A small business owner's premises have been broken into overnight. They are shaken, the shop is a mess and they need to know what to do. They open their broker's website. If the claims page tells them who to contact and what to gather, they feel supported. If it does not, they feel alone at exactly the moment they needed help.
Claims are when clients most need their broker. The website's job is to point them to help quickly.
What clients need at claim time
- Who to contact first: the broker, the insurer or both
- Any 24-hour claims numbers
- What information to gather
- What to do immediately, such as making the property safe or reporting a crime
- What happens next
Decision guide
The website should explain the process. How to report a claim, who to contact, what to gather and what happens next. This is general information and can be published.
Coverage decisions go to the broker or insurer. Whether a specific claim is covered depends on the policy and the insurer's assessment. An assistant must never say a claim is or is not covered.
Distressed clients need a person. If a client is clearly upset, the assistant should acknowledge it, share the immediate steps and hand the conversation to the claims team.
Emergencies go to emergency services. If anyone is in danger, the first step is emergency services, not the claims process.
Example conversations
Client: My shop was broken into last night. What do I do? Assistant: I'm sorry to hear that. The claims page explains the first steps: report the break-in to the police and get a crime reference number, make the premises secure, and take photos. Then contact the claims team using the details on that page. I can also pass your details to the broker now so they can help.
Client: Will my insurance cover the stolen stock? Assistant: That depends on your policy and the insurer's assessment, so it's something the broker will go through with you. If you share your name and policy number, I'll pass your enquiry to them.
Lessons from healthcare
Healthcare websites handle a similar boundary with test results and prescriptions, which need a person, as described in test results and prescription questions that need a person. Claims are the insurance equivalent.
Keeping clients informed during a claim
Claims can take weeks or months. Clients often feel forgotten while they wait. Explaining the typical stages of a claim, and how the broker will keep them updated, reduces anxious calls. A short update at each stage, even when there is little news, shows the client that someone is on their side. Brokers who do this well often find that the claim becomes the reason a client stays loyal for years.
Claims and retention
Clients who feel supported during a claim are far more likely to renew. The renewal conversation is covered in the renewal questions every insurance broker hears.
Out-of-hours claims
Incidents happen at night and at weekends. Clear out-of-hours information, and a way to capture details for the claims team, matters. Vet clinics face a similar out-of-hours challenge, described in AI receptionist for veterinary clinics.
How SpideyChat handles it
SpideyChat for insurance agencies shares your published claims process and passes claims enquiries to your team as tickets. It does not assess claims or say whether something is covered. You can see handover on the demo.
A claims page that helps
Write a claims page with who to contact, what to gather and what happens next, and make it easy to find from every page. Plans are compared on the pricing page.