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•We don’t exploit claimants –Loss Adjusters
By Henry Uche
Concerns over satisfaction of policyholders have continued to top insurance sector agenda at various fora. While claims payment have remained the focus of insurance business and point of controversy between insurance companies and claimants, the need for operators to up their game to improve their customers’ experience has become more compelling.
At the second edition of Claims Advocacy Conference held in Lagos, insurance professionals had said it was high time underwriters did everything legally possible to offer policyholders all round topnotch experience, from the point of engagement to the point of ending a contract, even where rescission may arise.
In an address, the Convener of the Confab/Founder- Carefirst Consult Ltd, Mr. Gus Wiggle, who spoke on the theme, “Taking Insurance Experience Beyond Claims Payments” said with his over 34 years experience in the industry as former Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of an insurance company, he chose to roll up his sleeves to pursue the ‘perennial customers ugly experience’ some policyholders suffer during claims processing, with the aim to offer sustainable solution as his contribution to the industry.
“We’re looking at taking insurance experience beyond claims payments. You know we still dealing with boosting customers trust and confidence, to move the sector forward” he stressed.
Speaking on “Understanding Insurance Beyond Claims Payment”, former Secretary General of African Insurance Organization (AIO), Mrs. Prisca Gbemisola Soares, urged operators to thoroughly tutor policyholders on everything they need to know and explain why some claims may not be paid.
“Some claims my be denied owing to claimant’s default or other reasons. But policyholders must be well educated and should be involved in the entire contract cycle. Customers should be made to enjoy better experience before and after claims are paid. In this case, all hands must be on deck” she charged.
On his part, the immediate past president of Institute of Loss Adjusters of Nigeria (ILAN), Reginald Egbuniwe, who took the audience on loss adjusters’ intermediary role between Insurers and the insured, avowed that loss adjusters do not in any way exploit policyholders while doing their job.
“We have nobody’s interest mind. We do our job professionally. Though policyholders must times are impatient, but we all need to show understanding,” he urged.
Since the acid test of insurance business is its ability to pay genuine claims, the Chief Client Officer of AXA Mansard, Mrs. Rashidat Adebisi, urged Claimants not to be unnecessarily hasty while filing claims to avoid error and/or omissions.
“Documentation is critical for claims payment, and it must be done painstakingly. No insurance company would want to deny any policyholder genuine claims” she affirmed.
For Richard Ogunmodede, a Fintech expert, claims is the best teacher, for insurance companies that have foresight and deploys foresight while dealing with customers. “Claims is the best teacher in insurance. We can’t shy away from it. We should also check on our customers after claims are paid for continuous and sustainable work relationship” he implored.
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