Our values:
We’re professional
We’ve been in the insurance business a long time but specialised in the health and wellbeing sector in the mid-1990s. This means we’ve been able to grow and develop alongside the sector and learn all there is to know about the innovation and risks in the industry.
We’re honest
Not only do we believe our products offer the widest protection on the market but we don’t charge for any hidden extras like mid-term changes or credit card transactions.
We care
We take our role in caring for our clients seriously. Our reputation for excellent customer service is well-earned and we take a personal approach when speaking to or advocating for our clients.
We’re friendly
Lots of businesses talk about being ‘like a family’, we actually are. Established in 1950 by the Balen family, many of our staff have been with us for decades
What does this mean in practice?
We operate with honesty and integrity. We preserve traditional professional values, maintain confidential boundaries and embrace flexible and progressive attitudes.
We are a knowledge based business with care at our heart. Caring for our clients, business partners, suppliers and all team members.
We are a values inspired, rather than profit driven company. An ethical and principled firm, we are pulled by growth, with the belief that it is our job to ‘Care for the Carers’ our clients, who through their work within the health and well-being, fitness, beauty and not-for-profit markets, care for their own clients in return.
We believe the insurance policies we offer are among the best on the market and wish to ensure that our clients receive the best customer service. We do not hard sell or set specific sales targets but instead invest in staff training and development, including induction, on the job training, online training platforms, Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualifications and other ongoing training.
We offer value-added services to our clients - there are usually extra features in the Insurances we offer and arrange and we do not charge for any hidden extras, please see our terms of business. The policies we offer and arrange are designed with our clients in mind, based on their needs and requirements, rather than our own.
We are loyal to clients and do not engage in sharp practice. We will challenge Insurers on behalf of our clients when necessary and act as their advocate.
We have clear service standards that ensure clients are treated appropriately and aim to always meet and exceed these.
We offer a personal approach in these days of growing impersonality and aim to offer a friendly, listening approach to our clients' needs. Despite the high number of clients we have, each are given the individual service and attention they require.
Quality insurance products, excellent customer service and effective claims handling continue to be the foundation stones on which our business has been built.
We believe in using technology to assist us with our business, moving to computer-based systems as early as 1982 and we continue to invest in updating systems and processes to support our clients and staff alike.
We believe in ‘giving back’, and with the support of the PIB Group support many local and national charities. Our team members participate in fund raising activities which are also supported by Balens.
We understand that we’re all human and thus mistakes will inevitably happen. We acknowledge that they can have an impact upon other team members and clients alike, thus where performance improvement requirements are identified, these will be investigated and appropriate actions put into place to ensure that we support performance improvements, using our mistakes as learning opportunities.
We will deal with complaints promptly, fairly and with goodwill. Clients will not be placed at a disadvantage by any error made by a Balens team member in accordance with the Financial Conduct Authority’s requirement to deliver good consumer outcomes.
We understand that team members will be slower at tasks when in training or when dealing with complex or difficult issues and thus additional time will be given for this.
We believe in investing in our team members, encouraging them to progress within our business to new roles, and care about their health and well-being.
We have a zero tolerance approach to harassment, expecting that all work colleagues and clients will treat team members with courtesy at all times.
We are an equal opportunities employer and do not discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, age (protected characteristics), gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion or belief systems, nor any form of disability.
We work as a team mutually supporting one another, yet staff members have individual specialities to cover clients' requirements in depth.
And finally, we spend a large portion of our day at work, and believe this should be a relaxed, pleasant and enjoyable experience, which is also challenging and rewarding, ensuring happy and satisfied clients and team members. We may not always achieve this aim, but we continue to strive towards it.