Batten down the hatches and brace yourself! The busiest time of the year is coming your way.
In recent years late summer floods and gales have caused mayhem and a sharp spike in insurance claims.
Dealing with the effects of wild weather demands a lot from our industry. But if you can handle the upsurge in work, you’ll gain invaluable experience . . . and be way ahead in your career when everything calms down again.
This is especially true for claims handlers. These are the pros at the sharp end, after all. They are the ones who take the calls about fallen trees, missing roofs and runaway trampolines blown down the street and into YouTube fame.
Customers who call in can understandably be upset after being forced from their homes by rising water and losing possessions.
So how are you going to handle them?
“By being sympathetic, reassuring and 100% professional,” says Suzy Adamson.
Suzy, a claims handler with eight years experience on the front line, says the key is to give people clear information and a timeline of when action will be taken so they can start putting their lives back together at once.
“Previously, when people lost everything they usually lost all their policy documents as well, but now there is an electronic trail that can’t be destroyed by wind or water.
This makes checking policy details under these circumstances much less of an issue.”
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) recently estimated the widespread flooding seen during the past few years has led to average home insurance claims of between £20,000 and £40,000.
The figures can be much higher as it can take more than a year to make homes habitable again.
Claims of these sorts involve not just a one-off payment and so there is ongoing contact between customers and insurers until all the issues are settled.
“When you’re dealing with people who’ve been out of their homes for months you have to remember they are likely to be quite stressed,” says Suzy.
“They’ll be worrying about things like when the house will be dried out, if the new kitchen will be fitted promptly – even whether they will be back in for Christmas. And then there are all the questions surrounding premiums and future claims.”
Dealing with such calamity takes a special kind of people person.
“I can fully understand why people are upset,” says Suzy. “Anyone would be. As a claims handler, sometimes all you can do is to listen sympathetically to their concerns. I learned long ago not to take any anger personally.”