It's been a rough couple of months for our industry, to put it mildly. Spitzer's crusade, compounded by Maurice Greenberg's resignation from AIG (to say nothing of the dismissals of AIG's Howard Smith and Christian Milton), have all combined to seriously tarnish the overall integrity quotient of the insurance industry.

As we move forward into “recovery,” it's best to remember that insureds only interact with their insurers on two occasions. The first is when they take out a policy and must fork over a hefty premium; the second, when they have to make a claim.

As a result of all the recent developments, those insureds are increasingly skeptical when making policy purchases. And for first-time buyers who have not yet established a rapport with an agent, suspicions reign supreme.

That's why it's so important, now more than ever before, that all claim personnel, no matter what your slot in the pecking order, be in top customer service mode, 24/7. You're the second, and equally important, person they encounter regarding their insurance coverage. And you're dealing with them when they're stressed, upset, and often devastated. That puts you in a powerful position to reestablish our credibility, and enhance our reputation, with insureds. You're the face and reassuring voice that can cement a long-lasting relationship, and it all relies on your customer service skills.

One of the best ways to ensure customer service excellence in the claim arena is through continuing education that will help you be more efficient, fair, accurate, and speedy in resolving claim issues. And one of your best opportunities to get well rounded perspectives is through attendance at the ACE-SCLA educational sessions.

This fall we'll be going back to the terrific Gaylord Palms, Oct. 6-8 in Orlando, and we'll be offering you one of our most comprehensive, claim-handling-specific educational programs to date. We've expanded our tracks from management, legal, technology, and special issues to also include an extensive fraud track. Fraudulent claims siphon off in excess of $100 billion annually. And well educated, alert claim personnel are in the forefront to chip away at this tremendous loss. Fraud is not a problem that can be corrected overnight, but it eventually can be conquered through your efforts, keen insights, and diligence — all of which you'll learn to cultivate through these special educational sessions.

Starting this month, we are featuring special interviews in Claims with program presenters; interviews that will help you familiarize yourselves with these educational sessions so that you can plan ahead and make the best use of your learning opportunities at ACEoSCLA (see pg. 16). Be sure to note them each month and start mapping out your program attendance strategies. In addition, a full-service exhibit area will offer an array of products and service providers who can give you insights and inspiration to help you provide your insureds with professional and thorough claim resolutions. And remember, the early birds not only get the worm, they get a discounted registration fee saving them $100, good through July 25th.

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Special Reports /

You Can Make the Difference!

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