Insurance & Risk Professional page 40 February March 2011
IN THE SPOTLIGHT » NICK ZISSIS
By Ann-Maree Moodie
With almost 50 years of experience in the insurance industry, Nick Zissis, CEO of Global Transport and Automotive Insurance Solutions, has been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. If experience has taught him one thing, it’s the importance of customer service.
When a broker phones Global Transport and Automotive Insurance Solutions, the call will never be answered by a recorded voice because the company doesn’t use answering services during business hours.
I don’t allow 
message bank in this company,” says CEO Nick Zissis, who is a 50-year veteran of the insurance industry. “If you ring my company, someone will answer the phone. The only time we use an answering machine is after-hours.”
Ensuring a call is never ignored is a simple but effective message that Zissis sends to his staff to ensure that the company endeavours to provide the highest quality service in one of the most competitive segments of the insurance industry.
“Brokers look for service,” says Zissis, “and they don’t have the time or the patience to be told to ‘press one, two or three’ when they call the company. What they want is to be able to tend to their clients, to place their business, get the price right and have their claims handled effectively. In this industry, it’s important that vehicles are back on the road as soon as possible because every day off the road is $1 to someone.”
Zissis started in the insurance industry when he was just 15-years old at what was then known as Commercial Union. In 1993 he founded Australian European Insurance Brokers with two partners, selling out in 2001.
During this period, in 1996, he started another company, an underwriting agency called Global Motor. In 2005, the company was approached by Allianz which wanted to transfer its heavy motor insurance business.
Since the completion of the transaction in July 2006, the company has grown from a turnover of $20 million, 11 staff and one branch to a $121 million company with 90 staff, six branches and two regional offices. And if the recent acquisition of Motor and General Underwriting Agency in New Zealand is included, Global Transport and Automotive Insurance Solutions has grown from $20 million to $128 million in under five years.
The company facilitates insurance for what is known as “heavy motor” meaning primarily vehicles weighing over five-10 tonnes, such as road trains and prime movers. Therefore the brokers it supports service large companies such as TNT as well as individual owner-drivers.
Zissis attributes the growth of the company to two interrelated issues: competition and service. “There are a lot of players in the heavy motor industry because of the big licks in premiums,” he says. “So we try to do better by doing the things that the large companies fall down on and be a true specialist in heavy motor insurance. We concentrate on response times and claims handling; we provide a 24/7 accident assist service and we hold regular training for brokers.”
One of the biggest issues Zissis says the insurance industry is facing concerns the way insurance companies communicate with their clients. This was highlighted during the recent flood crisis in Queensland, NSW and Victoria where the interpretation of flood damage in policies has varied.
“If you go into a department store to buy a set of glasses you can immediately see what you’re buying,” he says. “However with insurance you can’t see what you’re buying until you need it. A lot of people these days buy insurance over the Web and in many cases, they don’t understand what they’re buying. That’s why you need a broker who can explain what the document actually means.”
Note: Nick’s image supplied by Studio Commercial
