What was said
What this says
Current to 11 Oct 26Nigel Ferris said he is not happy paying for 40 Growth seats when five or six people are active on a day. Priya Raman will bring renewal options; the renewal is open, with a target of 24 Oct 2025.
What happened: Esther Quaye reported usage down by nearly a third, with no tickets and nothing broken. Zoe Kendrick said the account executives had drifted off while the claims team still uses it.
Customer view: Nigel judges value by cost per policy and said the product has become the claims team's tool. Zoe said she would not want to lose the client history the claims team sees.
Commercial: Growth is £40k a year, invoiced and paid on time, so the question is value, not money. The contract runs to 21 Nov 2025 and the aim is to settle by 24 Oct 2025.
Watch: Nigel promised nothing and will talk to Zoe first. He said he will not pay for forty seats if only a handful are used.
Themes
Current to 9 Oct 26Who was there
BB-Demo
Them
Follow-up
Next steps
Current to 9 Oct 26- Priya Raman to send renewal options in writing and phone Nigel Ferris, aiming to settle by 24 Oct 2025.
- Esther Quaye to send a one page usage summary and arrange a practical session for the account executives.
- Zoe Kendrick to book the account executives into that session.
Risks
Current to 9 Oct 26- The Growth renewal may shrink or lapse because only five or six of forty licensed users are active on an average day.
- The account executive session depends on Zoe Kendrick, who admitted she has not yet got the team together.
Opportunities
Current to 9 Oct 26- The claims team values the client history, which gives a base to build a usage case on.
- Getting the account executives to log calls could show Nigel the value he says he is missing.
Transcript
- Priya Raman NoneMorning, everyone. Can you all hear me? Nigel, lovely to see you, it's been a while.
- Nigel Ferris NoneMorning, Priya. Yes, I can hear you. Hope you've had a decent summer. Weather's been all over the place down here.
- Priya Raman NoneIt has, hasn't it. Good, thanks. Zoe, hi, and Esther's here too. Right, shall we make a start? Let me recap where we are, so we're all looking at the same thing. The contract runs to 21 Nov 2025, the renewal is open, and the aim is to have it settled by 24 Oct 2025. That gives us a comfortable run-up, happy to make this easy for you.
- Nigel Ferris NoneFine. Go on, then. What's the bottom line?
- Priya Raman NoneSo today you're on Growth, forty users, at £39,600 a year, and that's what's been invoiced and paid on time throughout. What I'd like to do is hear from you how it's going before I put anything in front of you. Esther's got the usage picture.
- Esther Quaye NoneThanks, Priya. Morning, Nigel, morning Zoe. I'll be straight with you, because I'd rather you heard it from me. Usage has dropped since last quarter, by nearly a third. On an average day it's now between five and six people active, where it was a few more before. There are no tickets and nothing's broken, I've checked, so it isn't a fault, it's people using it less.
- Nigel Ferris NoneFive or six. Out of forty.
- Esther Quaye NoneOut of forty licensed, yes.
- Nigel Ferris NoneHm. That's not a lot, is it. Zoe, what's going on?
- Zoe Kendrick NoneQuick answer, it's been a rough summer. We've been stretched, a few people on leave, and August is when we always get the claims backlog. The team that uses it day to day is the claims team, and they're still on it. It's the account executives who've drifted off.
- Nigel Ferris NoneWhy have they drifted?
- Zoe Kendrick NoneHonestly, Nigel, because they weren't putting much into it, so they weren't getting much out. I did say I'd get them together and I haven't. That's on me, I'll own that.
- Esther Quaye NoneAnd just so we're aligned, we'd offered a walkthrough for them and the timing never worked, which is understandable given how busy the team's been. I wouldn't put that on anyone.
- Nigel Ferris NoneLook, I don't pretend to understand the technical side. I never have. What I need to know is whether this is earning its keep. We're paying a fair amount of money for something where, by the sound of it, most of the team aren't opening it.
- Priya Raman NoneThat's a fair challenge, Nigel, and I'd rather we dealt with it head on. If I can just say, the claims team being active is the part that matters most for what you told us at the start. Client complaints, getting to the file quickly. That's still working.
- Nigel Ferris NoneIs it, though? Zoe?
- Zoe Kendrick NoneYes. Can the claims team see it? Yes, and they use it. If a client rings upset, they've got the history in front of them in seconds. I wouldn't want to lose that. I'd be lying if I said I wanted to lose that.
- Nigel Ferris NoneRight. But I'm not going to pay for forty seats if we're only using a handful. Costs per policy, Priya, you know that's what I look at.
- Priya Raman NoneCompletely understand. So there are really two questions, aren't there. One is what the renewal should look like, how many seats and what shape. And the other is whether we can get the rest of the team using it so you're getting value from what you have. I'd like to take the first one away and come back to you with some options. If we can get this over the line by 24 Oct 2025, there's room to look at it properly.
- Nigel Ferris NoneOptions. What does that mean? Give me the bottom line.
- Priya Raman NoneIt means I'll come back with a clear proposal that fits how you're using it, in writing, with a date attached to it. I'm not going to make promises on this call that I can't back up, but I'll make it worth your while to look.
- Nigel Ferris NoneHmm. Fine. And what about the rest of it? The account executives. Is that something you can fix, Esther?
- Esther Quaye NoneI can help. I'd suggest a short, practical session for the account executives, showing them what the claims team gets from it and what they'd get back if they logged their calls. And then I'd look at the numbers again a month or so after, so we know if it's made a difference. I'll chase that this week and I've logged it as an action.
- Zoe Kendrick NoneI'll make time for it. Even if I have to book it in the diary myself.
- Nigel Ferris NoneGood. Do that, Zoe. Because if I'm honest, I'm not happy. We bought this for the whole team and it's become the claims team's tool. That's not what I was sold.
- Priya Raman NoneI hear you, Nigel. Completely fair.
- Esther Quaye NoneAnd I'm sorry that it's come to this. I'd have liked us to get the account executives going sooner, and I'll make sure that's properly in hand.
- Nigel Ferris NoneIt's not a complaint about you personally, Esther. It's the principle. The clients come first, and I've got to be sure I'm spending money in the right places.
- Priya Raman NoneSo, what I'd propose. Esther sends you a one page summary of usage and what the claims team is getting out of it. I send over the options for the renewal. And Nigel, if it's easier, we do a short call on the phone rather than going back and forth on email.
- Nigel Ferris NoneGive me a ring, yes. Phone's better. I'll talk to Zoe first and I'll see where I am. I'm not promising anything today.
- Priya Raman NoneUnderstood, no pressure on the day. We'll get you what you need by the end of this month so you've got time to think.
- Zoe Kendrick NoneThanks, both. Sorry, I know it isn't the news you wanted. I'll get the account executives sorted.
- Esther Quaye NoneNot at all, Zoe, and thank you for being so open. Many thanks, everyone, I'll send the summary over today.
- Nigel Ferris NoneRight. Regards, all. Speak soon.