By Jon McNeill, CEO, Enservio

Think about everything you have in your home--from your TV to that antique roll-top desk, to all of the clothing and shoes and accessories for you and everyone else in the home--then figure out how much it's all worth. Sound daunting? It is--and it's something a policyholder shouldn't have to deal with in a time of strife, but all too often they do.

Consider this: According to ISO's Property Claim Services unit and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. endured 28 catastrophes in 2009. The losses for these catastrophes totaled $10.6 billion. For your clients, getting back the contents of their home after a loss is one of the most important aspects of picking up the pieces and putting their lives back together.

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Most people don't think to prepare for the unthinkable, but agents can arm their clients with tips and shortcuts so they will be ready should the unthinkable ever occur, whether it's a catastrophic loss or a few inches of water in the basement of their new home.

Finding and keeping clients ultimately comes down to superior customer service and gaining trust. The process begins the moment you sit down with a new prospect or client and begin advising him on insurance products and policy options. Getting smart on contents claims and the types of services available will help agents match clients with the right policies. Taking the extra time to educate clients on contents claims also builds trust, peace of mind, and the assurance that in the event of the unthinkable, clients will know what to do and who to turn to for advice and assistance.

Agents can prepare policyholders for both large and small losses by advising them to take a few simple steps.

Advise insureds to take photos of every room in their house, including the basement. Capture clear images of furniture, appliances and electronics. When photographing the basement, get images of the water heater, heating and air conditioning systems. This is an easy yet important step for both homeowners and renters to be optimally prepared.

Insureds can even go the extra mile by taking photos of specific items that are sentimental, particularly valuable or unique. Then they can upload all these photos onto a Web-based photo sharing site, such as Shutterfly.com, where they can be housed for safekeeping. By providing clear, photographic evidence of all the insured's belongings, much of the guesswork will be taken out of the inventory process in the event of a loss.

Agents and brokers can also alert their clients to the value of adding contents claims options and services to their insurance policy. Contents is a more specialized service, so agents should be aware of specialized companies that work closely with leading insurance carriers to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the contents claims process for both small and large losses. To find the best insurance policy for clients, agents need to be well versed in the contents claims expertise and services carriers can offer.

For small losses, there are self-service websites where the insured can simply enter a list of missing or damaged items and quickly receive valuation assessment for replacing the lost items. For larger losses, some carriers offer services to dispatch contents field agents who go directly to the property and work closely with the insured, walking them through the creation of a detailed inventory of the missing or damaged items. This promotes accurate valuation and swift replacement so people can get back to their lives as quickly as possible. Some carriers even offer services and field experts for handling fine art, collectibles and unique items that are hard to value and can tie up the entire claims process.

Here's a checklist for agents to keep in mind when advising clients on contents:

1. Take photos of:

• Furniture
• Appliances
• Electronics
• Basement
• Water heater
• Heating/air conditioning systems
• Sentimental items
• Valuable items
• Unique items

2. Upload photos to web-based sharing site (ie: shutterfly.com)

3. Get smart: Alert clients to the value of adding contents claims options to their insurance policy.

• Small Losses: Advise clients to use self-service websites - entering a list of missing or damaged items
• Large Losses: Utilize carrier services that dispatch field agents for an on-site inventory creation of the missing/damaged items

4. Provide clients with contents claims resources.

Jon McNeill is chief executive officer of Enservio, a Boston-based firm specializing in inventory creation, valuation and replacement. In 2002, Fast Company magazine named him one of the 10 most innovative CEOs in the country.