Two and a half years ago, we launched a dedicated team to support brokers working across the UK’s busy and diverse agriculture sector. Based in Swansea, the team delivers fast, expert advice on new business, renewals, MTAs and claims, and we recently sat down with our new team leader Rhiannon Hall to hear about her priorities for the year ahead, and why she thinks it’s so important for the team to have a genuine passion for agriculture…
What does a typical week in your role look like?
A standard week involves me continually asking three questions: where we are now, where are we going, and are we on track?
The team catches up on a Monday morning to set the priorities for the week ahead, and we’ll reconvene again on a Friday to review how things have gone. I’ll then start each day by reviewing the previous day’s activity – stats, performance, any spikes in the influx of work etc. – so that I can ensure we’re on plan and supporting all broker requests.
My broader focus is very much on team development, enabling everyone on the team to excel in every aspect of the job so they can give the best broker and customer claims service possible.
What do you think makes ERS stand out in the Agri market?
I honestly think it’s our dedicated team that really gives us the edge over other providers. We speak to many of our broker partners several times a week, providing a more personal service which ensures that we always know how each broker likes to work, as well as the specific needs of their clients.
How important is it for your team to show an interest in the wider Agri sector?
Without a passion for the sector, we can’t do our jobs as well. One of the ERS team even helps out on their family farm during the lambing and harvest seasons!
We have to show an understanding towards each unique situation that we get presented with and anticipate all potential outcomes for the clients, and if you don’t have a genuine interest, it’s hard to find the desire to learn more.
For me personally, I’ve had to fully immerse myself in the industry since I joined. These days I dream about tractors and I chat about new machinery with anyone who’ll listen
Is there anything that has surprised you about the sector since you joined?
I was surprised to learn about some of the weirder claims, like instances of rat infestation in machinery that has been stored away for the winter. The naughty rats chew through the wiring, which puts the machinery out of use and can even lead to fires, so we’d always recommend farmers to check their machinery periodically, even when it’s not in use.
What are your ambitions for the team over the next 12-18 months?
I want to build on the already high levels of cross-skilling in our team, so that eventually, every team member can cover for every other team member. We’ve developed training modules to better facilitate this, which we’re now looking at porting over to some of ERS’s other business areas to allow their teams to operate in a similar way. This way, we can ensure our brokers continue to get the best service through out the year
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt in your career to date?
You have to have teamwork in order to achieve success. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, the internal goals, customer needs or the amount of training available. Without teamwork, you just can’t get the same results.
What are your passions and pastimes outside of working hours?
Swimming, walking and travelling are big hobbies of mine, I’ve also moved home recently and so have an ongoing decorating tasklist to tend to.
If you weren’t working in agri vehicle insurance, what would your dream job be?
I would be digging-up tombs in the valley of the Kings. Part of my University course was on Egyptology, but unfortunately I found there weren’t too many jobs that would allow me to spend my time digging in the sunshine for things that are 1,000s of years old.
