Customers want to feel valued, and The Unlimited has transformed this simple truth into award-winning success by reimagining how financial service providers engage with their clients. In partnership with technology provider inQuba, they recently celebrated a prestigious Assegai Award for their groundbreaking ‘people-first’ campaign. By combining cutting-edge technology with customer-centric strategies, the campaign has created a service experience that treats every customer like family, rather than just a transaction.
“Selling financial services isn’t just about contracts and monthly payments; it’s about being there for our customers when they need us most – we treat them like family,” says Claire Elliott, Head of Customer Journeys. “We believe that onboarding a customer is not a transactional process but an opportunity to connect with them in a personal way. Our goal is to ensure that our customers see and feel the value we bring to them and their families when it matters most.”
Reimagining the customer journey
Being part of a family means truly having someone in your corner. With this goal in mind, the award-winning campaign has reimagined the customer onboarding journey. Focusing on the first three months, the company utilizes hyper-personalized WhatsApp conversations combined with proactive call center engagement to foster connections that go far beyond traditional customer relationships.
“We’ve all had concerns when signing monthly debit orders for financial services products, wondering if we’ve made the right choice and whether it will meet our needs when it matters most,” says Elliott. “Our onboarding campaign starts from this premise, letting our customers know that we are genuinely in it for them so that they feel supported, valued, and understood from their very first interaction.”
To achieve this, The Unlimited effectively creates a connection that transcends traditional financial services relationships. Using data-driven insights, the campaign focuses on personalized conversations with each customer.
“When our data indicates that a customer may have questions, we don’t just send another automated message; we have a customer experience agent proactively call them,” Elliott explains. “It’s about combining the best of both worlds – smart technology and genuine human care. This approach has resulted in more engaged customers who stay with us beyond the initial onboarding period.”
The Assegai Award
With its innovative approach and integrated technology, it’s no surprise that The Unlimited’s campaign received the Assegai Award for Data-Driven Technology.
“This award recognizes something truly special,” says Trent Rossini, Managing Director at inQuba. “When technology serves people rather than the other way around, magic happens. Together with The Unlimited, we’ve demonstrated that data and analytics can create more meaningful relationships. What’s exciting is that this is just the beginning of what’s possible.”
The Assegai Awards have long been a benchmark for marketing excellence in South Africa. For The Unlimited, this recognition signifies something deeper – it affirms that the company’s commitment to treating customers like family is not only good service but also good business.
“While we’re honored to receive this award,” says Elliott, “the real victory is seeing how this approach has transformed our customers’ lives. We’re making financial services products more personal for everyday South Africans because we believe everyone deserves an Unlimited life. When our customers win, we win.”
