Francois Pannecock is a pioneer. This insurance agent, affiliated with the AXA Network, opened the first insurance agency in France in March 2022. in metaverse. Desks, meeting room, waiting room with sofas and green plants: the place is welcoming and consistent with physical agency, except for the car sitting in the entrance. “The buildings had to be very similar to the ones we work in,” says François Pannecock, who runs an agency in Bully-les-Mines, Pas-de-Calais, and has four employees.
Over the course of several weeks, the insurance company has seen visitors, prospects, and also customers browsing its virtual premises, just as in real life. “I am above all a local trader. The challenge is to do everything to improve relationships with my clients. The metaverse is an extra tool and a little more fun,” explains François Pannecock. The general agent also meets with his staff every Monday morning in their virtual space.
As easy as a Zoom meeting
This computer enthusiast created his agency on the Gather platform, which is easily accessible from The Sandbox or Roblox, other metaverse universes. Creating an avatar on the site takes only a few seconds, and you don’t have to be equipped with a VR headset to navigate this universe, whose graphics are inspired by video games from the 60s. 2000. “It is no more complicated than having a meeting on Zoom ”, emphasizes François Pannecock.
In “Meta-Agency,” this former banker speaks the same language used in his offices in Bully-les-Mines: the language of insurance. But it is clear that the features of his communication are different. “I met many developers and IT professionals who are savvy with new technologies. Their interests and needs are no different from those of clients I might meet in real life.”
Close watch initiative
Currently, the general agent has not signed a contract well and due in his descriptive agency. The regulatory framework simply does not allow this. But commercial exchanges can result in quotations being sent and then traditional contracts signed electronically. The insurance company ensures that some work has been completed since its launch.
At AXA, its “meta-agent” initiative is closely monitored. The insurance giant announced its entry into the metaverse in February, with the acquisition of a digital plot of land in The Sandbox. The first of its kind in the sector in France. “We are only at the beginning of the metaverse, so we want to learn and give ourselves the means to learn about these platforms and communities as soon as possible,” commented Patrick Cohen, CEO of AXA France.
Since the launch of his venture, François Pannecock says he has been approached by several of his insurance associates. A second virtual agency has already seen the light of day in the AXA network.
“Certified gamer. Problem solver. Internet enthusiast. Twitter scholar. Infuriatingly humble alcohol geek. Tv guru.”
