Ahead of the Insurance CX Awards on 15th February 2023, Modern Insurance Magazine sat down with Sarah Glenn, Commercial Director at RGI Solutions, to chat about Ghost Brokers, GAP Insurance and Diversity and Inclusion in the wider insurance industry…

Q. Hi Sarah! It’s great to have you on board as a sponsor for the 2023 Insurance CX Awards!

Why don’t we start by talking about RGI Solutions and the work you’re up to over there at the moment? Tell me more about that.

A. RGI Solutions are an independent insurance investigation specialist established in 1990. When we set out in business back then, our mantra was simple: ‘to provide integrity, reliability, insight, value and quality in everything we do’.

Today, with leading insurance companies, solicitors, self-insurers and claims handling companies among our clients, those founding principles remain just as important to us as they did all those years ago. We are proud of our clear, fixed-price services and outstanding fraud savings rate, and we deliver exceptional value. Believing that being ‘good’ really isn’t good enough, we view the service level agreement that we establish with each client as the absolute minimum standard to be achieved.

If our many years of experience have taught us one thing, it’s that every investigation is unique. It’s also why we never adopt a one-size-fits-all solution.  Our portfolio of services is regularly reviewed to guarantee the most comprehensive, up-to-date and effective investigation solutions.

Most importantly however, each service is tailored to each client’s specific needs. With highly experienced investigators, sophisticated information databases and a management team made up of leading counter-fraud specialists, we offer true insight, capability and expertise.

Providing service certainty is at the heart of what we do at RGI Solutions. As a financially sound organisation, it allows us to keep our customers satisfied and permits us to be agile in our services, so you can feel confident in the knowledge that your values and standards are being upheld.  This then goes in hand with ensuring that we continually invest in our people, as well as the technology we use to develop and grow our key service offerings.

In short, when choosing RGI, it means working with an insightful, approachable, wholly compliant investigations team that listens, acts and delivers.

Q. How are RGI Solutions protecting vulnerable customers following a rise in Ghost Broking?

A. As we know, Ghost Broking is a huge concern for the industry, and it is the hot topic at most of the fraud roundtables that we attend. With concern about the rise in cost of living, vulnerable customers are at risk. Some people might need to choose between feeding themselves and insuring their vehicles, so things will become desperate as the cost of living crisis continues to take hold. Ghost Brokers will see this opportunity and use this to their advantage.

Raising awareness and targeting people before they take out such a policy is key, and we feel this is the main route to get ahead of the ghost broker.  Some insurers have started asking for a copy of the policyholder’s driving licence at point of sale, and this really does need to become the norm. By doing this, it can act as a deterrent and confirm whether the person taking out the policy is genuine (as long as a fake driving licence has not been produced). It should also confirm the actual address of the customer.  This will make it harder for the Ghost Broker to use a fake north Scotland address, that many currently use to take out cheap car insurance policies as part of their fraudulent activity.

We are advising insurers to use their fraud indicators in the identification of suspect policies, and contact the customer on the driving licence address rather than the email that has been presented on the policy, which will invariably be directed to the ghost broker.

Greater collaboration is needed within the industry to share intel on ghost brokers so that prosecutions can be sought. This will remove them from the local communities and protect vulnerable customers.

Q. What about GAP fraud?

How are RGI Solutions obtaining results for their insurer clients in this regard?

A. GAP fraud is an extremely lucrative business for fraudsters, and we have been collaborating with our business partners around this issue for some time. GAP Insurers are telling us of their struggles to deal with suspicious claims, and their feeling that they have no option but to pay when motor insurers have settled the claim prior to their involvement. RGI are advising them that they must not be put off, and must continue to look into and combat insurance fraud despite the actions of others.

We are immediately informing the claimant that they must not expect their claim to be settled without the correct validation. RGI also obtain results for clients on the GAP insurance side of claims, and help motor insurers recover their outlay. Unfortunately, we are coming across the odd claims handler who is reluctant to assist, as they feel that they’ve failed to identify fraud or haven’t done their job properly. This is not the case! What we want to see is an increase of cooperation between insurers, outsourced claims handlers and investigation services for the purpose of fighting fraud together as one.

Our Intelligence team are obtaining fantastic results in establishing links between the claimants and third parties when statements are given to the contrary. We are also identifying links to the recovery companies and garages, seeing these claims as they become part of a sophisticated fraud ring.

RGI have extensive knowledge and experience of dealing with GAP claims, and we are vastly increasing our database of suspicious activity and trends.  We envisage that as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies, so too will fraud.  Focusing on fraud prevention could help make the difference between profits and losses for your company.

Q. From the perspective of Diversity and Inclusion, how are RGI Solutions addressing gender imbalance within the workplace?

A. When I became part of the leadership team alongside Anthony Byrne, Chris Moore & Jamie Lankey, it was extremely important for us all to ensure that we pushed the narrative forward when it comes to Diversity and Inclusion.

It is even more important to me personally that I find myself in the position as part of the leadership team in driving our company forward, where we recognise that our strength as an organisation lies in the diversity of our people and creating an environment where everyone can thrive, to feel they have a voice and to embrace their individuality. By doing this, I strongly believe that it creates an environment where we have a greater chance of collaboration, as our staff feel empowered and welcomed to offer ideas in order to develop within their own teams. In essence, this drives the success of our business forward, which in turn allows them to progress within the company and become key to RGI’s continued future success, alongside the success of its present and future clients and counterparts.

RGI promote gender equality in the workplace by being transparent about wages to ensure women aren’t receiving less than men in equivalent roles. When recruiting, we use skills-based assessments and structured interviews to reduce the risk of unfair bias.  We also very much champion a good work-life balance to benefit all staff with flexible working hours, alongside shared parental leave policies.

I am proud of where RGI Solutions is today and the culture that has been achieved. I am extremely passionate about ensuring our organisation strives for equality within the workplace.

Q. What aspect of the Awards night are you most looking forward to?

A. Awards nights always have such a great buzz, from the build up and including the night itself.  You can feel that fizz in the air as you enter the room! There’s anticipation and excitement to see who will come out with that shiny award and the recognition of a job well done. It’s great to see so much brilliant talent all in one place, especially from the newcomers. It’s all about celebrating collaboration and acknowledging ambitious visions to improve the insurance landscape.

We are sponsoring the Learning & Development award this year, so of course I’m also excited to meet the winner and hand out such a great award on the night.

Q. If you could offer one piece of advice to the award winners, what would that be and why?

A. That’s a great question and one that is key to why we all enter such great events like this.  When we’re entering our submissions, we all hope to get the recognition our teams deserve. We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t believe that we are deserved winners!

Winning that award means that you have gained the recognition that your hardworking team deserves.  Make sure you share that amazing feeling with your team, even those who couldn’t be there on the night, as a way of boosting your people. Use that sense of achievement to take your team on and into greater successes.

Most importantly, never lose that sense of striving to do better.  To those who didn’t win this time, keep going and be proud that you were finalists, as it’s a tough gig out there! Use that hunger to really push forward, and come back again next year to try again.

Find out more about RGI Solutions here.