Professionalism: insurers need to regain public trust

Members of the Insurance Age LinkedIn group responded to Alasdair Stewart’s views on chartered status, which he said could be used to improve the image of brokers among a public who see insurance as being “lumped in with banks”.

However, Ian Herring, commercial account handler at Sutcliffe Insurance Brokers, said: “I think Mr Stewart is missing the point.

“It is insurers who need to regain public trust, not the brokers. It is insurers who are perceived to take clients’ money while not paying claims.”

And Roland Waters, CEO at the Crashcare Group, questioned the validity of gaining qualifications as a way of winning the public’s confidence back as “it remains as easy for a convicted criminal to tell the truth as it is for a lord … to lie”.

Horrifying
Meanwhile, Ian Youngman, a freelance writer with previous experience of working in the insurance broking market, said he was “horrified” by the fact that insurance company directors are not required to have their ACII.

“When I started it was made crystal clear that you could not expect to get to any position other than clerical drudge if you did not get ACII,” he explained.

“The move back to professionalism in brokers and insurers is essential.

Mr Youngman added that he was “disgusted” by insurers and brokers refusing to take part in becoming more professional on the grounds of being too busy, or the process being too complex or costly: “If you cannot be a professional then sod off and work in Tesco.”

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