True Stories From Mondial Assistance Accompanies 2008 Annual Report

TrueStories

2008 in Þ gures

Key figures

Turnover (in million euros)

2008 1,597

2007 1,508

2006 1,344

Total staff (number of people)

2008 9,817

2007 9,356

2006 8,550

Net proÞ t (in million euros)

2008 62.6

2007 57.1

2006 55.9

Combined ratio (in points)

2008 94.9

2007 95.1

2006 95.2Staff per zone

25%

14% Asia PaciÞc

61% EMEA

Americas

Turnover per zone

19%

9.5% Asia PaciÞc

71.5% EMEA

Americas

Turnover per LOB

48%

8% Health & Lifecare

39% Auto

Travel

5% Property & others

Mondial Assistance True Stories 2008

Unique brand name

• We implemented a Chinese

tag-line refl ecting our mission

and brand promise.

• The Netherlands, the United States

and Canada adopted the new brand

name. They now operate under a

unique brand and speak to you with

a single voice all around the world.

• We launched our new brand

positioning successfully across

the Group.

2008 rewards for innovation and dedication!

• China: Best China Call Center

• USA: Global Call Center of the Year

• France: Purchasing Decision Award

• Japan: 3-star Call Center

• Belgium: Best Assistance Product

• Germany: Best in class for Travel Insurance

2008 milestones

• 1st year completed in Hungary

• Ready to expand in Romania

• New subsidiary opens in Russia

The Mondial Assistance family grows!


It’s hard to communicate when you don’t speak the same language. So what

do you do when your car breaks down, and you can’t explain where you are

or what’s wrong? One of our German customers was in Naples when his

car stopped in the middle of a busy street. He immediately called the number

of our Roadside Assistance platform on a card provided by the automobile

manufacturer. One of our Assistance Coordinators answered the phone, but

because our German customer only spoke a little Italian, everything was lost in

translation! Our Assistance Coordinator patiently informed him that she would

call him right back with a German interpreter. Within ten minutes our stranded

customer was stranded no more, speaking in his native tongue. Our German-

speaking Coordinator quickly determined where the vehicle was and that it

needed to be towed. The car was taken to the local dealer’s for repair while a taxi

transferred our customer to his hotel. We even break down language barriers to

help customers when their cars break down!

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

Lost and found in translation

We even break down language barriers to help customers when their cars break down!


Switzerland may be a small country, but at our business unit we have a

big reach, especially when it comes to helping our Swiss customers out

of a crisis. Many of our customers were stranded during the strikes in

Bangkok, with little visible way out. But we knew otherwise. Where there’s a will,

there’s a way. We chartered two long-haul passenger planes to fl y them back

to Switzerland from a Thai military airport. The logistics involved were no small

matter. The tourists had to be brought by special buses to the airport from more

than 10 locations; we chartered the planes at very short notice, which involved

obtaining over-fl ight rights and planning refueling stops. Once they arrived in

Europe, we then transferred them to their homes in Switzerland. Our repatriation

efforts received a lot of media attention, and rescued travelers and our industry

partners warmly expressed their thanks and gratitude. But for us, it was all part

of our job. Our duty above all is to bring our customers safely home if they’re in

trouble abroad.

TRAVEL INSURANCE Strikes in Thailand

Our duty above all is to bring our customers safely home if they’re in trouble abroad.


Being stuck in the dark is no fun. One of our Spanish customers recently

found himself in this uncomfortable situation, and luckily he had

subscribed to our Property Assistance services via his insurance company.

Very late one night, our Assistance Platform received his call for help. All his

power had gone out, and he and his family were quite distraught. Our Assistance

Coordinator asked him a few questions and then immediately arranged for an

expert electrician to go to his home. We stayed in close contact with him until

the electrician arrived. Fortunately, within two hours, the electrician had restored

the power and our customer could rest easy. That’s what we’re here for –

to intervene 24/7 and put right what has gone wrong so that you and your

loved ones can rest easy.

PROPERTY ASSISTANCE We never leave our customers in the dark

That’s what we’re here for – to intervene 24/7 and put right what has gone wrong so that you and your loved ones can rest easy.


I live in central Florida where there are always threats of tornados and other

dangerous weather conditions. Recently a tropical storm passed through

and the event that I was going to was cancelled; I found out the day before

via email. Luckily I had taken out an events cancellation policy with Mondial

Assistance. I fi rst called the ticketing company who said a refund was being issued

to my credit card, but the amount only covered the price of the tickets. They

instructed me to contact you at Mondial Assistance to request a refund for the

policy. Because I had been notifi ed of the cancellation and also notifi ed Mondial

Assistance prior to the event taking place, I was able to request a refund for the

insurance cost. I just want you to know that I really love your services. I go to a lot

of events and rarely have problems, but it’s nice to know that a service now exists

out there to protect my purchases. I’m telling all my friends, family and colleagues

about you guys!!!

EVENT CANCELLATION Stormy weather in Florida

I’m telling all my friends, family and colleagues about you guys!!!


On November 5th we received a call from a customer whose husband

was reported missing during a mountaineering expedition to the Ojos

Del Salado Mountains in Chile. We immediately began to organize a

search and rescue mission. A special squad of local police and a private Chilean

company conducted the search. Through our local correspondent in Chile and

the Polish embassy there, we kept in constant touch with the search crews.

After fi ve days, our correspondent informed us that the insurance sum allotted

to the search and rescue operation was almost depleted. He asked us to provide

additional funds to continue. We made the decision to provide the additional

funds and extended the search for another three days. We agreed to include

a helicopter service and guaranteed to cover the resulting additional costs.

Unfortunately, even with the help of a helicopter, the search failed to fi nd our

customer’s husband and his fate remains unknown. Due to these circumstances

we were forced to make the hard decision to end the search and rescue

operation. Later the same month, we received the following letter.

TRAVEL INSURANCE Dramatic mountaineering expedition in Chile


Dear Mondial Assistance Poland,

I ’d like to give you my most sincere thanks for your help and involvement during the search for my husband. I ’d also like to ask you to relay my gratitude to every person that took part in the search operation in Chile. This difficult time is easier to withstand, thanks to people like your employees – people who are willing to sacrifice their time and energy and good will, in order to clarify the situation and locate my husband even though they didn’t even know him. Despite the tragedy our whole family is going through we still reflect on the fact that we live in a world full of goodness, understanding and solidarity.

With sincere greetings,Warsaw, Poland

Several weeks later, we received another call… this time to say: “Thank you!”


Life is full of the unexpected. For an 80-year old customer, this adage was

no exception. He was vacationing in Zambia by the remote Zambezi River.

One afternoon, he fell against a tree, impaling himself on a branch, which

cut through his mouth. Unfortunately, we could not evacuate him until the next

morning because the Air Ambulance could not land near the river at night. The

hotel staff tried to stop his bleeding, without much success. So, step-by-step,

our platform doctor talked them through what to do. But there was another

unexpected twist involved. South Africa was in the middle of a hemorrhagic

fever epidemic - so we arranged for our customer to be fl own instead at dawn

to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. After several hours the local medical team there

stopped his bleeding and stitched his wounds. This was just part of the good

news. The other part was that our customer was so well mended that he

continued on his holiday! Because of our swift response and professionalism,

we saved our customer from a real life-threatening situation. And we would

do the same for you!

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE Zambia emergency

We saved our customer from a real life-threatening situation.


We’ve all been through our teenage years, some of us more smoothly

than others. One of our benefi ciaries, who needed to go into the

hospital, called our Lifecare assistance platform requesting childcare.

We contacted one of our childcare service providers for 11-15 year olds and

learned that the child in question was a rather rebellious 15 year old with a history

of running away. The mother reassured us that her daughter had not tried to run

away recently. But we weren’t going to leave anything up to chance! We took

every possible measure to make sure our customer’s daughter was in safe hands

at all times. The local police, who had already accompanied her to her house on

occasion, and the social worker, were both informed about the mother’s absence.

Although these duties are not included in the regular childcare assistance services

we provide, we wanted to help our customer by caring for her rebellious daughter

in the best way we knew how. This means that we stay one step ahead so that

your worries are always behind you.

LIFECARE – HEALTHCARE Troublesome teens!

This means that we stay one step ahead so that your worries are always behind you.


I surprised my husband for Father’s Day by announcing that we were going

to Las Vegas for three days! It was his fi rst surprise trip in our 35 years of

marriage! But that morning on July 6th, the day we left, my husband began

to show signs of heart trouble! We spent the entire day with an ambulance

nearby and made trips to the local Emergency Room, followed by tests and

observations. I didn’t know what to do! Our great travel agent got us home and

told us to contact Mondial Assistance. Which we did. Our Assistance Coordinator

was wonderful! She patiently answered all our questions, double checked forms,

reassured us, and returned our calls promptly. Mondial Assistance has also been

very prompt paying our claims. Thank you for your honesty, integrity,

and effi ciency!

TRAVEL INSURANCE Heart trouble in Las Vegas

Thank you for your honesty, integrity, and effi ciency!


Out here in Australia we not only help you with Roadside and Medical

Assistance, we also provide Waterside Assistance. Here’s how we helped

one customer, who ended up high and dry on a sand bank. Our customer

was out on his boat with friends, when it struck a sand bank at 18 knots, literally

knocking a few of his friends out of their seats. Thankfully no one was hurt, but

the boat was damaged. Our customer quickly called the Coast Guard and Riviera

Assist, his boat manufacturer’s emergency waterside assistance provider for

Mondial Assistance. Our Assistance coordinator answered the call immediately,

and after a few questions, determined the extent of the damage. He got in contact

with the boat dealership and the manager of the boat manufacturer’s factory, and

along with the Coast Guard, already present at the scene, organized for the boat

to be immediately towed and then lifted from the water to prevent further damage.

While the boat was being repaired, a limousine took our customer and his friends

back to their vehicles, bringing a turbulent afternoon to a comfortable end.

WATERSIDE ASSISTANCE

Boatie benefi ts from emergency assistance on the water

While the boat was being repaired, a limousine took our customer and his friends back to their vehicles


Car breakdowns and other mishaps can happen to just about anybody –

you, me, the local mayor, and even famous celebrities – movies stars,

musicians and the likes! In early October, an internationally famous DJ

called us for roadside assistance because his car had broken down. It needed

towing and our customer wanted us to fi nd him a comparable replacement

vehicle. This could have been the easy part, but as it was, this particular DJ drove

a luxurious and exclusive car! We worked closely with his car dealer and were

able to fi nd just what he had in mind – quickly and painlessly for him!

So as you’ve heard us say before, We’re here to help, in more ways than one!

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCEDJ in trouble

We’re here to help, in more ways than one!


I want to express my appreciation for the way Mondial Assistance

handled my medical assistance case - with excellent communication,

concern, prompt action and professionalism. I have thought a lot about

how you can provide such excellent service with a personal touch in such a

competitive working environment? I never got an answering machine.

I was never transferred 5 or 6 times.

How can a company handing calls worldwide maintain such quality

principles of service with courtesy and focus? No one grumbled, or put me

on hold, then cut me off ; everyone was well informed. If they didn't

know something, they'd tell me they'd call me right back and actually

did! Getting injured in a foreign country is disconcerting; but you walked

me through everything from the moment I left the emergency room until

you got me home. You were available 24/7 and no matter whom

I spoke to you were familiar with my case, helpful and courteous. When

people ask me about my trip I always mention Mondial Assistance and

highly recommend they do not leave home without you!

… and highly recommand they do not leave home without you!


Mondial Assistance SAS37, rue Taibout75009 Paris, FranceTél. : +33 1 53 25 53 25Fax : +33 1 53 25 54 04

www.mondial-assistance.com © M

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True Stories From Mondial Assistance Accompanies 2008 Annual Report

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