Contractor networks have become a valuable toolin delivering property claims services to policyholders. In theearly days of property claims handling, the insurance carrier focuswas on providing indemnification to their policyholder. When aclaim was reported, the quality of service was focused on how soonan inspection and payment could be made to the policyholder. Afterall, when one reads a typical insurance policy all that is owed, bythe insurer, is indemnification. Therefore, insurance companiescreated workflows and processes that utilized claim staff andindependent adjusters as the method of inspection with a race toconclude claims as soon as practical.

During the late 1980s, contractor directrepair programs started to appear in the industry,with many contractors offering to provide free estimates toinsurers. Some insurers saw this method of inspection as a lessexpensive option to inspecting the loss and also an opportunity toassist the policyholder in their time of need. While some programshad success, many discovered that informal contractor networks werenot managed properly and came with a risk of potential customerservice issues or inaccurate estimates impacting indemnity.

Due to increasing competitive pressures and increased customerexpectations, insurers began to seek better solutions. ContractorConnection origins date back to the early 1990s when the concept ofcontractor managed repair was born.Contractor Connection introduced a contractor program model thatprovided contractor oversight and delivered a consistent level ofcustomer service to the policyholder. This model continues to servethe industry well some twenty years later and continues to beenhanced. Since the insurance carrier has much invested in itsbrand and reputation with its policyholder, it is critical that anycontractor recommended to the policyholder be properly vetted orelse potential risk to the brand and reputation can occur.

The Contractor Connection value proposition consists of an easyto use program for adjusters, contractor estimate accuracy, provencustomer satisfaction, and reduced cycle times. ContractorConnection strictly credentials all network contractors, andutilizes people, process and technology to provide a consistentlevel of service to our clients. Using the Contractor Connectionsolution can truly add value to the policyholder claim experience.While insurers are not required to offer a contractor program, itprovides tremendous value in assisting the policyholder and canmake the claim adjusting process more efficient by providing atotal property solution.

Contractor Connection is the largest, independently managedcontractor network servicing the insurance industry with a networkof over 4,800 General and Specialty contractors providingresidential and commercial services in North America. At ContractorConnection, all program assignments are promptly dispatched to thenetwork 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for emergency andnon-emergency assignments. In the event of emergencies, insurancecarriers have the opportunity to “Be There When It Counts” fortheir policyholders through the use of Contractor Connection'sservices, which have been developed to assist property owners intimes of need when their home is damaged.

The ultimate goal for the insurance carrier is policy holderretention and a partnership between the insurance carrier andContractor Connection team helps keep policy holders happy. It isimportant that both teams work together with the networkcontractors to provide consistent quality service that exceeds thepolicyholder's expectations. In fact, four of the five insurerswith the highest customer satisfaction ratings use ContractorConnection.

If you have contractor program needs, you need a trusted partnerlike Contractor Connection. The Contractor Connection programleverages a proven implementation model that makes it easy to learnfor new contractors and client users. In a short period of time, afull program can be implemented on a national or regional basis.All it takes is a phone call to get things started.