Suncorp Customer Advocate Andrew Chanmugam says policyholders are going through “a challenging time” as cost-of-living pressures worsen insurance affordability and accessibility issues.

Mr Chanmugam, who began his role in August, says he’s “very excited” to introduce his ideas to help aid customers, who he admits are facing increasingly perilous situations.

“These are challenging times and as an organisation, we’re seeing many people who are struggling, which means there is also a lot of opportunity for us to do good and deliver better outcomes for our customers,” Mr Chanmugam said.

He says his role’s success will depend on listening to and fairly representing what customers need and want from their insurer.

“I’m seeing and hearing that cost-of-living pressures for consumers and small businesses are really starting to bite, and that is sometimes exacerbated by additional vulnerabilities such as domestic violence and financial hardship,” he said

“The accessibility and affordability of insurance have also been consistent themes for some time now, but they continue to accelerate.

“Between skyrocketing inflation and geopolitical instability globally, there’s a conflation of things that we need to consider and adapt to, to continue to understand what our customers need and how we can support them in this changing environment.”

Mr Chanmugam says affordability and accessibility concerns will be a notable focus for him.

“There’s an opportunity here to introduce new ways of working, to really embed that voice of the customer through every area of the business, and there are a couple of things we’re doing like introducing a customer checkpoint through all projects,” he said.

Mr Chanmugam, who previously worked with Suncorp’s Technology and Transformation Team, says he remains aware of how emerging technologies can impact customer experience.

“As everything becomes more digitised and we’re facing things like the growth of artificial intelligence and new ways for people to shop or drive their cars, there’s a risk that the social divide is only going to increase,” he said.

“But there’s also an opportunity to help design these new solutions upfront, so that we’re closing the gap instead of widening it.

“I’m hopeful for the future and hope to have the chance to influence it for the better.”