List of concrete initiatives of the Customer Promise

日本語／English

We have developed our “Customer Promise,” which represents our commitment to customers that we are always thinking from customer’s perspective with the aim of improving our service, and we are implementing initiatives such as the following.

I.Promotion and establishment of “Customer Centricity”.

II.Providing the right advice and solutions to our customers

III.Initiatives for long term relationship with customers

Link to "Customer Promise"

【FSA Principle 2,6,7】

1. Continuous and structural improvement initiatives reflecting customer feedback

We have introduced the Net Promoter Score System (NPS®) to better understand our customers' needs based on their feedback and evaluations, and to provide services that satisfy them even more. The NPS® is a numerical evaluation of the satisfaction and customer loyalty that our customers experience at every touchpoint with Manulife and is used to drive continuous improvement. In addition to the evaluations and feedback received through the NPS questionnaire, we also receive feedback from our call centers, sales offices, agents, and other points of contact to gain a better understanding of our customers' honest sentiments.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• We have divided customer needs into those related to NPS and those related to CX, and promoted improvement activities and new development. In addition, in order to further promote the provision of information rooted in customers' needs and perspectives, we established a cross-functional customer communication promotion system called the "Customer Communication Program" to improve the quality of the content and methods of information provision.
• We held "Customer First Events" for head office employees to provide opportunities to learn and think about our customers.
• Human Centered Design (HCD) training was conducted for management and members of system development projects related to customer service. HCD means designing systems to meet user convenience and needs, and by applying HCD methods to ongoing projects, we aimed to accurately meet customer needs and provide better service. By having each and every employee work to solve problems from the customer's point of view, we improved the quality of service throughout the company.
• With the introduction of HCD, the demand and importance of customer surveys increased, with the goal of reflecting improvements from the customer's perspective in daily operations. To meet these internal demands, the survey and analysis process was reviewed and vendors were utilized. This has strengthened the system for improvement activities and development from the customer's perspective.

2.Education and training for our employees

We continue to provide education and training to promote activities that foster a "Compliance over Sales Culture.”

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• In FY2023, culture-fostering training for all employees was conducted, and all employees have completed the course.
• Compliance e-learinigs are conducted throughout the year for all officers and employees in order to consolidate knowledge of compliance and further cultivate compliance awareness.
• The sales department conducted compliance training on prevention of solicitation that deviates from the original purpose of insurance. Through this training, we fostered an understanding of the various risks surrounding the Company and appropriate responses to newly detected inappropriate behavior, as well as past examples. Based on this training and awareness survey, we measured whether "awareness of solicitation activities that deviate from the original purpose of insurance has penetrated among employees" and improved this training through PDCA cycle.
• To strengthen the training of new PAs, a trainer has been assigned to each sales office to provide support, enabling the provision of high-quality training suited to the situation of each sales office and new PAs.

【FSA Principle 3,4,5,6】

1. Efforts to Improve Consulting Capabilities

We are continuously working to educate our agents and sales staff in order to provide the best advice and solutions to our customers.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• At Agency channel, we train "Solicitor-Wholesalers" who have correct knowledge of FX insurance and variable insurance and extensive financial literacy knowledge in order to improve the financial literacy of our agency solicitors and contribute to the realization of our customers' dreams and hopes.
• We have introduced a tool that enables customers to simulate retirement asset allocation. With this, we are continuously working to strengthen our PAs' ability to make proposals that are more suited to customers' needs.

2. Protection of customers’ interest

Transactions that may cause conflicts of interest are identified and categorized in advance, specific management methods are stipulated in the “Conflict of Interest Management Policy and Rules.” In addition, training for officers and employees are provided.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• In order to comply with the “Conflict of Interest Management Policy and Rules,” we conducted training for all Executives and Employees in 2023 as well. We will continue to provide necessary education and training for employees and strive to protect the interests of our customers.

3. Transparency of costs

For investment related insurance products, we disclose costs in our solicitation materials with the customer as this important information may influence a customer’s purchasing decision.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• We strive to provide accurate and unmisleading information to customers, by providing financial institutions that handle our products for the first time with an "Important Information Sheet" that lists necessary information such as costs to be borne by customers and commissions.
  We plan to revise the "Important Information Sheet" in FY2024 and enhance the content.

4. Revision of commission structure of solicitation agencies

We consider business operations that prioritize customer interests to be the "quality" of the operations of solicitation agencies and have implemented a system whereby their commission levels are set according to the "quality."

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• In order to improve the quality of the operations of solicitation agencies, the LIAJ began operating the "Agency Operations Quality Evaluation Management" in FY2022. Based on the purpose, we revised the evaluation criteria for the "Agency Governance Class" in Jul. 2023.
• More information on the commission structure is available here.

【FSA Principle 5】

1. Improvements to My Page

We continue to work on promoting registration and usage as well as expanding the functions of Manulife My Page, a website exclusively for policyholders that enables them to check their current insurance contracts and carry out various procedures.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• In Apr. 2023, we changed part of the screen display for checking the contract details of the saving type unit linked product. This makes it easier for customers to check the items, such as the reserve fund and the amount to be paid at the time of cancellation.
• As of July 2023, as an effort to improve customer convenience, the automated response system "chatbot" is now available from My Page. The chatbot is displayed in the bottom right of the "Home Page" and "Contract Details". Users can search for the questions they want to ask from the category list or check frequently asked questions.
• in Oct. 2023, we have started providing electronic data (XML file) of life insurance premium deduction certificates from My Page. The downloaded file can be used as a life insurance premium deduction certificate by following prescribed procedures.

2. Improvement of forms, etc.
We provide simple and easy to understand solicitation and policy information materials for customers.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• In the digital category of the UCDA Awards 2023 (sponsored by the Universal Communication Design Association), Laxil navi, a digital brochure for "Kodawari Foreign-currency-denominated individual annuity," won the top prize.
• In addition, the company won a gold medal in the overall award that recognizes a company's UCD activities over the course of the year, including achievements in obtaining UCDA certification and activities promoting universal communication design both inside and outside the company.
• This is the ninth consecutive year that we have won the UCDA Awards, and the fifth consecutive year that it has won the top prize, the UCDA Award. This is the first time in the history of the awards that a company has won an entry for nine consecutive years.
• In order to provide customers with simple and easy-to-understand solicitation ans policy information materials, we held the tool contest called "UCD Challenge Cup", which was started internally in 2022, again in 2023 to select materials for entries into the UCDA Awards 2023.

Provision of ”Easy-to-understand Information” to Customers

3.Application process digitization

We are promoting the digitalization of application processes from the customer's perspective , including reviewing application procedures and improving screen clarity and operability.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• In FY2023, approximately 70% of the total volume of sales has been digitally applied for.
• We have digitized the forms that are explained and given to customers at the time of application, such as pamphlets, policy provisions, and cautionary information. This allows customers who have chosen to receive their forms digitally to check the forms they have received at any time on the "My Page" of the policyholders' website.

4.Responsive call center operations

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• Our call centre is recognised for the quality of our services. We achieved the highest rank “3 stars\2 for consecutive seven years from 2016 to 2023 by HDI- Japan.
• In FY2023, in order to build a service system that is not dependent on operators and can withstand sudden increases in call volumes that may occur due to a variety of factors, we continued to implement reforms from last year based on three pillars: 1) managing the volume of call volumes, 2) expanding our call receiving system, and 3) improving operator productivity.
• We will continue to work on the reforms in FY2024 and beyond to further improve the quality of our call center services.

5.Operational reinforcement

In order to have long lasting relationship with our existing policyholders, we reinforce our operation and reduce mistakes in operation.

【Initiatives in FY2023】

• We continued to promote the digitalization of insurance operations to improve customer convenience and reduce administrative errors.
• The introduction of a navigation tool for call center operators significantly reduced administrative errors in call center operations.
• In addition, based on the administrative risk management system for the entire insurance operations division, we systematically implemented self-evaluations of internal controls, improved responses to administrative errors, and provided education to all employees.