WINDSOR, Conn., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ING has introduced a Spanish-language option for customers calling into its service centers for its U.S. Insurance division. Customers with individual life insurance and group life, group disability and other workplace-based insurance policies will have an option to speak to dedicated bilingual call center representatives who can service their account in either Spanish or English.

"This is another step in our efforts to meet the needs of the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic population," said Catherine Smith, CEO of U.S. Insurance for ING. "The Hispanic market in the United States is diverse in terms of acculturation, language preference and country of origin. To serve it effectively, you need more than just in-language brochures. You need distribution and servicing representatives that understand the different cultures of these customers, and of course, speak their language."

According to research conducted by the industry group LIMRA International, the importance of in-language representation among both Spanish-dominant and bilingual Hispanics was very high, with 94 percent of Spanish-dominant and 75 percent of bilingual respondents feeling it was important to have a Spanish- speaking representative to discuss their insurance needs. The same report, published in 2007 and titled "Targeting the U.S. Hispanic Market," said that regardless of their language use, Hispanics want bilingual printed material for financial products in order to better understand the products and to share the materials with family and friends.

"For customers more comfortable conducting business in Spanish, ING can help them from sale to service," said X. Rick Niu, ING U.S. Insurance's chief growth officer. "We've expanded our distribution capability and our Spanish- language consumer information. We've been involved in supporting the Hispanic communities throughout the U.S., and now we're making it easier for many of these customers to handle routine policy matters. As a leader in this industry, we feel it is important that companies like ING not only sell insurance products, but provide customers with a high level of service as well."

The Spanish option can be selected during ING's normal call center hours, with customers dialing the toll-free number appropriate for their policy.

ING's involvement with the Hispanic community includes supporting programs locally and nationally. For the past several years, ING has sponsored the Juntos en Concierto concert series, most recently starring Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony. Proceeds from the series benefited the ING Run For Something Better, a kids' fitness program created by ING that aims to reduce childhood obesity by introducing kids to the benefits of running, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyle choices. In Miami, ING is the title sponsor of the ING Miami Celebrity Domino Night. In addition, the ING Foundation sponsors the Hispanic Scholarship Fund's Steps for Success Saturday program, which offers educational sessions for students and their parents about the importance of college and how to navigate the college and financial aid application process.

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 75 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 120,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand.

In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING - News) family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 14 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.

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Source: ING

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