Customer focus means good business

B7: Customer needs and market trends are constantly changing. What is your experience of the ever evolving landscape?

LG: Recently, companies have faced multi-faceted challenges when it comes to satisfying customer needs and meeting market trends.

More and more consumers are no longer just looking for a product that works, but are sourcing and using products from companies and brands that they feel speak to their personal needs, aspirations and lifestyles. Being digitally savvy have also meant that companies must deliver their solution – whatever the solution is – via digital channels and methods.



B7: The coronavirus pandemic has sparked numerous new challenges. How do companies cope?

LG: Enter the outbreak of Covid-19. 2020 has accelerated the challenges companies are facing and has posed a new threat to the relationship between customer and company.

More and more companies are failing to cope with the current environment. Most have been forced to cut down on partners, human resources or products on offer. Others have been put in the unfortunate position of shutting down their entire operations.

It is no doubt that a large percentage, if not all companies– together with their customers – have been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

The impact that the virus has had on our operations is huge.

We are investing large amounts of money, time and other resources to ensure that we are maintaining the quality of service – as our customers expect nothing less. And aligned to this, we are working hard to ensure that we continue to be available to our customers.

Companies have used this time to innovate to ensure that their products and services are available amid lockdowns and the necessary social distancing required to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.

Liberty is part of the pack that has decided to soldier on and pivot. The insurer credits this to their “customer-centricity” ethos which has allowed them to keep putting smiles on their customers' faces.

When the outbreak began taking over the African continent, Liberty Namibia initiated a project to launch an entirely digitised way of onboarding new clients into the company.



B7: What role does digitalisation play in the new normal?

LG: The digital world cannot be ignored. And it will certainly be the main enabler for many businesses as we enter the 'new normal'.

We are now able to onboard a new customer from inquiry about our product all the way to the policy being issued via email and confirmed even further via SMS. We have partnered with secure and credible authentication providers to ensure that our customer's information is kept safe throughout this process.

For existing customers, Liberty's digitisation enables them to pull data from the system to ensure a faster and customer friendly subscription to another offer.

Liberty has relentlessly pursued to automate manual processes and free up staff to do the more meaningful and valuable work such as customer servicing and taking swift decisions on customer queries.

With technology by our side, we can free up many people from doing repetitive tasks, and place them where they are needed the most – in front of the customer.

For Liberty, this is our big differentiator. This is where the customer experiences our 'personality' as a brand. And we are investing immensely towards this to guarantee a unique Liberty experience and ensure that customers' expectations are met – all the time.



B7: Customers are increasingly looking for holistic service providers. What is Liberty Life Namibia's approach to this?

LG: In 2019, Liberty Life Namibia concluded the integration of Specialist Administration Services, SAS in short, into its business and offerings.

SAS, a boutique pensions fund administrator, has now been rebranded to 'Liberty Administrators' to align with the spirit and purpose of its parent company, Liberty Life Namibia.

The rebrand promises the same innovativeness and customer care; with improved speed, systems and personalised attention that both brands have always been known for. This, essentially, puts Liberty Namibia one step closer to becoming a holistic service provider for everything insurance – from retail risk covers to long-term group investments and fund administration.

Liberty Administrators allows us to partner with a multitude of organisations to offer them something fresh and appealing.

Moreover, our pensions administration has been designed with a 21st-century employer in mind – meaning, we offer real-time servicing, dedicated relationship managers, tailored services and products. What this means is that no two services at Liberty Administrators are the same. This is something we've put much effort in to ensure that our clients get the treatment they require.



B7: You joined Liberty in 2019, following a two-year stint of heading up your consulting firm. What is your experience of corporate life?

LG: Liberty Namibia has made my reintroduction into corporate Namibia a breeze for me and my family. Liberty is offering me new challenges that keep me motivated and excited. The company is adamant about solving real customer problems and problem-solving is one beloved task.

To support employees during this time, the company has ensured that all employees are fully, or at least partially, enabled to work from home, improving social distancing.

Africa-wide projects have also been implemented to ensure that Liberty, throughout the continent, plays its part in regressing the spread of the virus. Regular meetings with Human Resources, leave planning and “no meetings” days are all the efforts that my team and I have investigated and implemented to ensure that the insurer's workforce maintains a work-life balance and overall wellbeing.

One of my favourite sayings at Liberty is “Liberty is not just our name, but what we do” It speaks to me all the time when something valuable is done for an employee or a customer.