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APA
APA’s success story lies in its customer-obsessed culture, which has cultivated an environment that places paramount importance on the customer. Every decision made revolves around the customer, showcasing the immense trust clients have in the brand and its brand promise of ‘Insuring Happiness’ in Health, Wealth Creation, General and Life Insurance, on a daily basis.
The APA brand recognises the significance of providing interactions that are simple and secure to empower its customers. Right from recruitment, APA’s entire workforce undergoes comprehensive training and continuous development to understand and empathise with customer needs, empowering them to go above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer experiences. “When I first joined APA, the CEO personally approached me and handed me a piece of paper.
To my surprise, the paper bore just a single word: Customers,” Sheila Bundi, Head of Customer Experiences, reveals during an interview with the Business Monthly EA team. “That singular focus has remained consistent ever since, as the customer continues to remain our unwavering priority. At APA, we adhere to a philosophy of hiring for attitude and training for skill. We maintain a stringent selection process because our commitment to world class customer service lies at the core of our every endeavour,” she notes.
In addition to staff, brokers and insurance agents play a crucial role as valuable intermediaries between APA and the customers. Their expertise, personalised service, guidance, and advocacy contribute to enhancing the overall customer experience, leading to increased customer satisfaction and retention.
In today’s ever-evolving market, the demand for personalised experiences from customers is rapidly growing. Recognizing this, APA goes above and beyond by harnessing the power of data and technology to provide tailored recommendations, customised products, and personalised communication to its clients. “Our objective is to create individualised experiences that have a significant impact on our customers’ lives and foster a strong emotional connection,” Ms Bundi opines.
For instance, APA recently launched its Wellness Programme aimed at promoting positive physical and mental health among its clients, with key focus areas on physical activity, healthy food choices, and mental health. Clients are encouraged to engage in regular exercise or sports to improve fitness and reduce the risk of health conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
The programme also emphasises healthy eating habits for better nutrition and overall health. Placing great importance on mental well-being, the programme encourages the practice of stress management, mindfulness, and the seeking of professional support when needed. The programme aims to achieve holistic wellness and long-term benefits, demonstrating APA’s commitment to its customers’ health and well-being, encouraging positive behavioural changes.
In today’s interconnected world, customers have come to anticipate consistent experiences across various touch points and consumer interfaces, 24/7. APA firmly upholds the belief that its utmost priority lies in people, not machines. Irrespective of the time or the person you reach out to, you will always be greeted by an individual, with a genuine smile, who will tailor their response to your specific needs.
“We are people; human beings first and insurers later,” Ms Bundi emphasises. Driven by this customer-centric approach, APA delivers seamless omnichannel experiences tailored to its customers’ preferences, resulting in a unified and harmonious journey. Fundamentally, customer service extends beyond the confines of the customer service team. Successful and progressive businesses are those that see the world through the eyes of their customers at every level, and have a deep understanding of both them and their needs.
“We continuously measure and enhance customer satisfaction by gathering and analysing data, conducting surveys and interviews, and using social listening tools. Through these methods, we gain insights into customer preferences, pain points, and aspirations, which inform our customisation of products, services, and experiences,” Sheila states.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a testament to APA’s profound understanding and empathy towards its customers, as well as its dedication to proactive customer service, distinguishing itself from competing insurers who were not providing coverage for COVID-19 related cases. The brand emerged as the only insurer offering a comprehensive and all-inclusive health insurance package when the pandemic broke.
It is important to note that APA is the first insurance company in Kenya to cover HIV-related illnesses. Both these case studies illustrate APA’s pioneering approach in the insurance industry, as it rewrites health insurance policies. Besides health and life insurance covers, APA offers various auto insurance coverages.
For instance, the Bima Bamba® Motor Cover, launched in 2022, is APA’s unique comprehensive motor cover that eases the customers’ financial burdens by allowing them to pay for their annual cover monthly. This service can be accessed through the APA hAPPiness App and customer web portal, ensuring efficiency and convenience for customers. APA fosters a culture of continuous innovation. This involves monitoring industry trends, seeking customer feedback, experimenting with new ideas, and adapting to evolving customer needs and preferences.
“Our leaders are always on a treadmill to create and launch new products and services,” Sheila comments. “An excellent example of this is inclusive insurance,” she adds. APA has spearheaded the establishment of an agriculture insurance market specifically designed to safeguard smallholders and pastoralists against the uncertainties brought about by the volatile and evolving climate change.
Through the introduction of two innovative products, namely Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) and Area Yield Index Insurance (AYII), APA is making groundbreaking contributions to enhancing the resilience and economic viability of pastoralists in East Africa. The impact of these initiatives has been significant, with over 5 million smallholder farmers benefiting from the coverage provided by both schemes.
In addition, APA has actively focused on educating and encouraging more smallholder farmers to adopt climate risk mitigation measures by embracing insurance solutions. Embracing technology-driven approaches, APA has utilised digital content accessible through mobile phones to effectively engage with smallholder farmers. This digital educational content has reached over 50,000 farmers, empowering them to cultivate a risk-coping culture and adopt sustainable approaches.
There is a growing awareness among customers regarding the societal and environmental consequences of their purchasing choices. As a customer-obsessed brand, APA demonstrates its commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen through the APA Apollo Foundation. Ashok Shah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of APA and Trustee of the Foundation, deeply recognises and emphasises the role APA plays in connecting people, communities, and key community services.
With operations that impact all members of the community, APA has the potential to positively influence their quality of life. As a substantial employer, with over 400 staff members and a significant number of branches across the country, APA is fully committed to fulfilling its responsibilities towards local communities and ensuring their well-being.
In 2019, the APA Apollo Foundation received the esteemed European Microfinance award for its trailblazing insurance initiative, ‘Strengthening Resilience to Climate Change’. This recognition marked a historic milestone for APA as it became the first insurance company worldwide to be honoured with the award since its inception.
Ms Bundi concludes by saying, “To be a customer-obsessed brand that positively impacts lives, a comprehensive and holistic strategy is essential. This strategy involves gaining a deep understanding of customers, personalised experiences, seamless interactions, proactive service, social responsibility, and a commitment to continuous improvement. By prioritising these elements, we have built strong relationships with our customers in order to ‘Insure their Happiness.”
Undoubtedly, APA’s efforts are paying off, given the superb growth of the business. Additionally, clients have openly expressed positive sentiments, and only have praise to offer regarding their experiences. This indicates that APA’s customer- obsessed approach has been effective in building strong relationships and ensuring customer satisfaction, creating value for all stakeholders.
