The Massachusetts winter of 2015 broke multiplerecords and caused misery for drivers, homeowners and insurers.February was the snowiest month in Boston since 1872, with 64.8inches of the white stuff. New records were also set for thesnowiest 30-day period, with 94.4 inches between January 24th andFebruary 22nd, and the all-time snowiest winter at 110.6 inches setshortly thereafter.

“Ice dams” quickly became the dominant topic of conversation atwork, home and in the news.

Everyone was talking about ice dams: “What causes them?”“How can they be prevented?” “Who should I call for help?”and, of course, the ever-popular, “Will my insurance cover thedamage?”

Related: 5 secrets to improving customer service after acatastrophe

An insurance carrier's reputation can be made or brokendepending upon its ability to respond to customer needs after acatastrophic event, or even a series of events like thoseexperienced this past winter. Key challenges faced by carrierleadership teams during these stressful times included effectivelyresponding to the questions above and many others, the dramaticinflux of claim volume, and keeping employees fully engaged tohandle high impact service demands.

An organization can have a spectacularly detailed catastropheresponse and communication strategy, but without the right talentto execute it at the moment of truth, failure becomes a loomingpossibility. While strategy is key, delivering a superior customerexperience really begins with selecting, developing and retainingthe talented individuals who will fully embrace a company'scommitment to extraordinary service.

Insurance is a business of emotion. People call when they needhelp during times of crisis, and emotion is often intricately tiedto their needs. The impact of selecting employees who understandthese needs and demonstrate a deep commitment to helping others ina highly technical and sometimes emotionally charged environmentcannot be underestimated.

(Photo: Igumnova Irina/Shutterstock)

During the interview process, a focus on technical skill sets,potential for advancement, and corporate cultural alignment isimportant. Even more significant, however, is vetting thecandidate's behavioral stress response, including their ability tobe calm, helpful and flexible. When a catastrophe hits and customerexpectations spike to new highs, will the candidate respond andbehave in the way the company not only wants them to, but needsthem to? Considering the very real possibility that employees willbe personally dealing with their own weather-related home, auto andfamily issues while being asked to deliver stellar serviceexperiences to others, identifying resilient talent must be apriority.

Related: Using technology to managecatastrophes

While some will call it cliché, to overlook the absolute needand power of effective communication is a fundamental mistake—evenwith the right talent. Communication is vital, and it can—andmust—take multiple forms. It starts with a well-thought-outcommunication plan that is prepared long before an event occurs.The strategy should address all potential hurdles, includingdisaster recovery and business continuity issues, and must fullymaximize all of today's communication channels and mediums. Forexample, what is the best way to leverage technology and socialmedia effectively to communicate with customers and agents? Whichmessages will be sent at what frequency? All of these questionsmust be considered when developing a comprehensive communicationstrategy.

Even the best plan will need tweaks, and the unique,back-to-back weather events of the winter of 2015 certainly provedthat. As the relentless snow piled up by the foot, agents andcustomers continued to seek guidance from carriers in unprecedentednumbers, forcing continued modifications in the frequency, methodand content of communications. Being able to foresee new orunanticipated questions, digest them, and display the agility torespond directly, consistently, and quickly is critical. To besuccessful, the claims leadership team needs to be highlytransparent and remain nimble and open to updating the strategy asthe situation dictates.

People often think of communication needs in terms of theirimpact on external partners, but the highly successful leadershipteams also recognize the acute importance of effective internalcommunications. Providing detailed information and updates to theclaims professionals who will be interacting with agents andcustomers is crucial to everyone's success. When employees are keptinformed, they are better positioned to effectively respond to theemotionally charged calls they receive throughout the day. Thisapproach adds a strong consistency to marketplace messaging andkeeping the brand's promise.

Workers clear snow from a roof in Boston, Monday, Feb. 16,2015. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Continuous and transparent communication also helps drive higherlevels of employee engagement as it keeps people actively involvedin developing the overall catastrophe response. Claimsprofessionals are the best situated to provide real-time feedbackon the questions and concerns they are hearing, thereby enablingthe leadership team to respond quickly to their needs and requests.If the right talent has been selected, they will want to deliver asuperior customer experience and be part of the solution when aproblem arises. With this in mind, leaders should not onlyencourage feedback, but actively and continually seek it out.Embracing employees' ideas and suggestions will encourage even morevaluable recommendations.

Related: 10 secrets to improving customer service after acatastrophe

Most importantly, with regard to communication, one must neverforget that frontline claims professionals are the most vital partof any response and communication plan as they are the firstcarrier touch point for a customer who has suffered a loss.Understanding that most customers want to hear from the company towhom they have been paying their premiums, not necessarily a thirdparty that represents the carrier, it is essential that the claimsprofessional is well-informed. If the initial interaction ishandled effectively, there is a higher probability that the claimsprocess will work smoothly and efficiently towardresolution.

While striving for perfection is the goal, it will never beconsistently achieved, which means there will always beopportunities for recovery. Embracing this eventuality is not toaccept sub-par performance, but a reality driven by the heighteneddemands associated with a catastrophe. Leaders should considerformalizing a recovery strategy to ensure that those opportunities,which are without question more frequent during catastrophes, arehandled effectively and efficiently.

The recovery strategy should also include a method toeffectively let frontline claims professionals who are workingtirelessly to provide superior service despite high claims volume,know that the occasional “hiccup” is anticipated and the leadershipteam is fully prepared to stand behind them and play an active rolein assisting them with the recovery process.

Great leaders continually seek to learn. They are neversatisfied with the status quo. They take every experience, good orbad, and work to understand where there are opportunities toimprove. Whether it is a major change in protocol or a minor tweakto an internal process, there will, and should, be things that willbe done differently the next time a catastrophic event happens. Itis not a matter of “if” but of “when.”

Joseph Salerno is vice president of claims at Arbella Insurance Group.He can be reached at [email protected].