Working with policyholders takes a great deal of skill and handholding. These policyholders are displaced from their homes because of myriad reasons and have differing emotions to which you must cater. Voicemail is not the best solution in critical situations and should always be avoided whenever possible. It is also crucial that incoming phones calls are answered timely and by a “live” representative from that company offering assistance to your policyholder. The first impression is everything. Whether the call originates from an adjuster or a policyholder, it must be answered promptly and with a solution to the problem at-hand. Make sure your partnering insurance housing company is there for you and your insured when you need them the most. Before selecting a housing company, ask for details about what information system(s) it has in place–such as intranet, online portals, and external and internal phone systems.

Easing the Burden

One benefit of working with more than one temporary housing ALE provider is that more housing providers are customizing programs to relieve some of the burden placed on the adjuster. When working with these companies, you should determine which practices work best for you and your policyholders. Then stipulate that those processes be put in place by your current providers or make a change to a provider that can supply you with the services you seek. These insurance housing companies streamline the housing process for the adjusters by providing complete housing management for each claim. The “business” area of criteria is essential to the overall success of your housing company choice and how the temporary housing company will contribute to your productivity and cost savings.

This is achieved by offering end-to-end support for your company's needs, thus enabling improved efficiency, reduced time spent on claims, and decreased costs within the temporary lodging process while serving the needs of your policyholders. Some of the services offered by temporary housing partners include:

• Around-the-clock (24/7) hotel management.
• Locate comparable properties that meet adjusters criteria based on location, length of stay, budget, and policyholders' needs.
• Provide quotes and get approval from adjusters.
• Manage all move-in details including leases, furniture and houseware deliveries, and coordinate utilities.
• Manage payment to all vendors throughout lease while providing clear and concise invoicing.
• Ongoing communications with policyholder and adjuster as needed, including discussions regarding extensions and notices to vacate.
• Provide monthly management reports so that a carrier can analyze their ALE spending.
• Coordinate move-outs by arranging furniture pick-ups, notices to landlords, cancel any services that were originally orders, and reconcile security deposits.

Hotel placements will be the first steps in relieving you of administrative duties which will allow you to concentrate on the issues of the claim. You will find it to be an advantage if your provider is available 24/7 for immediate assistance in locating hotels for policyholders. Temporary housing companies can negotiate national and local rates to ensure best pricing practices. It is important to watch for when working with insurance housing companies is how they charge for their hotel placements. Some companies will charge by only passing along the allowable expenses with no additional fees for this service, while others may be charging a service fee or percentage of cost. Another benefit to ALE management is that the provider should manage all approved payment and reconciliation of all invoices associated with the hotel stay.

Many clients will need to move on to long-term temporary housing. A company that will have a true national footprint as it relates to locating comparable properties is essential. These properties must meet the adjusters criteria based on location, length of stay, budget, and any and all policyholders needs. During this process best practices will be that you are provided with quotes for your approval. This turn-key process should manage all move-in and move-out details including leases, furniture, housewares, utilities and security deposits. Ongoing communication to both the adjuster and policyholder that include discussions regarding extensions and notices to vacate are imperative to cost containment.

Total Transparency

More and more adjusters are asking for a detailed breakdown of costs associated with each claim. This will eliminate the time spent trying to guess what the cost of each line item should be as it relates to hotels and temporary housing costs. Another best practice that temporary housing companies should be doing is “truly” making available to insurance companies a total transparency of costs–which is to say a detailed accounting of each cost. This simplifies the Additional Living Expense process while allowing insurance companies a clear vision in to what they are paying for. Cost transparency takes the guesswork out of costs associated with ALE. When working with a housing provider it is important to ask if they will show all payments made on the insured's behalf by providing copies of hotel bills for each placement incurred at the time of invoicing. They also should provide a breakdown of costs (rent, furniture, housewares, management fee, etc) for each claim so that you may easily approve charges. Working with a housing company that offers detailed accounting or “transparency of costs” will make it easier for the adjuster to approve only allowable expenses.

Technology Internally and Externally

In the world of technology more and more carriers and policyholders expect instant access to information. Not only must the access be immediate but it must also be a complete snapshot of the file in question. Most companies today provide several avenues to access information which may include; telephone, email, or on-line communication. Temporary housing companies are no exception as it relates to providing up to date “live” information through one of these modes. The information needed for ALE is massive and sometimes complex. To help streamline processes and access data quickly many providers offer on-line access to data.

This online platform is the key to relieve some of the administrative tasks from the adjusters and allow them more time to focus on each claim while offering them the ability to manage the minute detail of each claim.

Claims ALE Training

Keeping well informed of the real estate market and its pitfalls will help keep the adjuster ahead of the competition. You need to be able to trust a temporary housing company that knows the market and provides training programs to assist you in making educated decisions which improve your services to the policyholder. These training programs may be conducted in person or via the web. They can also be tailored to help the adjusters make better choices in managing costs by showing case studies on which would be the best housing option such as a hotel or furnished apartment; a single family home or a townhouse.

These training programs should not only provide the tools and knowledge which adjusters need but also be able to better control costs. This also better informs the adjuster of the expectations set for the temporary housing process. This knowledge expands your success in offering better service to your policyholders.

It is difficult to keep up with the growing demands without reaching out for some needed assistance. Evaluate your expectations; decide what is needed to expand your success in customer care, ease of business, communication and transparency of cost. Choose an insurance housing company that will be a respected extension of you and your corporation. By providing you the ability to concentrate on the policyholder, and not the administrative details that tend to overshadow the presence of success, will certainly make you come out on top regarding service, workload, and retaining your clientele.