McKenzie Ross are pleased to announce the appointment of Julia Kelly to the role of Claims Relationship Manager with effect from 1 July 2018. Together with Susie Witten, who will continue to provide Claims Administration support, Julia will actively manage all aspects of the claims process at a technical, advisory, negotiation and administrative level.

Operations Manager, Luke Lalor, commented that “We recognise that when a claim occurs, how we manage the claim is the greatest test of our ability as insurance brokers. Making an insurance claim is typically unpleasant and can often carry with it significant emotion and stress. We are excited to appoint Julia as a our Claims Relationship Manager to work with insurers and suppliers, ensuring the best possible outcome for our clients.”

Julia’s appointment is a continuation of the five year strategy McKenzie Ross has embarked on to implement a scalable structure and double the business over the next five years.

With 15 years of broking experience in the General Insurance industry, Julia brings her broad knowledge of commercial and domestic products to the McKenzie Ross Team. After two years in an Account Manager role, Julia is now transferring her acquired skills into the Claims Manager position with the aim of streamlining our claims process and handling all aspects of claims requirements on behalf of our clients.

Julia’s background consists of servicing portfolios of SME clients, assisting on corporate accounts, working with Scheme business and facilitating claims. Prior to her current role at McKenzie Ross, Julia worked as an Account Manager and Claims Administrator for a Suburban Brokerage.

Julia commented “I am looking forward to taking on this new role and am excited to create a proactive claims environment that meets the needs of our clients as well as building relationships with insurers and suppliers. I have long held an enthusiasm for all things claims related and enjoy the challenge each claim represents. I look forward to working with our clients to help when they need us most.”

Demonstrating value-add can sometimes be a battle for brokers as consumers only see the biggest benefits of the relationship when it comes to claims time – however, one recent study has taken steps to quantify that benefit so brokers can show exactly how much they’re bringing to the table. The new survey data shows small businesses are twice as likely to be fully covered for losses if they buy insurance through a broker rather than buying direct.

About 23% of Vero SME Insurance Index respondents who use brokers say 100% of their last claim was fully covered. Some 13% say only up to half the claim was covered.

For those purchasing direct, 10% say the claim was fully met, while 26% were covered for up to half their loss.

Vero Head of Commercial Intermediaries Anthony Pagano says claims experience can make or break the relationship between SMEs and brokers.

“Brokers know how important claims are, with many believing the ability to manage the process is one of the main benefits they offer their clients,” he said.

“This data shows when SMEs receive expert guidance on their insurance, they are far more likely to be adequately covered.”

The survey also asked business owners about overall claims experience, with 62% who use a broker saying they are very satisfied, compared with 57% of direct buyers.

Vero has released a risk registry tool for brokers, which shows the most common risks for specific occupations and industries.

Mr Pagano says the tool uses data from more than 40,000 claims, allowing brokers to generate highly relevant information for clients, further demonstrating how expert advice can help SMEs buy the right insurance for their needs.

To find out how McKenzie Ross can work for you at claims time, contact your Account Manager today.

This article was originally posted by insurancenews.com.au

It’s not the claims process itself that is traumatic — in fact, making a claim is usually quite simple — but whatever event has happened to make you need to make an insurance claim is typically unpleasant and can often carry with it significant emotion and stress.

As such, it can be helpful to know what to expect and how to go about making a claim. When you are armed with this knowledge, it can make an often painful and frustrating event that little bit easier to deal with.

Report The Incident

This might seem obvious but call the police or emergency services if a serious accident has taken place or if your business is essentially a crime scene — for example, if a robbery, some other kind of theft, malicious damage or vandalism has been committed. If the safety of your business premises has been compromised, do not enter and instead act on the advice of police or other emergency services personnel.

This may seem less obvious, but one of the best things you can do in the event you need to make a claim is to advise your insurance company or broker of the situation as soon as possible. Even if you don’t have all the information necessary, it’s good to chat to your insurer about what’s happened ASAP. They can then explain the claims process for you and clue you in to any steps you may need to take or evidence you’ll need to gather.

Chatting to your insurer or broker immediately after a claimable event has taken place can also be quite calming. You’ll typically find that claims personnel and brokers are quite understanding in times of trauma or accidents. They are there to help you, so you should certainly make the most of the advice they can offer.

In general, it is best to submit your insurance claim as close to the event as possible. Doing so will ensure that the details of the claimable event do not become fuzzy or difficult to corroborate, and it will also ensure any time limits will not be breached.

Things You Should Take Note Of

As soon as you can after a loss or event, it is important that you note as much information as possible about what’s happened so that you can pass these details on to your insurer.

Obviously, the relevant details here will vary depending on what type of insurance policy you have, but in general, these are some things you should try to take note of/do as soon as possible:

• The time and date of the event
• The specific location
• A description of what happened
• Details of anything you have done to minimise the loss
• An estimate of the loss
• Eyewitness accounts and contact details of any eyewitnesses
• Photos — take photos of anything you think might be relevant, but particularly any damage

Read Your PDS

If you’re unsure about how the claims process works or what you need to do, locate your insurance Product Disclosure Statement (PDS). Insurers will always detail how to go about making a claim in this document.

The PDS will also note any excesses you need to pay and how long you can expect to wait before your claim is processed. If you use a broker, give them a call.

Tell The Truth

While it might be easier to gloss over some of the detail or leave pieces of information out of your claim, this is never a good idea. Leaving things out tends to come back to bite you where insurance claims are concerned. Even if you are concerned that your claim will be denied, you must still tell the truth and include any details that are relevant for the insurer to know.

Some Pre-Claim Tips

The claims process will typically be a lot swifter and smoother for you if you have done the following prior to entering into an insurance contract or throughout the duration of your insurance contract:

• Read the PDS — we know we mentioned this above, but you should take note of what’s covered and what’s excluded in any potential policy to ensure you don’t go through the claims process only to find what you’re claiming for isn’t actually covered.
• Pay your premium — it might seem like a no-brainer, but if you don’t pay your premium, your claim will be denied.
• Review your policy each year at renewal to make sure you’re still covered for everything you need to be covered for.
• Update your insurer or broker if any of your business’s details change.
• Take photos of your assets.
• Make sure there is a system in place, such as saving to an external cloud, whereby you can access computer logs.
• Keep copies of all receipts and invoices — you never know when your insurer will need you to produce them.

 

Remember – as your broker our assistance doesn’t stop at claim when the claim is lodged.  If you need any assistance throughout the claim process, contact your Account Manager straight away.