The Perfect Storm

How to Support Your Clients When Bad Weather Hits

Storms can hit at any point, causing damage to homes, claims for insurers to handle and anxious homeowners over the country.

Following last year’s findings from the ABI (Association of British Insurers) that storm claims were the highest seen on record, it’s imperative you provide your clients with sufficient support to bunker down and batten down the hatches.

Being proactive and offering the right guidance pre-emptively can make a significant difference when it comes to storm season and the inevitable severe weather that follows.

Prepare Your Clients Before the Storm Hits

Use regular check-ins as a way to engage with your clients and ensure their properties are safe and ready for stormy skies. Remind them of different ways they can check their home for potential risks and hazards.

See our guide here for more.

Why not send out seasonal reminders to your clients? These can involve content like risk management, policy coverage, along with simple tips and tricks.

Remind your clients that an accurate policy is essential before renewal. Call them up for a chat before their renewal date and check everything is still in order.

Understand the Coverage

Your clients knowing the ins and outs of their policies is half the battle!

Help your clients understand what’s covered to ensure they can make decisions on their own, as well within your guidance. Of course, you should always recommend they come to you for assistance, should they need it.

Inform your clients of areas of home insurance such as flood damage and storm damage. These are useful tools to possess in the wetter months and can provide solace in times of stress and monetary strain.

Be Your Client’s Lifeguard

When the tide is rising, it’s always good to have a helping hand to pull you out of deep water.

A claim can cause anxiety and frustration for your clients, so remain a point of contact. Keep yourself available to communicate with your clients during high-risk weather events and put your clients at ease.

Manage expectations and calm your clients’ nerves by explaining the claims process. Simple and short is always the easiest way for them to follow. Answer any queries and questions to provide sufficient support.

Follow this guide we’ve created to master the claims process.

Post-Event Support

Conduct a follow-up with your clients. After a claim, you want them to remain confident in your services as a top adviser.

Ensure the claim has been resolved in a way your client is happy with, and if it hasn’t, offer an explanation as to why. Alternatively, organise the best way forward for your client.

After-event care is crucial to improving relationships and enhancing your reputation as a master of your craft. In a stressful situation, you can be the calm and empathetic figure your client needs – making the difference between a stressful situation and a smooth transition.

Sharing News and Updates

If you have a professional social media page, post about different events and situations that can affect your clients’ home insurance policies.

Respectable news outlets such as ITV News, BBC News, Sky News and Met Office are useful sources to share with your clients. Storm on the way? Share some articles or videos to your social media to help.

If you speak to your clients every few months or so, check-in with them at the change of seasons and provide them with advice on preparing for times ahead.

If you found this guide helpful and want to learn how to expand your online presence, why not take a look at our article here?