Speech Notes
Hon Marie Hasler
Associate Minister for ACC
Visit to the ACC Business Service Centre
Seabridge House, 110 Featherston Street Wellington
4.00pm, Tuesday 27 July 1999

Good afternoon everyone. I am delighted to be here to meet you all and to have a good look at the work you do.

I would like to thank Darrin Goulding, General Manager Business Development and Distribution; Kevin Walker, General Manager Finance and sponsor of the project to establish this centre; and Claire Govier Business Service Centre Manager; for inviting me to visit this new ACC Business Service Centre today.

Your CEO, Garry Wilson has been keeping me informed of progress in establishing this centre. However I was still amazed to hear that since the ACC Business Service Centre started operating on 17 May staff have received a phenomenal 220,000 calls. I understand at one time calls peaked at a massive three thousand a day.

The introduction of the Accident Insurance Act was significant for all self-employed and employers and their staff. Indeed, 1 July 1999 was a milestone day for accident insurance in this country.

As a result ACC needed to establish a direct communication point for its premium payers. The success of the premiums help desk identified that using a 0800 number was the best way to meet the needs of premium payers. The Corporation therefore established this state of the art call centre.

I am pleased to hear the business centre has a very high rate of call retention. This tells me that premium payers are getting quick responses to their questions and their calls are answered promptly. The high retention rate is a direct result of the high calibre of staff in the centre and is something you can all be proud of.

Premiums is a complicated area to be dealing with. It is an area requiring you to know your subject, to be able to provide quick and understandable answers to at times complicated questions.

I am impressed with the standard of understanding and expertise available in the centre.

I know you all continue to answer questions on:

· CoverPlus
· experience rating
· and legislation.

In the next few months you will also be answering calls resulting from new mail outs. You will soon be getting calls from people responding to letters they have received about:

· determination of the scheme they are covered by
· experience rating from previous years
· premium invoices they have received, and
· information about cover plus for those self employed who have chosen to stay with ACC.

All this on top of handling changes of address and other written requests for information.

I would like to thank you all for the work you have done in making this centre a success. I have enjoyed meeting you all and seeing this innovative work area. I trust you will all keep up the good work that you have done so far and will meet the challenges ahead.

Thank you again for this invitation to meet with you all today. Enjoy the pizza.

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