In a universally recognised reality, being single can be costly, with expenses ranging from accommodation and vacations to food and leisure activities being cheaper when you’re one half of a pair. However, the notion of a commercial entity capitalising on a widow’s grief is still startling.
This was the experience of a Dublin resident who found himself significantly aggrieved with Aviva, to such an extent that he felt compelled to share his story. In an email he recounts how he attempted to renew his father’s insurance policy with Aviva following the death of his mother. Initially, Aviva quoted €675.66, but upon revising the policy online and removing his deceased mother’s name, a new quote provided by Aviva showed a surprise price hike, bringing the total to €905 – an additional €229.34 more.
He objected that his father was now being financially punished due to his wife’s demise and that it was almost 40% more expensive for a single person than a couple. The customer service representative confirmed the company’s policy and reiterated that as his mother was no longer alive, the policy no longer benefited from their spouse reduction policy.
The gentleman informed the woman that they had lost his father’s business and they would now seek coverage elsewhere. We reached out to the company and a spokesperson clarified that while they could not discuss specific cases, on a broader scale, it was indeed their policy to offer lower premiums to individuals with spouses/partners on their policy, demonstrated by their claims analysis showing such customers tend to make fewer claims.
Whilst the woman clarified that the disparity is generally about 12% of the insurance premium and thus wouldn’t justify the 33% price hike experienced by the customer upon policy revision via their website. Still, she posited that if a second policy with Aviva was held by the client, they would gain an additional multi-policy rebate. This seems to be the most plausible explanation for this significant online increase.
Furthermore, she conceded that, judging by the client’s description of his engagement with Aviva, the service provided wasn’t up to their usual standards. She profusely offered an apology for this shortfall. She stated that they take great pride in their customer service, both during the initial transaction, during renewals and in handling claims. In response to this issue, they have made attempts to reach out to this customer, expressing their regret and providing a proper explanation for the price hike.
She emphasised their appreciation of the trust that customers like this reader invest in them. They strive to retain this trust by performing extraordinarily in service delivery. They are committed to constant enhancement of customer interactions and processes and they us complaints as a valuable learning tool.
Aviva proved true to their promise by making contact with the reader. They discussed the issue further, subsequently, an agreement was reached. After being given an attractive deal on a new policy and a sincere apology for the initial mishandling of his case, this reader has remained an Aviva customer and appears satisfied with the outcome.