From person to person: customer focus in practice at Groupe Mutuel
15 October 2025 | Comment(s) |
Martin Kamber
Every September, before the announcement of premiums marks the start of the “busy season” for health insurers, the focus is on the work of the advisers at Groupe Mutuel agencies: they are the ambassadors of the image campaign in selected local newspapers and on radio stations in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland.
The employees of Groupe Mutuel's 37 agencies are often the first and most important point of contact for customers. As a result, they deal with a wide range of requests and concerns on a daily basis, while maintaining long-standing personal relationships with a loyal customer base.
For customer adviser Ivan Buholzer from the Lucerne agency, it is the diversity that makes his job so appealing, as he revealed to the Luzerner Zeitung: "People have so many different facets. It's exciting to be confronted with this every day without ever knowing exactly what to expect."
For insurance and pension adviser Célia Marchand, too, nothing beats direct, personal contact at the Delémont agency: "Face-to-face contact is still very much appreciated. Policyholders like to see that their requests are being dealt with," she told the Quotidien Jurassien newspaper.
Customers have the same opinion: 82-year-old Jacques Bessard told Le Nouvelliste in Valais that the staff at "his" agency in Martigny are always on top form, adding: "For certain procedures, nothing beats face-to-face contact."
The agency is where we speak the language of our customers
Long-standing customer Jacques Bessard is delighted with the personal advice he receives from Maria Eugenia Pinto Teixeira and the team at the Martigny agency.
These quotes are taken from three of the many press articles published in mid-September as part of the image campaign on the theme of "proximity". Combined with the features broadcast for the first time on various local radio stations, these articles convey a varied image of what Groupe Mutuel stands for: a caring attitude, proactivity and a sense of responsibility.
Because the agency staff have close ties to the area in which they work and from which they usually originate, it is easy for them to establish contact with their customers.
Sara Lukic, who works as an insurance and pension adviser in Baden, explained to the Lenzburger Nachrichten newspaper: "I consider myself lucky to serve many long-standing customers who are grateful for being advised on an equal footing."
Customer adviser Erna Giovanoli with her colleague from Chur, Nico Sciamanna, during a photo shoot in St. Moritz.
Likewise, referring to Erna Giovanoli, who has been working for Groupe Mutuel in St. Moritz for no less than 45 years, where she advises numerous hotel businesses, the newspaper Südostschweiz reported that this native of Val Bregaglia has left her mark on the local insurance sector “just as the mountains have left their mark on the Engadine region".
Regional roots run particularly deep in rural areas, a fact that Célia Marchand, who is originally from the Jura region, sees as very positive: "People have known me for a long time. This facilitates communication and helps break down the barriers that can exist between an insurer and an insured person."
The win-win formula
The image campaign offers a glimpse into the advisory activities in different regions of the country. As different as Groupe Mutuel's presence may be on either side of the divide between German and French-speaking Switzerland (also known as the Röstigraben), customers' concerns are often similar.
Cihad Kahraman, who has a dual role as a pension specialist and sales coach at the Basel agency, told the newspaper bz that there are many expats in the Rhine region who like to drop by spontaneously to clarify any questions they may have.
Shannon Maarouf, a customer who has been living in Geneva for four years and who has been introduced to the local healthcare system by adviser Amanda Kunz during regular visits to the agency, expressed a similar view in Genève Home Informations: "Every time I visited the agency, I got a clear answer. This human touch is invaluable, especially when you're settling into a new city.”
Patricia Carolyn Fierro has been a loyal customer for many years and regularly visits the Groupe Mutuel agency in Morges.
In an age where digitalisation is everywhere, Patricia Carolyn Fierro from Morges is committed to personal interaction: "At my age, I prefer human contact to digital platforms and tools," she said in the newspaper La Côte. Her visits to the agency are also an opportunity for her to support and appreciate the work of the advisers on site.
Despite all the difficult moments that may occur, customer adviser Larissa Bebi from the Service Centre in Zurich-Oerlikon is also highly appreciated. On Radio 24, she recalled a grateful customer who came by shortly before a trip and brought a small gift. Such experiences reinforce her conviction: "At our agency, you get something that no screen can replace: customised advice from person to person."
Small gestures that mean a lot
In the bilingual canton of Fribourg, too, proximity to policyholders shapes everyday life in the agencies: "The attention we pay to our policyholders is reflected in small everyday gestures: a box of chocolates, Saint Nicholas cookies or just a simple hello accompanied by a smile. It brightens up our days," said Tiago Loução, general agent in Fribourg.
In Lausanne, Groupe Mutuel agencies also maintain close relationships with their policyholders. This is confirmed by Mrs Andreoli, a loyal policyholder since 1992: "My husband and I have always been in good hands with Groupe Mutuel. Everything is clear with them," the 83-year-old, who has roots in Caserta near Naples, confided to Lausanne Cités. She regularly visits the agency in La Sallaz, whether for administrative matters or just to say hi. And she never forgets to bring her famous homemade tiramisu.
Mrs Andreoli and her famous tiramisu, which she brings to the Groupe Mutuel agency in La Sallaz.
With or without gifts, the ambassadors of the 2025 image campaign agree that customer satisfaction is definitely a source of motivation. Olivia Abdelmoula, customer adviser in Thun, said on Radio Bern1: "When I can help someone, it shows me how important my work is."
And across the language barrier, Avdija Alic, insurance and pension adviser in Neuchâtel, agrees on ArcInfo: "Seeing people leave feeling reassured, knowing that they have found someone who will listen to them, is extremely satisfying."
