The Group has two of the UK’s iconic motor insurance brands in Direct Line and Churchill. It is in the top three for Motor and Home1 , number one for single property Landlord2 insurance and has the UK’s third largest Rescue provider in Green Flag3 .
We are aiming for excellence through all stages of the customers’ journey in order to become their insurer of choice. We have invested over the past two years in digitalising that journey and the transformation has further to run in 2025. Our approach to earning customers’ trust can be broken down into three themes: choice, value for money and service.
Choice
More choice: Churchill, Darwin, Privilege and By Miles have been available on price comparison websites for many years and this year we took the momentous decision for Direct Line to join them. This went live on Compare the Market in December 2024.
Essentials policies meet the needs of drivers who want core insurance cover and are willing to trade additional elements for a lower premium. First launched by Churchill in 2022 via a leading price comparison website, a large proportion of new sales are being driven by this product. Direct Line Essentials was launched in September 2023 and we have identified a similar opportunity for a Home Essentials product and are designing one for launch in 2025.
By Miles, where customers pay according to car usage, launched Connect for Volvo drivers in August enabling these customers to purchase a By Miles policy without requiring a separate Miles Tracker. This takes the number of vehicle manufacturers on our Connect platform to six.
Expansion of Green Flag’s own patrols: Green Flag launched its own patrol service in 2023 in Scotland and the West Midlands. In 2024, Yorkshire, the Northwest and East Midlands were added and coverage is being extended across the Midlands and southern England in 2025. The new service, which last year fixed 95% of the problems it responded to at the roadside, complements the independent network of third-party roadside rescue operators who carry out more complex recoveries. In 2024 our patrols attended 19,491 customers, reaching them, on average, in 54 minutes.
Commercial Direct put tool theft on the agenda with a campaign to draw attention to the impact these losses have on tradespeople. We provided practical advice on how to protect tools and other property. Our data was widely reported by the media, helping to drive awareness.
Value for Money
To help with the cost of living challenge we offered an Essentials range to customers and through our By Miles brand, which ties premiums to car usage, offer customers better choice and ways to control their insurance costs. Customers can also use the new Churchill and Direct Line Apps to tailor policies to their needs.
Independent benchmarking by Consumer Intelligence confirmed Green Flag offered more competitive pricing than AA and RAC, across all cover levels, for both vehicle and personal cover.
Commercial Direct's Landlord product won the What Mortgage best landlord insurance provider for the 12th year in a row and scored 4.7/5 on Trustpilot.
Working with Apple and utilising its robust satellite services, Green Flag is the first UK breakdown brand to offer rescue services as part of Apple's Roadside Assistance via satellite on iPhone.
Service
Better customer experience: enhanced digital capabilities have enabled customers to manage their policies better. Two Apps were launched in 2024, Churchill in July and Direct Line in September. Customers can use them to change cover, view policy documents, start a claim and get support on the go. By the end of the year, 205,531 customers were using the Apps, growing at an average rate of 1,181 sign-ups a day. The Churchill app reached #4 in the Finance charts towards the end of October and is rated 4.5/5 on iOS App Store, on which Direct Line is rated 3.95.
Our dedicated personal insurance advisors visit customers when they’ve been impacted by flooding, to assess the damage to the home and provide much needed advice and reassurance. Advising on appropriate alternative accommodation, if required, is the first and main action taken to ensure the safety of impacted customers. They also provide guidance on what is safe to do and not do during the time water is inside the property.
To keep pace with the most up to date repair techniques and the highest customer safety standards, we’ve launched our innovative Vehicle Damage Assessor accreditation programme. What’s more, we are one of the few organisations in the UK that is equipped to offer this certification in our training centre based in our flagship Stechford Technology Centre. Our training is recognised by the Institute of the Motor Industry.
The Direct Line Motability team has improved their interaction with customers. All frontline teams are experienced in supporting customers with dementia and many have also had autism awareness training. By the end of 2025 all frontline teams will have completed their autism awareness training. They also launched a "Hyper Care" team to ensure that when the most vulnerable customers make a claim there is dedicated support on hand so customers understand the next steps and feel supported and informed.
This customer centric approach has helped us attain an overall average end of amendment customer score of +91 NPS and end of claim customer NPS score of +80. (TLF data).
Overall the Group's Net Promoter Score4 increased across 2024 ending the year at 52.2 improving from 50.1 in 2023.
Notes
1. Source: Ipsos Mori – FRS, January to December 2024.
2. Source: Consumer Intelligence Market Benchmarking – September & December 2024, 500 risks per month.
3. Mintel Vehicle Assistance and Recovery UK Oct 2024
4. The Group's NPS is calculated using Churchill, Direct Line and Green Flag responses from customer surveys after purchase, amend, claim, cancel and renew (Green Flag is rescue claim only).
