Chartered Insurance Institute Claims Management

Insco

Very adult jessjess.... why not respond to the points made by the OP - or have you no response???

Insco

Can't speak for Assess Saw Grouch, but I am. I also hold other professional qualifications.

The way that Insurers handle claims is clearly a matter of debate - in fact if Insurers always did a good job there would be far less demand from the public and need for claim advocates - in fact as you are well aware more and more policyholders now seek help from a claims advocate because of the way their claims are handled by Insurers, and the claims advocacy industry is growing considerably.

So, to pose your own question, are insurance company claims handling departments being given the resources to meet the expectations of the FSA and consumers?

Assess_Saw

The source of the questions was a quiz in the Post Magazine and my comments are my opinion after 25 years in the industry which involved obtaining chartered status which i recently resigned as it is meaningless to my present work.
I am so confident that claims will continue to be handled poorly that I am very happy to continue to provide a vital service to the insuring public who employ me.

Truegrit_2

Assess Saw As a builder I provide a vital service to the insurance industry and find it so easy working with consultants and qualified adjusters than working with the ones direct from B & Q's woodworking department or the gardening centre were they get these 'plantpots' Why is Tony Clack, the education representative of CILA now virtually part time... because these days very few gain the qualifications.... Is this right? Or can anybody give me an answer....... In the meantime let's keep smashing the 'plantpots'

Oscar_The_Grouch

Assess and Insco, Thanks for your comments. I repeat my offer to you:

It's not too late for you to leave the industry. If you have that low an opinion of the companies out there, isn't it somewhat hypocritical to earn a living from them?

Your fees are taken as a percentage of the settlement amount from the insurer, plus the "kickback" from the repairers you foist on everyone.

IMHO, the only good assessor is one that is willing to work for a fixed fee; I know that one company has set up a policy that includes the services of an assessor (paid by a fixed fee per policy up front) to act for the insured when the insurer appoints an adjuster.

Have either of you arranged fixed fee consultations, or do you continue to skim your fees off the misfortune of others?

Claims handlers are paid a flat salary. Why should assessors be any different? Can you provide the same level of service to someone claiming for a burglary as you can for a total loss fire?

Assessors are not FSA registered, so you are not required to work to the same levels of service as an insurer or their appointed representatives (Adjusters are not FSA registered either, but they are undertaking work under delegated authority from the insurer which will require them to comply with FSA regulation as if they were registered); if you are having a bad day, who does the insured complain to?

Do you comply with DISP and ICOBS? Do you undetake annual competency tests to ensure that you are keeping up to date with the industry? When was the last time you looked into money laundering?

What? No arrow visits from the FSA? How about Thematic Reviews?

Assess_Saw

Fees percentage of the settlement no cure no pay the assessors maxim is maximum settlement minimum delay.
All Assessors I know are FSA regluated they have to be or the insurers and their emphasis on the their loss adjusters would not deal with any assessor
Why aren't adjusters regulated aren't they supposed to be independent now let me see who pays them who do they report to who are they totally reliant on for their existence

Flat salary claims handlers should cease to fail and become assessors IMVHO

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Assess_Saw wrote: »

Flat salary claims handlers should cease to fail and become assessors IMVHO

:mad:

At least whilst they are (in your eyes) busy failing, they aren't directly profiting from people's misfortune. If it makes no difference to a handler whether or not you get paid because they are not lining themselves up for a cut of it, you are more likely to reach a fair settlement. The reason why people feel they need [strike]vultures[/strike] assessors is because they've been psyched up to believe that the poor guy on the phone deliberately and maliciously wants the Claimant to suffer, when it's just as likely that the claim is being held up because Mr Assessor is a few quid short of his mortgage payment this month and is refusing prompt settlement so he can get the amount hiked up that bit further.

I was a damn good handler, trainer and subsequently manager. I was always fair and I am sure I was not the only fair and honest one in the country. I tried to help people and I will not apologise for the fact that I had more claims waiting to be paid that were delayed by the insurance industry equivalent of ambulance chasers than by any other reason.

NOW - I am going to huff off in a puff of righteous indignation and hopefully return to my original form of mild mannered janitor...

I feel better now...:D

Insco

Oscar_The_Grouch wrote: »

Assess and Insco, Thanks for your comments. I repeat my offer to you:

It's not too late for you to leave the industry. If you have that low an opinion of the companies out there, isn't it somewhat hypocritical to earn a living from them?

Your fees are taken as a percentage of the settlement amount from the insurer, plus the "kickback" from the repairers you foist on everyone.

IMHO, the only good assessor is one that is willing to work for a fixed fee; I know that one company has set up a policy that includes the services of an assessor (paid by a fixed fee per policy up front) to act for the insured when the insurer appoints an adjuster.

Have either of you arranged fixed fee consultations, or do you continue to skim your fees off the misfortune of others?

Claims handlers are paid a flat salary. Why should assessors be any different? Can you provide the same level of service to someone claiming for a burglary as you can for a total loss fire?

Assessors are not FSA registered, so you are not required to work to the same levels of service as an insurer or their appointed representatives (Adjusters are not FSA registered either, but they are undertaking work under delegated authority from the insurer which will require them to comply with FSA regulation as if they were registered); if you are having a bad day, who does the insured complain to?

Do you comply with DISP and ICOBS? Do you undetake annual competency tests to ensure that you are keeping up to date with the industry? When was the last time you looked into money laundering?

What? No arrow visits from the FSA? How about Thematic Reviews?

Oscar you really should not post things that you really have no clue about.....but as ever you cant get away from the arrogant approach which typifies the why claimants often feel so poorly treated by Insurers

Anyone involved in the administration and performance of a contract of insurance has to be authorised and regulated by the FSA. Loss Assessors have to be authorised and regulated by the FSA....

If you were a commerical animal living in the real world you might also realise most porfessionals fees are negotiable. Most Loss Assessor would negotiate a fixed fees or an hourly rates, conditional fee arrnagements etc etc - just as a solicitor, accountant, surveyor etc etc etc

You clearly work for an Insurer as you are obsessed with a fixed fee - that's the reason the Loss Adjusting Industry is in the state it is with the severe skills shortage - Loss Adjusting Companies just don't earn enough from the measly fixed fees Insurers pay them - and that's why so many Loss Adjuster are leaving the industry to earn much better money advising policyholders.

If Insurers paid Loss Adjusters fees commensurate with solicitors, surveyors etc, then the industry would be able to properly resource and perhaps deliver a better customer service experience

Perhaps get you facts straight before you start ranting in future Oscar

Clearly you don't keep yourself up to date - otherwise you would have known about the FSA regulationg - ask your fellow claims colleagues and they might be able to help you with your lack of knowledge.

We are all in business - and we cant help it if you are a wage slave, and haven't got the opportunity / ability to start a business. Still you have your redundancy to look forward to I suppose.

Insco

No, the Insurance claims departments in many home and motor Insurers are in many cases the ones who are

(1) causing further delay and misery for the claimant ( just look at the posts from some moneysavers)

(2) The reason that claimants feel that they need help

Most claimants who appoint a claim advocate are very very pleased to have done so..... they are properly advised on everything that they are entitled to and dont have to wait hours on the phone getting through to a scripted claims handler

If claims departments do such a great job why are there so many people looking for advice on their claims?

jessjess_2

you think people post about the good claims they have had? No cos they are settled, why post about something that has been settled!!

Thats why people post for advice on claims. For every bad claim there will be many good claims, at least for the insurer i work for. This is reflected in the complaints MI.