the online and the offline offering?

Rebecca: Absolutely. We're really focused on making sure that there's a sort of seamless integration between those products, whether that's the coverage, the pricing or how you trade with us. So whether a broker comes in online or they come in through an underwriting journey, we want to make sure that that experience is seamless and it really means that we can grow with the customer as well.

Mark: And what's prompted you to make these enhancements and changes to the offering?

Rebecca: Fundamentally, broker feedback. That's really important to us at Aviva and we make sure that we listen to every piece of feedback that we get and act on that. Over the last few years, we've really invested quite heavily in tech, people and product, and particularly now in this commercial combined space. So we've listened to those broker needs, we've increased limits, we've widened coverage. And I think probably there's still some capacity and capability there that is underutilised and we really want to encourage our brokers to have the confidence to speak to our trading underwriters to place those more complex risks, whether there's 10K, 15K, 20K risks, they can all be placed digitally and we do do that but we'd like more of that business as well.

Mark: I wanted to come back to some of the changes you highlighted in your first answer about becoming much more modular in the coverage. How modular can you be as a broker? How much freedom to roam have you got?

Rebecca: Absolutely, so we've been on a journey with this, we've done a phased approach to it. So back in March we pulled out the all risk section to make that modular. In July we launched that for employers liability and legal expenses. That's across new business for both Fast Trade and E-Trade. And that's it, our renewal customers end of August as well. The next phase of that is then for public liability and products liability, which will be sort of September for new business and then slightly later for the renewal business. And really it means that we're breaking out each of the cover sections under commercial combined, so you can build up a product and tailor it for your customer and you don't have to give them elements of cover that aren't necessarily necessary for them.

Mark: And what are the resources that you've been building up behind the commercial combined underwriting team? And how do you see those really helping brokers and their clients?

Rebecca: Yeah, we've got a fantastic team in Perth that's our SME trading centre and we've got a ring fence team that are just dedicated to be commercial combined underwriters. That team is some of our most experienced underwriters, they've been there, they've seen it all and they're really there to sit down and trade and have conversations with brokers. For us that's really key because it means that they can support the broker on the entire online journey. We've also invested in some additional operational tech across our trading centre that means that those underwriters can really focus on service, on speed, on helping the broker and helping the broker trade in the way that they want to. We've also empowered them with the ability to have confidence in their trading conversations to really help the brokers trade up and to trade and to place those more complex risks that I mentioned. So it's a great team and I would encourage all our brokers to pick up the phone or use LiveChat to speak to them because they're really there to support the team, to support the brokers and place those more complex risks.

Mark: And in terms of expanding coverage, talk through that in a bit more detail.

Rebecca: Yeah, we've, as I said, we've listened to our brokers and what they need and what their clients need and what they're looking for. So we've recently increased the turnover limit up to 10 million, you can do 10 million MDBI on a per-item basis, you can do up to 10 premises - 10, 10, 10. But also, we've increased the turnover limits for the US and Canada exports. So we've really listened, I think, and just tried to expand and create that coverage that's applicable to the clients. And it means that those brokers can place those larger, slightly more complex risks with us.

Mark: If I were a broker and I've got one of these sort of grey area cases, I'm not sure whether I should be interacting with Aviva online or picking up the telephone. Whichever way I go, would you be able to assure me that six months later I wouldn't look back and go, "Oh, if I'd gone through the other routes, I'd got slightly better terms for my client."

Rebecca: Absolutely. So we're really focused on harmonisation between our digital and our offline offering. We've done a lot of work to harmonise the cover and the products. And really what that means is no matter where you go or which route you come into Aviva, you get the same quality of cover, you get the same breadth of cover and you're getting the best for your clients still. I would say if you come into the digital journey and that's the way that you would prefer to trade with us, the team is there to support that and try their best to get that into the system. But if that's not possible, then we've got a seamless process that means that you can then place it offline as well. So whichever route you come in, we're here to trade with the brokers in the way that they want to. But certainly that harmonisation across digital and offline offering is absolutely there.

Mark: Rebecca Gambrell, thank you.

Rebecca: Thank you.