Less Clients, More Service

'Tis the season for being thankful!  And this season I am absolutely thankful for my each and every one of my clients.  They make my day colorful with emails and phone calls.  But the true test is actually being able to be there for a client when accidents or claims do occur.

Late last night I received an email from a client that one
of their properties had been damaged severely from the storm this past weekend.  I was able to respond to them immediately, via my trusty iPhone, and give my client a call first thing this morning to hop on the claim.  In this particular case my client owns an entire block of town homes and there were quite a few town homes that suffered severe water damage due to the storm. Not only was the owner and property manager worried about the damage, but also wanted to put their tenants at ease that this big mess would be taken care of.  

How inconvenient to have to deal with a storm right before the holidays???  Imagine presents, etc., on the floor around the tree that are soaked while you're out running errands.  Not a fun way to come home.  In cases like this, it's my job to make sure things are followed up on and processed accordingly.  I spoke with the owner and the property manager this morning.  I also filed the claim on behalf of the insured to make sure that an adjuster would be assigned to the claim right away.  Now, is it my duty to file the claim on behalf of the insured?  No.  But do I feel better making sure it is filed and being handled properly because of this?  Absolutely.  

Sometimes brokers take the easy way out and redirect insured's to call a 1-800 claims number.  While this may be the most "efficient" way of handling a claim since there is no longer a middle man, it's definitely not the most personal to handle a claim.  Claims are extremely sensitive.  Someone's property is damaged, or in the worst case, someone's injured.  As a broker it's my responsibility to take time out of my day and make sure my clients are O.K.  That is the least I can do when a claim occurs.  If your current broker isn't taking the time to make sure your business is O.K. when a claim occurs, maybe it's time to start thinking about finding someone who has less clients and is more concerned with their clients well-being than their bottom line.