HUK-COBURG introduces flexible opening hours: More time for personal consultation

HUK-COBURG is switching service in 38 branches to more flexible opening hours. From May 1, 2026, personal consultations will be organized more through individually arranged appointments – supplemented by fixed core hours in the branches as well as unchanged telephone and online availability, as the company announces.

What exactly is changing in the branches

The focus of the change is a more appointment-oriented model: Customers should be able to arrange consultation appointments more easily in advance – even outside of classic "counter hours." The teams in the branches will specifically plan personal appointments and tailor the process more to individual concerns.

At the same time, HUK-COBURG emphasizes that there will continue to be reliable core hours at all locations. This means that access without prior appointment remains possible, while outside these time windows there will be more flexibility for scheduled consultations. According to the company, the specific times and appointment options for each location can be found under "Branches & Claims Offices" at www.huk.de.

Opening hours based on demand – Telephone and online remain stable

The new opening hours will vary regionally and be adapted to local demand. In practice, this indicates that resources in the field will be managed more according to workload: Where customers request personal consultations more frequently at certain times of day, branches can cover these time windows more specifically – while other periods will be organized more through appointments.

At the same time, according to the company, availability by phone and digital channels remains unchanged. HUK-COBURG thus links three access routes: spontaneous visits during core hours, scheduled consultation appointments, and ongoing remote channels. For customers with more complex concerns, this can increase planning reliability – for simple matters, the fastest way will likely still be by phone or online, depending on the case.

Company: Step towards more tailored consultation

HUK-COBURG describes the change as an expansion of individually plannable consultation. Stefan Gronbach, board member responsible for sales, marketing, and customer service, explains: "Flexible hours create space for personal, tailored consultation – and at the same time increase accessibility. Our customers benefit directly from this."

As a consequence, the change means less a withdrawal from personal service and more a different organization of access: away from continuous counter-oriented operation, towards more planned consultations that are interlinked with reliable core hours and constant remote offerings.

Classification: organizational adjustment at a major private insurer

The measure affects an insurer with a broad customer base. According to its own information, HUK-COBURG has well over 13 million customers, achieved premium income of around 11 billion euros in 2025, and employed around 12,000 staff at the end of 2025. According to the company, this makes the group one of the ten largest German insurance groups.

HUK-COBURG is particularly strong in the motor business: With 14.5 million insured vehicles, the group describes itself as the largest German car insurer. Against this background, the change is primarily to be seen as a way of managing access in sales and service – with the aim of deploying personal consultation where it adds value, while maintaining accessibility through multiple channels.

In summary, HUK-COBURG is not changing its commitment to personal consultation, but rather the timing and organization: flexible opening hours, fixed core hours, and unchanged digital and telephone accessibility point to a more demand-oriented service in the field.