This newest THD team was created as an onboarding tool offered by THD’s Sales Team to its newly signed insurance companies. This team puts a priceless tool in the hands of adjusters — more time. It allows them to entrust their clients to experienced and caring people who will secure lodging, freeing them to deal with other aspects of the claim. The AS team also shows the adjuster all the helpful tools and services THD has to offer, answers questions and learns the processes that work best for the adjuster.
Then, while the repairs are in process to make families and homes whole again, Assurance Services continues to liaise between the adjuster, the insured and THD’s internal team to ensure a family is comfortably situated while staying within the ALE limits of the policy.
When an adjuster that’s new to THD submits a claim, the insured immediately receives a welcome text and video, then an Assurance Services team member follows up within 15 minutes via phone to provide hotel options.
“Once they’re in the hotel, that claim remains with me,” team Manager Lisa Douglass affirmed. “I’ll reach out to the adjuster and say, ‘I will be your single point of contact for the claim and to ensure we’re handling the process the way you prefer. Let me know more about the housing needs once you know the period of restoration’ … and I’ll be with that family until the moment they move back home.”
Throughout the loss period, Douglass and team continue communications with the adjuster to determine budget-appropriate placements for longer-term temporary housing, relaying those needs to the relevant THD departments. And they remain available whenever those struggling with displacement need information or reassurance.
Having nearly 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry – many of those as a licensed adjuster – Douglass knows that first talk with someone experiencing a loss entails so much more than finding out how many family members were displaced, or how close to work or home a temporary lodging needs to be.
“We listen; we really pay attention,” Douglass said. “We’re talking to people on what is possibly the worst day of their lives. They’ve lost their home; they could have lost a loved one or a pet. It’s awful. But this is where our work really matters.”
The whole concept is a great service add to THD’s insurance clients, she added. “If you go online and see the feedback, those statements are quotes from the adjusters who work with us. We give them peace of mind that their insureds will be handled with the utmost care when it comes to temporary housing, so they are able to handle the structure and contents portion of a claim.”
“THD becomes a representative of that insurance company,” she continued. “We take this responsibility seriously. As a consumer, you’re going to shop around if you’ve had a bad claims experience. So it’s important we really become an extension of the carrier.”
Once Douglass is familiar with the carrier’s processes and a reliable workflow is established, she is comfortable bringing in the THD Housing Team to handle future claims.
“We’re all seasoned here, in every department – Customer Care, Alternative Lodging, all of them,” she said, “but, at first, Assurance Services will be the point of contact so we can be certain the claim is handled smoothly from end to end.”
“We’re here to build the strongest relationships in the industry. If THD didn’t do that, we wouldn’t be here.”
