Coface UK & Ireland wins at the ICM British Credit Awards 2014
Coface UK & Ireland scooped the prestigious title of Credit Insurer of the Year last night at the credit industry’s annual awards in London. The British Credit Awards are held by the Institute of Credit Management (ICM), Europe’s largest credit management organisation.
A ten-strong judging panel assembled by the ICM concluded that Coface had set the standard in credit insurance over the past year, demonstrating a commitment to meeting customer needs; delivering a high quality service as part of a broad strategic vision; and a proven track record of success in terms of innovative and profitable expansion, commenting that "This company shows how even the major players can react and adapt to customer needs, regardless of whether they are Blue Chip or SME. A clear focus on partnerships was evidenced in a high level of client satisfaction."
Accepting the award on behalf of Coface UK and Ireland, Managing Director Frédéric Bourgeois said:“We have just marked the twentieth anniversary of Coface in the UK and we are delighted that the ICM has given us another reason to celebrate. The award is a fitting tribute to our highly-motivated and talented team whose focus on customer service and innovation justifies the faith placed in Coface by our clients and brokers.Over 90% of our clients said they were satisfied with the service they had received from Coface in 2013 and I’m confident that this recognition will inspire us to even greater achievements in the coming year.”
Left to right: Clive Coleman, awards host, former barrister and comedy writer, Frédéric Bourgeois, Managing Director at Coface UK & Ireland, and Emma Caister, Strategy & Business Development Director at Company Watch, who presented Frédéric with the award.
The ICM Award reflects the service that Coface provides to businesses of all sizes seeking to protect their domestic and overseas trade with credit insurance, credit assessment and debt collection. Some of the successes which helped convince the judging panel included:
- Coface UK and Ireland has reduced the claims documentation required from customers and streamlined its internal processes to provide a faster service – successful claims of up to £5,000 are paid within five days while all domestic and overseas claims are paid within 30 days.
- In the last year, the company has introduced several new products in response to changing customer requirements. These include online credit insurance portals developed with leading brokers andTopLiner, non-cancellable supplementary cover for businesses with strategically important but vulnerable customers.
- Coface UK and Ireland’s Country Risk Conferences for its clients and brokers is unique within the industry, bringing together economists, policy experts, researchers and business leaders to review economic trends and assess international trading opportunities and risks. This year’s event will be held on June 5th in London.