The extremely cold temperatures that blanketed much of the U.S. in January wreaked havoc on countless homeowners and businesses, causing a surge in property claims. Beyond the obvious structural damage, adjusters quickly discovered the effects on contents, including soft goods, which typically comprise nearly a quarter of the number of items in a home.
As the largest textile restoration specialist in North America, the Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN) demonstrated its value on thousands of claims to start the year and exemplified the value of 24/7 availability and unparalleled expertise dealing with a wide range of fabric items damaged by water, as well as smoke, soot and fire.
Despite an enormous demand for its services, CRDN was able to successfully meet carrier requirements for response and service. The organization's ability to comply with Time-in-Process requirements stems largely from the efforts of a dedicated department at the corporate office, as well as CRDN's local franchisees. CRDN's Program Management Department is charged with monitoring individual carrier requirements on a per job basis for metrics that include homeowner contact, arrival on-site, restoring and returning "immediate needs" items, and estimate upload. Overall, the corporate office team acts as a backroom administrative staff for its franchise partners.
For CRDN, it's standard daily operating procedure. With the January surge in claims assignments, the department played a key role in ensuring that each local CRDN service provider was able to manage the increased volume efficiently and, most importantly, to the satisfaction of those insurance carriers that require specific service levels, along with the satisfaction of their insureds. The Program Management Department's staff served as an extension of each local CRDN team, allowing those in the field to professionally apply their skills in customer service and textile restoration to the fullest. On a daily basis, the department monitors electronically in real-time each and every loss assignment and flags any overdue requirement, but more importantly, it helps prevent timelines from being missed.
Clearly carriers and third-party administrators understand the importance of meeting the expectations of customers. How a claim is handled can have a dramatic impact on customer satisfaction and policy renewal. Requiring service providers to meet strict metrics for interacting and resolving a claim is one way to make a positive impression on a policyholder.
Quite simply, CRDN believes in the philosophy that, "what gets measured, gets done." CRDN's real-time performance is monitored closely, and if a deadline approaches, our Program Management Department contacts our local service provider to review the situation. Details and explanations are documented electronically to become a standard part of the online job file that can be reviewed by the adjuster, at the adjuster's convenience, which is increasingly important in today's digital age.
Wayne M. Wudyka is CEO of CRDN (Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network), an international organization of textile restoration experts. CRDN's national claims assignment call center can be reached at 1-800-963-CRDN (2736) or www.CRDN.com.
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