Direct insurers don't take service personally. We do.

We're just going to say it outright - there is nothing direct about a direct insurer. You don't deal directly with a person. Instead, you call a number, to press a series of numbers, to ultimately get through to someone for whom you are just caller number 'x'. If you're not satisfied with your call being important to them and would rather you were important to them, then we're at your service.

You know the drill - you're promised by direct insurers that you're not just a number. You're told that their call centre consultants are 'dedicated' and 'always there for you' but, when the rubber hits the road and you need to talk insurance, whether it be your premium or a claim, the best you can expect is a call centre operator.

No matter how well trained this operator may be, the fact is that they will have limited knowledge and a limited range of products at their disposal. They probably won't be able to resolve your query, follow up on a claim or update your policy - at least not before it's been escalated up the chain of command and cascaded all the way back down again. It's at this point that most people think to themselves:

"Whatever happened to service?"

The answer? Nothing happened to it. You just decided not to opt for it when you went direct. Had you chosen an insurance broker, you would have chosen personal service. The kind of service that comes from looking at you as an individual, which means giving you a unique insurance solution, tailored to your needs, not an algorithm.

A broker's services don't end with the sale of a policy, that's where they start.

An insurance broker gets to know you, building up a profile of who you are and what you need with the long-term view of keeping you as a client. From offering you a wide range of products from reputable insurers, sourcing products and negotiating with suppliers so that you get the best possible price, your insurance broker also oversees renewing your policy, assisting you with lodging and settling claims and keeping an audit trail on everything. An insurance broker is worth every cent of their commission.

Add to that the fact that you truly do deal with them directly, voice to voice, and what you've got is service - with a smile.