Page 62 - Demo

peer to peer
SERVICE ADVICE
SETTING
BOUNDARIES
It’s a busy time for adjusters. Being on
the frontlines dealing with people who have suffered losses brings its own unique set of challenges. Dennis Schembri, vice president of operations in Ontario for Kernaghan Adjusters, reminds adjusters that they’re representing an industry. How they handle the client is a reflection on everyone.
– As told to Adam Malik
There are times when it’s hard to bal- ance the emotions of the client with our own. Adjusters are dealing with heavy workloads but we have to keep in mind that we’re professionals. We’re getting paid by our clients [the insurer] to act in their best interests and to ad- minister what their clients [the consum- ers] are entitled to under the policy.
Being an adjuster means having to be a bit of a therapist. While some clients who’ve suffered a loss quickly under- stand their situation and seem to be at ease with it, others feel their world is coming down around them. This is very
understandable in connection with large claims, when families are displaced for months while reconstruction takes place.
People get emotional, use foul lan- guage, and sometimes they abuse our staff. In these cases, I calmly inform them that certain types of behaviours are unacceptable. If you set the bound- aries, people tend to conform. They quickly understand that we’re here to help them. In addition to this, explain- ing the process is essential. Once they understand the timelines involved, it helps them to plan and cope.
Consumers buy a policy and they are
entitled to a few things: 1) coverage, as set out in the terms and conditions of the policy; and 2) to be dealt with in a respectful manner and in utmost good faith. It’s about gaining trust. If you feel like slamming the door and stomping your feet, you do that after you hang up the phone with the policyholder.
You have to be available for all poli- cyholders and understand what they’re going through. As difficult as people can be at times, you have to be empathetic. Understand that this individual is, first of all, a policyholder and that you have a great responsibility to them.
62 September 2019 | Canadian Underwriter