9Insurance Business ReviewJULY 2024about them in the press. I am fortunate enough to have collaborated with phenomenal adjusters, solicitors, contractors, and claims handlers/managers, some of the best in our industry. Together, we were able to facilitate changes to support managing all aspects of putting the customer back in the position they were in before the loss. The days of the customers handling their own claims and reinstatement, recouping their outlay at claim conclusion had gone. If the claimant chooses not to hand their claim to their own Insurers, the process starts immediately with adjusters, disaster recovery agents and contractors assembled, ready to respond to the customer's (claimant's) needs. We pioneered `new for old' settlement on third-party liability claims where the legal requirement is indemnity, acknowledging the financial difficulties this can leave customers in. We often organised their alternative accommodation (AA) with furniture packs, bedding, and food allowances upfront. We managed reams of contractors on site: cleaning, drying, repairing, restoring properties, and even reproducing cherished photos, paintings and essential business records that had been damaged. When we hit a swathe of customers who couldn't articulate the values of items lost, we brought more claims people to the site who managed that process with them as well, researched values and offered them options for repair/replacement. The old days of leaving customers completely isolated to manage their claims, restore their property and then haggle over reimbursement are a world away from what we do now. Whilst there is, in that, a balance to be struck between customer service and using our own customers' money to further service claims made against the company, in London and other major cities, the increasing cost of rental properties means that the resources spent to reinstate in a short time period can often be more cost-effective and deliver a better customer journey. The team live on-site at major events, shares the coffee, sandwiches, and occasional cake runs and deals with whatever the individual customer's overriding considerations are day to day. This can include arranging a vehicle inspection or a taxi for an elderly resident to come on-site during the day to oversee repairs, returning to a hotel at night, topping up electric meters or arranging viewings via AA providers. Getting to bed after midnight, getting up at 6 am, and often at 3 am to respond to emails missed during the day are all part of the experience. Public meetings, council scrutiny meetings and stakeholder updates are all part of the job, along with the hours.Local authorities are huge drivers for customer-facing companies to provide support far and above that for which the law demands we take responsibility. Whether the claim is in negligence or a strict liability such as S209 of the Water Industry Act, legal liability is to deal with the claim presented on an indemnity basis. That is no longer enough.We all get a sense of pride at the end of the week, knowing we have genuinely helped improve things. It is, after all, our duty as insurance professionals and claims specialists to ensure insurance shows compassion and humanity. It is, after all, our duty as insurance professionals and claims specialists to ensure insurance shows compassion and humanity
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