Insurance services provider Momentum Short Term Insurance has announced an emergency service, aimed at connecting clients who are in crisis situations to a network of emergency responders.
The Safety Alert service, launched today in Johannesburg, is an emergency panic button linked to armed response and emergency healthcare services, which is available via the Momentum app. It can be initiated when clients feel their personal safety and those around them is being threatened, or during a health-related emergency.
The app is linked to a network of 1 500 services throughout SA that respond in a matter of minutes after the alert has been sent.
Speaking at the launch, Momentum Short Term Insurance chief commercial officer Etienne du Toit said the introduction of the Safety Alert feature is part of the insurer’s value proposition, which is built on two pillars – safety and convenience for clients.
“When we analysed our clients’ requirements, we realised the two most important things to them were safety and convenience. Safety Alert is yet another safety offering aimed at providing our clients with peace of mind. Our safety journey started when we introduced Safety Score in 2015 and was enhanced with the launch of our telematics service Safe Dayz in 2017.
“We really hope our clients don’t have to use Safety Alert, but the reality is, things do happen and we want to give them peace of mind that if it does, there is someone they can rely on and that Momentum is playing a role in helping keep them safe on their journey to success.”
Safety Alert is free of charge to all Momentum Car and Home Insurance policyholders for a limited time until August 2020.
Activating the panic button via the Momentum App on any smartphone allows for the immediate pinpointing of the exact location. A contact centre agent immediately calls back the client to understand the nature of the emergency and to confirm the physical address prior to the dispatch of an armed response unit or an ambulance.
“Users must ensure their location setting is active when initiating Safety Alert on their smartphones. Once the Safety Alert button has been activated, the nearest armed response unit will be dispatched to support clients in whatever emergencies they are experiencing,” said Du Toit.
According to Stats SA, in 2018, a total of 2.09 million crimes were recorded in 2018, with household crimes increasing by 5% to a total of 1.5 million incidences.
“Crime is a reality in SA and monthly security fees can be prohibitive for many South Africans, who are trying to stay financially afloat, particularly during the current trying economic times. Safety Alert is a game-changer, offering peace of mind for Momentum Short-term Insurance clients at no additional cost for this limited period,” noted Du Toit.
Momentum Short-term Insurance also introduced an online quoting feature on the Momentum Web site that allows consumers to obtain accurate car and home insurance quotes with minimum variation.
The introduction of the quotation feature, according to the company, is part of its short-term insurance strategy, to meet consumers’ requirements for self-service digital solutions that make it convenient and easy to engage with it 24 hours a day.
“While our two new services are not first-to-market, what distinguishes them from competitors is that we have spent some time and resources to ensure the best technologies are used to provide an innovative and accurate engagement platform; for instance, with the online quotation service. And our safety feature is offered free of charge to enable access to all our clients, while we also offer cash-back benefits even if they don’t claim. This is a different approach to what is already available in the market,” concluded Du Toit.
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