by George Bates
Our “titles” are spelled differently but we all have the same job of “serving the member.” In the spirit of teamwork, I offer the following; As agents, you are almost always the first person to become aware of the claim and gather very valuable information at FNOL. One good reminder for all of us is to stress the importance of always asking for the current phone number and preferably get two if available. Many people seem to frequently change their phone numbers now so I think we should always ask not only for the number but also for any cell number they may want us to use.
Any information your agency staff can obtain at FNOL is of great benefit to us. Often times the insured may already know the name and possibly phone number for a claimant or the name of shop their car was already towed to etc. As an adjuster I was always very thankful for those agencies that had a lot of information in the loss details. It allowed me to get a “jump” on contacts and provide better service. It is also very important that the “loss location” be correct, this makes it easier to obtain police reports as well as prevents confusion. We know it is at times difficult but we need to have the driver correct atFNOL (it isn’t always the insured).
As for communication and setting expectations; well this is where I think we truly need to work as a team and therefore occasionally have a “team meeting”. I know we are all extremely busy but all I am referring to here is a brief “purpose” filled meeting that may last 2 minutes or 10 at best. If we communicate with one another about how we can help each other out it just works!! I think most do this at some point and time but just don’t realize it. Regular positive communication will be very helpful as we begin to utilize the Agency Claim handling authority more. The assistance you all are providing and will be providing via that program will be a great benefit to our customers and all of us as a team.
Thanks for asking that I share the above thoughts with you all and I look forward to working with all of you.
George Bates,
District 4 Claims Manager
London Claims Office
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