Mktg: Hi. I'd like to get a quote on car insurance.
Sheilas' Wheels: Of course.
Mktg: I've heard that you won't be able to offer cheaper deals to ladies any more. Will your policies be going up in price?
SW: Any price I quote to you today will be based on one year. We can't change it during that year, regardless of whether prices go up and down. But you have nothing to worry about.
Mktg: Would it have been cheaper if I'd rung last week?
SW: Prices fluctuate daily.
Mktg: OK, but am I wasting my time looking to female-targeted companies for a cheaper deal?
SW: That's just a marketing thing. You'd be surprised at how many male customers we have.
Mktg: Your jingle says that 'women make the safest drivers, you'll save a bunch of fivers'. Will you have to change that?
SW: You can't change facts. Our marketing is based on fact. I'm not sure what direction the company will take, but the figures show, the majority of the time, males are the cause of accidents and claims.
Mktg: This must be quite a blow to Sheilas' Wheels ...
SW: They will give the insurance companies enough time so that changes can be implemented. Don't worry. If you don't like the quotation, you are not under obligation to take it up. So, can I take your information? (Mktg gives details.) Unfortunately, we can only insure you if you have a one-year no-claims discount.
Mktg: What if my boyfriend takes out the insurance with me as a named driver? Would he get the same deal as a woman?
SW: The best thing I can suggest is that you go to a comparison website like Gocompare.com.
Mktg: Right, but are your quotes still dependent on gender?
SW: It depends on a number of factors.
Mktg: But right now, do you factor gender in?
SW: There are many factors.
Mktg: But that's one of them?
SW: Like I say, the best thing is to go on the site and you'll find the information you're looking for.
Mktg: Right. Thanks.
SW: OK miss, thank you. Bye.
Verdict
The call-handler fumbled and skirted around our questions. It was clear that this is a sensitive subject and, as a potential customer, alarm bells would have been ringing. The fact that he thought it safer to divert Mole to the web showed a clear failure to deal with the issue.
Score: 3/10