Lighten the Adjuster's Load

With the volatile economy and unemployment on the rise, companies continue to scale back the workforce or may expect employees to take on added responsibility and projects. This means that many workers often have even less time to complete more duties that extend past their original work scope. The insurance industry is no exception, and we continue to see companies looking towards streamlining and centralizing processes. As it relates to additional living expenses (ALE), there are many temporary housing companies that specialize in partnering with the insurance industry to reduce the workload by simplifying the process, as well as reduce costs by increasing efficiency.

Professional Handholding

We all know that client satisfaction is always a provider’s number one goal. It is important to make sure that the companies you partner with have experience and a broad knowledge in working with insurance carriers. It is equally as important to make sure they have adequate staffing. These companies will need to be available for immediate solutions. Choose a company that is well-staffed with employees who know how to deal with the emotional needs of policyholders who have just experienced a traumatic event. The ideal company consists of trained professionals capable of being there every step of the way to ease the policyholder’s transition from hotel, to temporary housing, to going home.

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.