There’s a reason why we’re called NFU Mutual. Our customers own us, they always have, which means we don't focus on shareholders or profits ahead of doing the right thing for our customers. For someone working in Sales, that might come as a surprise and it’s certainly a different proposition to many of our competitors. But, not at NFU Mutual. As those who work for us know, the secret is being able to focus on our customers only. It’s a powerful contributor to our success.
We caught up with a number of the Regional Sales Team, to find out what they think about working for NFU Mutual and what our customer focused culture means for them. We like to think it takes away unnecessary pressures and allows them to focus on what matters, delivering great service. As we’ll hear, it’s what matters to our customers too.
A trust-based relationship
For Dave Morris, a national based Broker Development Manager with experience in other organisations, the trust that’s been built up with our customers over the years makes for long relationships. As he explains, “I've never worked for an organisation that is so customer-focused as NFU Mutual. We excel at it, and our members come first at all costs. It's a real trust-based relationship and we’ve maintained that very strong customer focus for many years. And a lot of profit is given back to our members in return for their loyalty. Many in the corporate space where I work have been with us for 15 years as an average.”
Emily Warren, Locum Agency Manager – Southeast, also notices the difference in customer focus at NFU Mutual. “We have the customer’s best interests at heart. Throughout all of our processes, throughout all of our vision, it's always the customer who comes first. Which isn't necessarily what other organisations focus on. I see our role as a real key resource, because we hear first-hand from our customers, we can be receptive to what their needs are and what they want.” And Scott Harris, Sales Development Manager, Southwest, feels the same way. “We do the right thing, and that can’t always be said about other organisations I've worked for. It's about sitting in front of the customer and understanding exactly what’s right for them rather than what’s potentially right.”
Passionate about our culture
A common message from those coming into the business is the difference in the culture at NFU Mutual, which isn’t just beneficial to our customers, it’s proving to be refreshingly different to our people. And many, once they get to know us, find out for themselves just what makes us different. As Dave Morris found, there’s far more to NFU Mutual than he thought. “When you dig deeper and you understand the business, it's brilliant. I absolutely love working here. I'm very passionate about it. And I had a more senior role in my previous job to this one. But for me, it's been about finding the right job. And it was understanding more about NFU Mutual which was key to me really going for this job, because I just didn't know enough about it. Until you start working here, you don't realise how good it is, and the capability we can offer clients. Very few people would know that we do big corporate insurance policies, for big corporate clients. I get up every morning and I can't wait to get going. I really, really do enjoy it.”
Emily Evans, Sales Development Manager - Southeast, also identifies the NFU Mutual culture as a point of difference for her. “I think, above and beyond, the difference it makes is the undercurrent of the culture throughout the entire company, and I know that's a really fluffy thing to say, but having worked for other companies before, there is genuinely quite a different attitude. And I think that rings true also though the self-employed agencies, they also have a customer-centric attitude.” And, being in Sales, the proof is there in the numbers, as Emily explains. “Customers renew 96% to 97% of the time. And the ones who really benefit from our culture are the ones who speak to us more, and that's normally our core base. They stay for longer.”
Scott Harris reckons our culture plays a big part in why NFU Mutual were recipients of a recent Gallup Exceptional Workplace award. As he explains, “We live and breathe putting the customer at the heart of what we do. We aren't driven by profits. We're motivated by doing the right thing. And that's not just for our customers, but also led by our staff, and all of our team. We pride ourselves on being one of the top Gallup companies. Culture is something we take seriously, from people development through to actually empowering those around us as well.”
The value of first-hand customer contact
Another reason customer’s stay is that they know who they’ll be speaking to if they need us. Emily Evans describes how this looks, from the customer’s perspective. “We have our pictures on our website, so if a customer wants to call us, they know who they'll be speaking to. Customers also know they can speak to a specific person and that as we’re only down the road, they can pop in and see us face to face if they want to. I think it just gives people a bit of a reassurance to know that we’re here and we'll support them.”
And Emily Warren feels that being visible isn’t just good for the customers, it also gives valuable insight to the Sales team that goes back into the business. “Our roles on the front line are a key resource. We hear first-hand from our customers, so we can be receptive to what they need. We have great communication, which, when working in Sales, means you really do feed up the line, so we can work together towards the end goal, which is the customer. Who are definitely at the heart of what we do.”