When disaster in the home strikes – whether it’s a manmade or natural catastrophe — the first place to turn to should be your insurance adjudicator. Chances are, you’re devastated, and maybe even hysterical. Rightly so. This is the time you need to be heard and guided in the right direction. You’re relying on your insurance adjudicator to make this happen.
Insurance adjudicators are used to dealing with people at their lowest points and are often faced with bumps in trying to ensure policyholders are well taken care of. Each situation is unique in its own right. For starters, some policyholders may be organized from the get-go during an emergency, and can easily provide the necessary documentation, such as an inventory of damaged and undamaged items in the house. They have a good understanding of what their policy includes.
Others are completely overwhelmed and have little to no idea of what their policy covers. They may expect things they aren’t technically entitled to under their particular policy. It’s up to the insurance company to calmly and patiently walk the policyholder through and assess what needs to be done as soon as possible.
This is where impeccable customer service comes into play. The insurance adjudicator is challenged to be one step ahead of the game and think of things the policyholder may not. Does this person need temporary housing? Is transportation an issue that impacts where you temporarily place this family? Without a valid driver’s licence, for example, temporary housing has to be conveniently located so the policyholder can get to and from work.
At the end of the day, policyholders want to feel that their unique life situation is important to their insurance company. They don’t want to be “just another number.” Dragging one’s feet in opening up a claim or being impatient with policyholders will only encourage them to shop around for a company where they do feel respected and listened to. How to provide the best information in a timely and calm way is crucial for insurance adjudicators in developing a long-lasting relationship with policyholders.
By Lisa Marie Brennan