A people-first approach revolutionizes the insurance industry
Insurtech entrepreneur paves the way for a re-imagined, customer-focused digital insurance experience
Nobody is a fan of paperwork, least of all Jeff McCann, founder and CEO of APOLLO Insurance. “It’s so frustrating to have to print everything, sign it, scan it, send it back. Why do I have to enter my name and address 15 times? Why can’t I just answer once?” Such time-consuming form-filling and signing is likely a familiar scenario to any Canadian who’s bought insurance, and it’s one that McCann set out to re-invent.
In an era where online technologies enable instant access to just about anything we need or want—clothes, flight tickets, a new car—insurance lags behind. Only one per cent of policies in Canada are currently sold online, McCann says. And if you imagine buying insurance online is generally as seamless and quick as other digital transactions, you’d be wrong.
“It might start with a digital form or the promise to buy now or get an instant quote, but when you submit your information, it says, ‘We’ll call you tomorrow,’” says McCann, adding that the whole process can take up to six weeks. With APOLLO, McCann brings personal and business insurance up to the speed at which life actually operates. “We’ve got it down to minutes, which alleviates all those pain points both for the customer and for the broker who’s trying to help them,” he says. “With APOLLO, everything is digital, cloud-based and mobile-friendly. You answer a few questions, get a quote and can pay immediately. It takes about five minutes end-to-end to get the insurance coverage you need.”
But just because it’s all digital doesn’t mean buyers should expect a bot-like experience. “Our company vision is really that computers do the work so our people can build relationships. People might assume we’re an online broker so they can’t talk to anyone. That’s so backwards. Letting the technology do the paperwork and payments frees up our people to truly serve the customer.”
For Sindy Souffront, owner of ECHO Events in Toronto, APOLLO’s customer-focused approach made all the difference. “During the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic, business was slow, yet the cost of my insurance policy continued to increase,” she says. “More cost-effective coverage was something I believed would help me weather the storm. However, I had so many questions and no one to talk to.”
After approaching several brokers, Souffront found APOLLO, where her questions were answered in an “efficient, positive and pressure-free” way. “My advisor was clear on the level of insurance I needed for the type of business I owned. He took the time to analyze competitive quotes and break down the services and costs. He made me feel like he was dedicated to my file and had my best interests in mind,” she says.
On top of cost-effectiveness and convenience, APOLLO also taps into a global network of insurance products that can help provide custom insurance solutions—a key advantage touted by Matthew Hendriks, whose Bow Valley Beverage Solutions occupies a unique niche. “APOLLO took the time to listen to what my company offers as a service,” he says. “The beer line trades industry is not that common, but APOLLO was able to get me exactly what I was looking for. The process was great!”
Bottom line, APOLLO makes buying insurance online as simple as it should be. In fact, McCann affirms the most common customer feedback he gets is: “Is this real? It’s so easy.”
To learn more about how APOLLO can help with your individual and business insurance needs, visit apollocover.com.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/life/people-first-approach-revolutionizes-the-insurance-industry/&title=A people-first approach revolutionizes the insurance industry&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/TL_APOLLOInsurance-1200x900-1.jpg&description=Nobody is a fan of paperwork, least of all Jeff McCann, founder and CEO of APOLLO Insurance. “It’s so frustrating to have to print everything, sign it, scan it, send it back. Why do I have to enter my name and address 15 times? Why can’t I just answer once?” Such time-consuming form-filling and signing is likely a familiar scenario to any Canadian who’s bought insurance, and it’s one that McCann set out to re-invent.
In an era where online technologies enable instant access to just about anything we need or want—clothes, flight tickets, a new car—insurance lags behind. Only one per cent of policies in Canada are currently sold online, McCann says. And if you imagine buying insurance online is generally as seamless and quick as other digital transactions, you’d be wrong.
“It might start with a digital form or the promise to buy now or get an instant quote, but when you submit your information, it says, ‘We’ll call you tomorrow,’” says McCann, adding that the whole process can take up to six weeks. With APOLLO, McCann brings personal and business insurance up to the speed at which life actually operates. “We’ve got it down to minutes, which alleviates all those pain points both for the customer and for the broker who’s trying to help them,” he says. “With APOLLO, everything is digital, cloud-based and mobile-friendly. You answer a few questions, get a quote and can pay immediately. It takes about five minutes end-to-end to get the insurance coverage you need.”
[caption id="attachment_567045" align="alignnone" width="1200"] APOLLO CEO Jeff McCann[/caption]
But just because it’s all digital doesn’t mean buyers should expect a bot-like experience. “Our company vision is really that computers do the work so our people can build relationships. People might assume we’re an online broker so they can’t talk to anyone. That’s so backwards. Letting the technology do the paperwork and payments frees up our people to truly serve the customer.”
For Sindy Souffront, owner of ECHO Events in Toronto, APOLLO’s customer-focused approach made all the difference. “During the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic, business was slow, yet the cost of my insurance policy continued to increase,” she says. “More cost-effective coverage was something I believed would help me weather the storm. However, I had so many questions and no one to talk to.”
After approaching several brokers, Souffront found APOLLO, where her questions were answered in an “efficient, positive and pressure-free” way. “My advisor was clear on the level of insurance I needed for the type of business I owned. He took the time to analyze competitive quotes and break down the services and costs. He made me feel like he was dedicated to my file and had my best interests in mind,” she says.
On top of cost-effectiveness and convenience, APOLLO also taps into a global network of insurance products that can help provide custom insurance solutions—a key advantage touted by Matthew Hendriks, whose Bow Valley Beverage Solutions occupies a unique niche. “APOLLO took the time to listen to what my company offers as a service,” he says. “The beer line trades industry is not that common, but APOLLO was able to get me exactly what I was looking for. The process was great!”
Bottom line, APOLLO makes buying insurance online as simple as it should be. In fact, McCann affirms the most common customer feedback he gets is: “Is this real? It’s so easy.”
To learn more about how APOLLO can help with your individual and business insurance needs, visit apollocover.com.
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