O’Keeffe & Swartz, a leader in the South African telemarketing call centre industry, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, an achievement made possible by the support of its staff and clients over the years.
Since its founding in 1993, O’Keeffe & Swartz has provided outsourced services to the major banks and financial services companies in South Africa in the sale of simple insurance products. The company was pivotal in the creation of this market and has been positioned as the market leader since 1996, through innovation and its focus on call quality and sales performance.
Originally a direct marketing consultancy, the firm set up many of the key financial services call centres in South Africa, including Sanlam, Hollard Insurance and Old Mutual. In 1996, O’Keeffe & Swartz set up the first of its own call centres, expanding to operate as a bureau and from early 1999, focused predominantly on insurance.
“Turning 20 is a significant milestone for us, particularly for the people in the business who have been here since our inception in 1993. It is an opportunity for us to pause and look forward to the next 20 years,” says Séan O’Keeffe, Founder of O’Keeffe & Swartz.
“Our call centre has grown from just over 400 seats in 2008 to almost 600 seats today. All of our current managers started on the phones in the call centre, so the longevity of the business creates real opportunities for our staff as we move forward. We also have exciting plans to diversify aggressively which will add value to our existing client base. We want to grow in niche markets, through acquisitions and organic growth,” he adds.
In South Africa over half the population are under insured or have no insurance at all. There is a real need for insurance especially in the death, disability and accident sphere, but most people do not have access to insurance brokers or the Internet to purchase this much needed commodity.
This is where the highly underrated medium of direct marketing comes into play.
Telemarketing not only allows the financial services provider to explain the product in the customer’s home language but also gives the consumer the opportunity to ask questions if they don’t understand any exclusions or terms and conditions of the policy.
“For consumers, in a lot of cases, direct marketing is a simple, effective, risk-free way of buying products and services they would otherwise not have known about or been able to acquire. Buying insurance is effectively buying peace of mind and families don’t have to suffer financially when the unforeseen takes place.”
On average, O’Keeffe & Swartz sells 750 000 insurance policies to South Africans on an annual basis. This insurance is an important stepping stone for many people.
“We have been incredibly lucky to be on this journey. I feel privileged to create opportunities for South Africans and make a real difference to their lives,” concludes O’Keeffe.