GLP - Media FAQs

1. Who founded GLP?

André and Sheri Scruton founded the company in August 1986.

2. What were their qualifications and background?

André was a lawyer working in private practice by occupation with over 15 years experience in Road Accident and Employers' Liability litigation. Sheri was a Sales Manager with BT with more than 10 years' experience in business development.

3. Why did they do it?

They both wanted to grow and develop their skills in a small business environment. The management and launching of a legal assistance company was the ideal solution where they could demonstrate their expertise. André had the vision of wanting to provide to 'the man in the street' a cost effective way of providing access to justice via a low cost insurance policy added to home and motor insurance.

4. Who are the senior personnel involved now?

André Scruton is Managing Director and Sheri Scruton is Customer Services Director.  The day-to-day business is run by the Management Team.

5. What's your GWP?

For the first time in the financial year ended 31.10.2006, GWP exceeded £1m.

6. How has the business grown?

2003 - £714,812

2004 - £822,043

2005 - £890,816

7. Are you an Investor in People? If not, why not, or what are you doing that's similar?

GLP is not currently an Investor in People. Before the FSMA, we have focussed on ISO Accreditation. We are FSA Compliant in that the regulations provide for the development of good management practise using Total Quality Management and ABI (Association of British Insurers) Code of Conduct criteria. We do not 'knock' the principles of investing in our people as we have long been ardent believers in what TQM provides for the development of all our staff.

8. What are the future development plans?

To grow this year's turnover to £1.2M, and over the next 3 years to £3M

9. How do you attract new recruits into your industry?

At the present time we do not have any strategy to attract new recruits. However, we do work with St Peter's School and the College of Law in York by offering work place experience to both sixth form and law graduates.

10. Who are your main competitors? (for non-insurance press)

We see our target competitors as DAS in Bristol, Law Club (part of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance) and Capita based in Colchester.

11. What is your most successful product?

We have a number of successful products but SilverKnight REPAIR is proving now to be the most successful as it is being promoted to niche markets.

12. What are the 'issues' you become involved with to try and improve in your sector of the insurance market?

There is one major and important current issue upon which we are now growing our business. The value of Management Information which all our competitors are sadly incapable of producing to their broker relationships. Our GLP PartnerNet extranet has been designed to allow our broker partners access to all premium income and claims costs information enabling them to identify areas of strength and weakness in the way they market their 'add-on' products to their customers. This strategy is based on an open door policy so that our brokers can visibly see where we are making our profits and losses so that they know the premium we are charging them is realistic and competitive.

13. What has been your major success story?

The launch of GLP PartnerNet. This is undoubtedly the most important achievement during the last few months, since our Business Partners can access management information which is immediate, accurate and extremely valuable in assessing how their own business is developing.

14. What can you offer that your competitor's cannot?

It's rather a case of 'do not' rather than 'cannot'. Together we make the difference - on the back of this we want to work openly and honestly with our broker/insurer customers. We achieve this by (1) offering training to their staff not only on the product but also in Customer Relationship Management techniques (2) providing a simple but efficient way of communicating with them via updates to our Handbook (which tells our Business Partners all about GLP, its ethos, its plans and business development) (3) offering access to Management Information via GLP PartnerNet - our extranet and (4) surveying every single customer on the quality of service provided by GLP and publishes the results (warts and all!)