Want a few constructive opinions from the guys who work in both industrys

Some know i work in insurance but im looking at a career change or maybe a different insurance role altogether.

Does any of the regular members work or know someone who works in collections or inbound banking.

Does anyone know good insurance companys to work for in manchester except swinton and hastings!!

Red,

I used to work in collections for a bank and a multi-bank environment. It's very dull, uninteresting and robotic! Avoid at all costs.

With regard to insurance companies, you should look at brokers. Look at independent brokerages that deal with both high flyer insurers and ones that only operate through intermediaries. You should also ask if they will assist you in furthering your career by paying for your studies with the CII. If they do, be aware of the redemption penalty should you leave the company where they will claw these fees back. Once you have the professional qualifications, it opens doors to other bigger companies where you could be an assistant underwriter for, say, Aviva Norwich Union or RSA etc. It might be worth considering branching out into something OTHER than Motor Insurance. When you go for interviews for new jobs, it doesn't look very good if you are a call centre agent for home and motor insurance. Try and get into claims and commercial/underwriting.

thought id uppdate you vic and let you know im starting at barclays monday

Ive weighed up all the options

stay in my current job and see if i can get a good pay rise when the pay review comes around

go back to hastings who are in the midst of upping the pay for their staff

or pursue a change in direction and go for collections which is paying the best i can get around at 17k basic plus fantastic bonus and benefits potential.

leaving my current job i think has proved spot on to be honest because they have messed up my final wages to the point where they tried not ot pay me any holiday pay which i was entitled to,the company which i wont name had a habit of treating staff badly so in the end im glad to leave.

RED ARMY:

thought id uppdate you vic and let you know im starting at barclays monday

Ive weighed up all the options

stay in my current job and see if i can get a good pay rise when the pay review comes around

go back to hastings who are in the midst of upping the pay for their staff

or pursue a change in direction and go for collections which is paying the best i can get around at 17k basic plus fantastic bonus and benefits potential.

leaving my current job i think has proved spot on to be honest because they have messed up my final wages to the point where they tried not ot pay me any holiday pay which i was entitled to,the company which i wont name had a habit of treating staff badly so in the end im glad to leave.

Hi mate.

Well, everyone is different and you have to do what you have to do. All I know is, it may sound like an attractive package now but it certainly won't be in years to come. The maximum level you can acheive in this sort of environment is Supervisor to Manager. Nothing more, and it takes a lot of time and brown nosing to get to it! When I worked there, the managers were newly promoted from supervisors and they were all in their late 30's. If this is your ambition, then so be it, but I suppose you have to try it to test it to like it or hate it!

All jobs mess people around with their final pay packet, which is why I don't let the company know until the pay day of that month.

I agree that working in an insurance call centre is not good, equally to that of the banking environment. The prospects for working within the insurance sector far exceed that of collections call centre! I am currently on x2.7 the wage I was on whilst working in collections those few years ago, and I'm younger than you (apparently)!

Whatever you decide to do, all the best with it Red!

Vic

well week 1 is nearly over and already i feel at home at barclays,i reckon i should have joined years ago,this job suits me down to the ground totally in terms of helping the customers and being rewarded for it.

the pay is looking better by the minute as i get to find out more about what you can earn and do as a career in barclays,collections is just one of the arms of barclays,the career potential seems to be far more great than anything ive ever done before

Got my first accreditation test tommorow so fingers crossed,but to be honest most of it is idiot proof im not joking.

aslong as you can do customer service,read instructions and navigate a computer,the rest just comes natural just like beer comes natural to a brewery,banking is not hard to understand it never has been,its like a insurance policy,you just gotta read the instructions and terms and then you are laughing.

Ah I remember those tests. You're right, they are idiot proof! In actual fact they are pretty pointless for the employee but it does show the employer/regulators that your competence in carrying out your duties are sufficient for you to carry on.

Not too sure how the pay is looking better by the minute as any increases will be minimal, even to supervisory level. I'll give it 9-12 months lol. Either way... best of luck with it Red.

vic i promise you banking is just as good if not better than insurance,bigger staff numbers because there a lot of job roles to fill,career progression better

Im actually on b3 grade which according to my trainer is actually a promotion for me as im higher and more authority than standard cashiers,supervisors,telephone and internet banking staff,its the same level of authority as those of actual branch bossess except maybe the bigger larger ones on the high street.

Trust me vic get back into banking,my role of a collector is a lot more than just what meets the eye if you read the basic job description in the job advert,the actual role is a account manager with the authority to come down hard on anyone who fu%&s up at branch or on the phone to customers.

The pay is 17k basic plus upto 20k earned annual paid monthly based on monthly performance,annual company bonus ,plus a wide range of other benefits,plus the union have negioatied a graded based pay rise with a minimum rise for good peformers of 8%.

vic i promise you banking is just as good if not better than insurance,bigger staff numbers because there a lot of job roles to fill,career progression better

Lol. It really doesn't have bigger staff numbers and the career progression is absolutely not even in the same leauge!

Im actually on b3 grade which according to my trainer is actually a promotion for me as im higher and more authority than standard cashiers,supervisors,telephone and internet banking staff,its the same level of authority as those of actual branch bossess except maybe the bigger larger ones on the high street.

? Well your trainer is talking out of his/her exhaust pipe.

Trust me vic get back into banking,my role of a collector is a lot more than just what meets the eye if you read the basic job description in the job advert,the actual role is a account manager with the authority to come down hard on anyone who fu%&s up at branch or on the phone to customers.

I know what the role of a collector is mate... I told you, I used to do it!! Account management it certainly isn't. If you've ever been an Account Manager then you would know. Account Managers visit clients on behalf of the business, not sit with a headset asking for card payments.

The pay is 17k basic plus upto 20k earned annual paid monthly based on monthly performance,annual company bonus ,plus a wide range of other benefits,plus the union have negioatied a graded based pay rise with a minimum rise for good peformers of 8%.

? In that case, why would I want to get back into banking? I'm younger than you and on a hell of a lot more than that due to the career progression we spoke about earlier! I also receive four figure bonuses throughout the year based on performance and around £2.5k at Christmas time End Year figures.

I really think you should have stuck at it mate. You get out what you put in.

i think me and you are gonna beg to differ vic barclays have more staff than hastings and the other place i used to work at,hastings especially in manchester had cut back on staff especially team leaders which is the exact role i wanted so career progression there was non existent!!.

Think you got the wrong idea of a collector,have you ever worked at barclays,cos if you havnt you cannot say my trainer is talking out of his backside,it wasnt even my main trainer that said it was his stand in and when i checked it out he was right.

There are many roles of a collect MATE!! (which you are not really)think the one you did wasnt as intense as barclays collections,its not just a standard collector setting up payment plans,there is a lot more to the job than meets the eye as barclays have so many ways and plans/alternative products to protect the customers credit rating and to stop them falling into the hands of the cab and the ccs,we actually go through the clients income and expenditure same way the cab and debt management companys do ,we offer consolidation loans on ones that qualify as a last resort,we offer all sorts of all sorts of alternative plans and ways of helping the customers,its very much the ultimate job for me.

If you get more money than me fair play you must be a team leader or something,but my average bonus at hastings had shot down from £1100 per month right down to £250 average mainly because the change of deparment structure and therefore it had a knock on effect on how many sales calls and re sales i could get.

So for me hastings is worse than barclays ten fold,i will earn loads more at barclays than i did there and the other place.

When you come to me one day for a morgage(you never knowconsidering my b3 rank)we will have a nice chat about which industry is better to work in.

For now as you are clearly a higher rank than a standard insurance advisor the jury is still out.

i think me and you are gonna beg to differ vic barclays have more staff than hastings and the other place i used to work at,hastings especially in manchester had cut back on staff especially team leaders which is the exact role i wanted so career progression there was non existent!!.

My comment was aimed at the two industries worldwide, not Hastings v Barclays.

Think you got the wrong idea of a collector,have you ever worked at barclays,cos if you havnt you cannot say my trainer is talking out of his backside,it wasnt even my main trainer that said it was his stand in and when i checked it out he was right.

Again, your trainer was talking out of his/her backside lol. Yes I have worked for Barclays, Lloyds, Egg, Nationwide, Goldfish, Northern Rock (say nothing on that one lol).

There are many roles of a collect MATE!! (which you are not really) LOL - little bit tetchy, Red? I was only being friendly think the one you did wasnt as intense as barclays collections,its not just a standard collector setting up payment plans,there is a lot more to the job than meets the eye as barclays have so many ways and plans/alternative products to protect the customers credit rating and to stop them falling into the hands of the cab and the ccs,we actually go through the clients income and expenditure same way the cab and debt management companys do ,we offer consolidation loans on ones that qualify as a last resort,we offer all sorts of all sorts of alternative plans and ways of helping the customers,its very much the ultimate job for me.

Yep. All of that.

If you get more money than me fair play you must be a team leader or something,but my average bonus at hastings had shot down from £1100 per month right down to £250 average mainly because the change of deparment structure and therefore it had a knock on effect on how many sales calls and re sales i could get.

I think you're looking at the small scale insurance. I'm not a 'team leader' as you usually find these are 15 year olds working in a call centre environment. I agree that insurance call centres play a big part in the industry but there are far more avenues to consider! I also see your point about department structure and it's knock on effect.

So for me hastings is worse than barclays ten fold,i will earn loads more at barclays than i did there and the other place.

Yes, you probably will earn more at Barclays than Hastings.

When you come to me one day for a morgage(you never knowconsidering my b3 rank)we will have a nice chat about which industry is better to work in.

Hmm... when you've got your (at least) CeMAP, CertPFS/equivalent, then I might consider it! Until then, I'll speak to a qualified prof.. I always shy away from those that cannot spell key words in the industry they work in. Typically "Isnurance" in Insurance (although this could be mistaken for a typo), and "Morgage" instead of Mortgage. Less likely to be a typo (!)

For now as you are clearly a higher rank than a standard insurance advisor the jury is still out.

It's not about 'rank', but more about 'role'.

My comment was aimed at the two industries worldwide, not Hastings v Barclays.FAIR ENOUGH

Again, your trainer was talking out of his/her backside lol. Yes I have worked for Barclays, Lloyds, Egg, Nationwide, Goldfish, Northern Rock (say nothing on that one lol). VIC WHEN DID YOU LAST WORK AT BARCLAYS,the structure has changed and so has the pay agree think its time the likes of you need a education sometimes,you may think you know it all cos you work in insurance and are high up but if you left collections or banking in general it must have been cos you were not cut out for it and quit or that you were sacked which is it.

Amicus union which is the union that covers the workers who work for barclays,have recently sorted a 3 year pay deal with barclays which is grade based so if i perform to a a-b grade il jump from 17.1k now to around 21k at the end of the 3 year deal

As im on b3 grade once ive completed 6 months -1year i can start applying for positions such as local branch manager as my grade already puts me higher than the branch cashiers,telephone advisors and general staff,im on the same level as local branch managers and personal bankers.,i did 4 years at hastings and never got a look it because my face didnt fit,not because i couldnt do the job,i could have been one of the best team managers they had,BUT STILL NEVER MIND.

LOL - little bit tetchy, Red? I was only being friendly

FREINDLY dont make me laugh vic you wouldnt know freindly if it bit you on the backside and said lets be freinds,you are the most blunt person ive seen on here and whom obviosuly thinks you are second to none in everyway .

I think you're looking at the small scale insurance. I'm not a 'team leader' as you usually find these are 15 year olds working in a call centre environment. I agree that insurance call centres play a big part in the industry but there are far more avenues to consider! I also see your point about department structure and it's knock on effect. SO what rank are you then,i promise you vic to be in banking opens up more avenues then anything any insurer could give.

Hmm... when you've got your (at least) CeMAP, CertPFS/equivalent, then I might consider it! Until then, I'll speak to a qualified prof.. I always shy away from those that cannot spell key words in the industry they work in. Typically "Isnurance" in Insurance (although this could be mistaken for a typo), and "Morgage" instead of Mortgage. Less likely to be a typo (!) To To be honest vic i was just having a laugh there,obviously i know mortgage advisors need certain qualifications but i must emphasise that they dont need em to be a bank manager other then to sit tests to prove they comply with all the banking regulations ive covered and more such as money laundering etc etc.

RED BULL: “FREINDLY dont make me laugh vic you wouldnt know freindly if it bit you on the backside and said lets be freinds,you are the most blunt person ive seen on here and whom obviosuly thinks you are second to none in everyway .”

I was going to say that the two of you should try and co-exist in peace and harmony man. Then I thought; that was the sixties. How about ten rounds and knocking seven bells out of each other with the winner dictating the loser’s career path? If this doesn’t appeal don’t form an alliance and pick on me because you should respect your elders! Yes you should!!

drumster:

RED BULL: “FREINDLY dont make me laugh vic you wouldnt know freindly if it bit you on the backside and said lets be freinds,you are the most blunt person ive seen on here and whom obviosuly thinks you are second to none in everyway .”

I was going to say that the two of you should try and co-exist in peace and harmony man. Then I thought; that was the sixties. How about ten rounds and knocking seven bells out of each other with the winner dictating the loser’s career path? If this doesn’t appeal don’t form an alliance and pick on me because you should respect your elders! Yes you should!!

LOL - well I'd entertain this post, but certainly not Red's latest, pretty poorly replied! The knocking seven bells thing sounds interesting, but it'd be over too quickly <whistles> lol. Some people just don't 'get it' no matter how many slaps!

lol..vic you couldnt slap me down if i offered you the first free shot lol

id be up for a charity boxing match with all profits going to shelter the homless charity and the consumer credit councelling service which is a registered charity which i dare say will be busier than ever this year especially.

id be up for 12 3 minute rounds and il even let vic wear head gear,something i wont be needing..lol

drumster can be the ref with the stay at home and bi$%h brigade supporting vic and whoever supports man united supporting me.

serious point tho,vic the fact is you may have made a successfull career in insurance but fact is car and home insurance are the biggest industrys to single handly screw customers out of their hard earned money ,, and not pay out proper compensation for personal injury claims which is one of the main reasons i left hastings and then the whole industry in general,

the banking sector are their to make money and make an awfull lot of it,but unlike insurers,most do actually put the customer rights and customer requirements before if not on the same level as their own,

insurance companys can screw customers then lose them knowing perfectly well there is another mug coming through the revolving door that they can screw time and time again,facts are everyone needs car and home insurance and the main thing is how cheap customers can get it,

banking is mainly about servicing the customers needs aswell as the banks,there is certain things banks do which i will never agree with but given a choice between bank and insurance,,,i should have joined banking years ago,for me money has been the main issue in moving to barclays but i also have morals aswell and will never work for a actual insurance company again.

SHAME ON YOU VIC.

I don't know anything about boxing but I have a feeling in this instance it won't matter. On a personal note I think I am correct in saying that the two boxers have stools (now then, now then!) but I have never seen a wheeled chair for the ref. If the rules allow a wheeled recliner I will be happy to referee. If not the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

And finally I would like to invest in this fight and would like to know the favourite. So far RED FOG is talking the better fight and with my impartial help could prove a winner. What say you VAPOUR RUB?