OUTsurance the Winner of the Prestigious Isabel Jones Ukusizana Award

The first ever winner of the "Isabel Jones Ukusizana" Award from the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance is... OUTsurance. 

The award - with its focus on customer service excellence, fairness and efficient complaints resolution - is a significant achievement for a company that has consistently built its image and marketing position on its customer service attitude and equitable approach. OUTsurance can now once again justifiably claim that it lives up to its advertising pitch. 

Specific emphasis on consumer co-operation 
The Ombudsman for Short Term insurance introduced the award in 2007 to specifically recognise short term insurance providers that show outstanding commitment to co-operation. 

The overall aim of the award is to promote consumer confidence in the industry and highlight the contribution that the insurance industry makes to the functioning of the Office of the Ombudsman. 

The winner of the award needs to have shown superior performance on 6 criteria. Service excellence is the first of these, with the remaining 5 focussing on complaints resolution. Speed and thoroughness in responding to queries must be evident, and a high level of co-operation with the Ombudsman must be shown. Prompt implementation of Ombudsman recommendations is a further requirement, with a clear overall commitment to fairness and equity shown throughout. 

Taking its name from the Zulu word that roughly translates as "working hand in hand", it's the spirit of co-operation that is emphasised above all in the bestowal of the award. 

OUTsurance outperforms the rest 
Three finalists were selected in January 2008 and an adjudication process began to select the overall winner. Based on the judging criteria and for its overall commitment, OUTsurance was the inaugural winner of the award. 

MUA Insurance Company Limited was the runner-up, with the Auto & General Group taking third place. 

In congratulating the winners, the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance, Brian Martin, elaborated: "Our Office cannot function effectively without the active co-operation of the insurance industry and this is one way in which we can recognise the efforts of insurers who go the extra mile in resolving complaints expeditiously and fairly." 

Given the mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman - to ensure that insurance consumer issues are resolved fairly and speedily, without extra cost to those insured - to be recognised as embodying the very principles that the Ombudsman represents is the ultimate seal of approval for an insurance company, and something that OUTsurance can justifiably be proud of.