Aegon : rolls-out innovative advice channel in Spain

This year, Aegon Spain has opened three additional customer centers in the cities of Barcelona, ​​Mataro and Sabadell. The centers enhance Aegon's multichannel approach and strengthen its advisory capacity.

Aegon opened its first customer centers in Barcelona and Madrid in 2014 and 2015. The centers, which are located in key retail areas in high-income districts, offer customers a personal protection and planning for retirement service. Aegon Spain plans to roll-out further customer centers over the coming years.

Customers are guided through the experience by highly-trained Aegon advisers, using the latest technologies to simplify financial and protection planning, and help customers understand the options available to them.

Aegon adds value through a unique and differentiating customer experience. "It is based on a number of building blocks laid seamlessly side by side," explains Aegon Spain's Advisory Channel Director, Pablo Lopez-Aranguren. "These include advice, advanced technology, a focus on long-term planning and monitoring, impeccable service, proposed investment, and one fully integrated solution for planning and protection."

Advisers have been carefully selected, not only for their proven financial knowledge but also their empathic nature. This ensures they have the ability to talk to customers with different levels of financial understanding, and develop long-term relationships .

New advisors receive an extensive technical and cultural training program, which ensures that customers are offered tailored solutions based on their requirement. "The current market trend is to provide short-term and partial advise," explains Pablo. "We discovered that nobody offers complete advice - in terms examining and analyzing an individuals circumstances, personalized diagnosis of requirements and providing all-round recommendations."

Each center is equipped with a simulator - specially developed by Aegon Spain - which can be used by the general public, guided by advisors, to help them with financial forecasting and planning, and highlight areas that may require attention.

Customers are led through a series of simple questions and the simulator then provides a prognosis of the customer's financial situation at retirement, highlighting any gaps in income versus expenditure. It also provides suggestions for reducing this gap. The simulator also analyses if the customer's saving and protection products are appropriate for their current circumstances, and suggests solutions.

"Spanish society generally lacks financial planning and forecasting. Through opening these centers we aim to provide accessible solutions at street level, so that society can enjoy a future without financial worries," concludes Pablo.