Hurricane season is here – is your claims business prepared? For insurance professionals, preparedness for the rush of claims is crucial. Forecasters have released hurricane predictions for 2023 that include 11-15 named storms, 6-8 of which are predicted to become hurricanes. Weather is unpredictable, but thanks to advancements in claims management, you can be more prepared than ever before.

Our team of experts has put together a list of the top 5 tips to prepare for whatever the storms throw your way. With these practices in place, your business will build a reputation of trust and respect among industry professionals and, most importantly, the policyholders themselves.

• Prioritize the Policyholder First

The importance of a customer-focused mindset through every phase of the claims experience cannot be overstated. Developing a powerful customer care package and making that the center of all business operations is essential for leaders to ensure the policyholder always comes first, especially in a storm scenario, when their lives are in as much disarray as the aftermath left in the hurricane’s path. The best way to go about this is to utilize industry leading tools and services that empower team members to be transparent with customers, set up consistent well-checks at every phase of the claim process, engage swiftly and provide updates in real-time.

With 80% of customers saying the experience a company provides is just as important as its products or services and 62% of customers saying they share their bad customer experiences with others, the time for organizations to act is now. In today’s information landscape where tomorrow is too late, being the proactive claims provider will help policyholders feel at ease in the stressful moments that follow a serious disaster and most important of all, allow trust to be built and maintained.

• Seek Opportunities To Enhance Operations

Albert Einstein once compared life and work to riding a bicycle: “To keep your balance, you must keep moving forward.” In other words, the wise insurance professional is always learning and seeking opportunities to make their services stand out in an ever-changing industry.

Organizations that consistently adapt and seize opportunities to differentiate their offerings in this dynamic industry will ultimately emerge as leaders. With cutting-edge insurtech solutions, insurers are empowered to optimize individual processes, enabling advancements in overall service solutions and keeping them ahead of the constantly evolving industry demands. Insurance professionals must strike and maintain a balance amidst the diverse challenges of digital transformation – genuinely improving processes and driving efficiencies rather than merely adopting technology for its own sake. Partnering with an insurtech solutions provider who stays up to date on industry developments and fundamentally comprehends the complexities of claims can assist your business in developing a refined claims response that aligns with your company’s culture and vision for future service.

• Employ a Robust Combination of Staff and Vendor Relationships

A continuous challenge in the insurance industry calls for close examination. As experienced adjusters become more hesitant to engage in catastrophe response, the collective proficiency of deployed adjusters diminishes. Moreover, complex state regulations and escalated claim severity further exacerbate potential shortcomings in service and response. Given these circumstances, it is crucial for insurers to foster strong connections with both their personnel and vendors.

The insurance sector is grappling with a significant challenge in drawing new talent. As an industry, our focus should be on optimizing the skills of our current workforce and enhancing our recruitment strategies for new inductees. The use of cutting-edge technology and smart triage methods can help us better leverage our existing resources. However, this doesn’t fully address the issue of attracting new entrants. Many individuals I’ve interacted with who have chosen insurance as their career path seemed to have stumbled upon the industry; very few had actively pursued it. We need to collectively ensure that insurance becomes a preferred option for young people considering their career paths and for those already in the workforce looking for a change. Considering that studies suggest up to 52% of Americans are contemplating changing their careers at any time, there’s a vast pool of potential applicants we can tap into. Steps should be taken to actively promote our industry and build connections with educational institutions, service sectors, contractors, and transitioning military veterans, among others. The industry offers both emotional fulfillment and financial benefits, making it a rewarding career option. It’s crucial to heighten awareness about the innovative technologies being adopted, limitless career advancement opportunities, and the valuable service provided to people in their times of need. By sharing authentic stories and examples showcasing the emotional and financial benefits of a career in insurance and claims, we can take a substantial step towards mitigating labor shortages and improving customer service.

• Become the Tech-Advanced Provider

Technology can perhaps be the most critical resource to insurance claim departments, especially when claims numbers are at their highest during catastrophe season. With a powerful technology stack in your arsenal of tools, you are setting your business and customers up for a positive claims experience. By harnessing industry-leading data, maximizing efficiency in internal processes, focusing on transparent reporting, and leveraging digital interactive tools that benefit both adjusters and most importantly, policyholders, insurers are sure to see more positive outcomes, leading to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, and overall ROI.

The insurtech landscape is changing every year with new advancements, and an insurer’s tech stack should evolve with it to ensure there are no hiccups or the risk of outdated solutions slowing down the claims process during times when it should be operating with the greatest efficiency.

• Develop A Data-Mindset Now for Future Claims Success

By examining robust data from past claims and hurricane situations, insurance professionals can start to forecast future exposure, severity, and resource requirements, which directly influence the success of the overall claims process in the years ahead. Well-informed business decisions stem from a thorough assessment of internal data from various perspectives, combined with near-real time weather data, can result in an unparalleled event response strategy.

Since 1992, Brush Claims has managed thousands of catastrophes while building a strong daily claims operation and a full-service liability department. Our insurtech team knows a thing or two about dealing with catastrophes and the chaos that ensues. That’s why we study the data and offer insights as well as solutions to our partners that go beyond downloading software. Don’t let this season pass your business by without having a tech and service team behind you to support the claims management process from first touchpoint to follow-up communications. It’s your time to offer the best possible experience. Let’s go places and get people the help they need, together.

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