Virtual Property Insurance Claim Management Pitfalls

The Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the way in which businesses conduct normal operations. In the insurance industry, the disruption is leaving policyholders with unanswered questions; leading to delayed, underpaid, or denied property damage claims. Virtual Claims Adjusting is an existing, but recently expanded protocol whereby policyholders use platforms such as Facetime to visually assess damaged property with the insurance company. This results in a lot of pressure being placed on the policyholder who is essentially reliving the nightmare of their loss by having to navigate through damaged items virtually. This approach introduces emotional anguish.

In addition, homeowners are asked to complete their own inventories of damaged items and with little experience, crucial recovery money is being left on the table. What is worse is that the insurance company adjusters are not answering their calls or emails in a timely manner which is leading to chaos and frustration.

An Alternate Approach to Thorough Claim Assessment

A good public adjuster knows that you cannot fully document building and personal property damages solely with a virtual approach. Insurance is considered an essential business and there are many precautions that can be taken so that the losses are documented properly. In addition to social distancing and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), many owners do not have a problem with standing outside of their property while the insurance company assesses the damages at their own leisure. 

Saving Money at the Expense of Empathy and Relationships 

Virtual claim processing is not new, many insurance companies are utilizing this approach to save money and to decrease the overhead of having to hire more staff adjusters. Although a virtual approach can be effective, it cannot be the only means of assessment, especially when adjusting large and complex property losses such as fire, water, and business interruption. Even prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, many policyholders felt that the insurance companies were not properly assessing their damages by utilizing just a virtual approach. Between video platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) bots, the important element of relationships, empathy and enhanced customer service has been taken away. Customers do not feel confident as there is no one guiding them through the claims process. The human element is missing, and the end result are rushed out and artificially reduced claim payments.

Virtual Adjusting- Done Right!

When United Public Adjusters & Appraisers Inc. takes on a claim, we make sure that NO MONEY is left on the table. Our team takes every necessary precaution to ensure the safety of our staff, clients, and associates by offering Virtual Claim Adjusting for initial claim intake; we stay completely engaged in the rest of the process to fully account for all damages. Our claim management process includes completing detailed inventories of personal property damages and building damage repair estimates. Our team wears PPE offers the same to our clients to ensure they also feel safe.  Wherever possible, we limit the number of people within the same room and always practice safe social distancing. While this may lead to additional time when inspecting, our staff of licensed public adjusters understands that the details matter. It is close to impossible to fully understand the scope of damages without seeing the physical damages.

More importantly, we give clients peace of mind by instilling transparency and detailed communication throughout the entire process. When large loss property disasters happen, we expedite payments due to the insured by creating urgency with the insurance company. Our approach is very straight forward:  We offer a no-obligation, free policy, and claim review.  NO PRESSURE. NO FALSE HOPE. NO RECOVERY, NO FEE! Contact us today for immediate help!