Legacy-system issues

While legacy-system issues continue to have prominence somewhere on insurers' lists of priorities, Overheard has become privy to one major insurer's innovative way of getting round the problem.

Apparently, when setting up its pet personal lines offering, instead of shelling out for an expensive dedicated technology platform, the enterprising insurer adapted its motor quotation engine instead. Customers with a cat were registered as having a 'Reliant Kitten', while dog owners were logged on the system as having a 'Rover'.

Overheard would like to suggest that that fine vehicle, the Hyundai Pony, could cater for horse owners - and possibly provide an opening for an opportunity to sell related high net worth products. With shareholder pressure bearing down on insurers, Overheard is sure that, now the Reliant Kitten is out of the bag, other insurers will be following suit. Quite how much use the Fiat Panda will be remains to be seen, however.

While UK trade unions are up in arms regarding the loss of a large number of call centre jobs to India, it seems that life at the Indian operations isn't any rosier than at its UK counterparts. Overheard is told that staff working in India for British firms are suffering high levels of stress and there are even reports of suicide. Rows with frustrated customers, low pay and long working hours are said to be to blame - so it's a case of different workforce, same old problems.

It seems brokers are an amorous lot. Overheard has learnt that 70% of you have had a workplace romance and 68% have met a partner at the office.

However, law firm Peninsula warns brokers to be careful, as 86% also admitted that an office tryst had got them in trouble - with 4% even being forced to resign.