Tim Mitchell is waging a one-man war on crime, saving householders and insurance companies substantial sums.
He doesn’t have a cape but there may just be a touch of the Clark Kent in his DNA.
Most surprising, however, is that Tim doesn’t even work in insurance!
Several years ago he launched a newspaper to cover his local community. So, as well as acting as publisher, editor, reporter and advertising director, Tim is in charge of circulation – pounding the pavements and pushing copies of the paper through letter boxes.
And on every trip he often finds keys left in front doors.
“I ring the doorbell and suggest politely the owners might like to take their key before a burglar does,” he says.
If the burglar gets there before Tim, the likelihood is the householder won’t be covered against theft.
In most cases insurance policies are invalidated if the policy holder can be shown to have taken insufficient care.
The fact is, working in insurance isn’t just about helping people out when things go wrong. Sometimes it can also involve delivering the bad news that a customer isn’t actually covered.
This doesn’t always go down well, which is why the top skill for any insurance professional is the ability to stay calm.
“I’ve had serious abuse from customers who phone up to complain when they discover that their claim is not being upheld,” says Anna Morrison, who has worked in insurance for 15 years.
“You can understand their frustration, but the details are all in the policy.”
Winter is prime time for insurance claims and Anna says the number of rejected claims rises as the temperature falls.
“Usually it’s because householders have failed to carry out routine maintenance and then want the insurance company to pick up the pieces for storm damage.
“Previously, I dealt with travel claims and every year there were numerous failed claims from people with injuries who hadn’t taken out specialist cover before they headed off on a skiing holiday.”
It can be tough to be confronted with angry or upset customers but Anna says she has learned to breathe deeply and never take the abuse personally.
“It was hard at first, but some level of resilience is essential if you are going to work in insurance.
“Now I can listen and empathise without getting ruffled. You could say I’ve toughened up, but sometimes if you stay calm and let the customer voice their frustration, they calm down too.”
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