Storms – Spring weather is here

Hello and Good morning.

As I type this email I am listening to the hail hit my building. Oh…….. the joys of spring….

I/we have been thru many storms in our 50+ years. I for one, recall the largest of them all
on 04-10-2001. That wind / hail storm defined my agency and afterwards, we gained
many new clients.

I strongly believe that how my agency and my carriers handle storm claim(s) it what separates
us from others. It is our time to prove that having “peace of mind” with your insurance protection is what we are all about.

We are here and we are ready. My staff has protocol in place.

Here are a few guidelines:

Image from On-Site Computer Services

Image from On-Site Computer Services

—— After the storm and things are safe make an assessment of your home. If your home does not have leaks and it is safe to occupy there is no rush or stress. It is just a cosmetic situation. Simply call my office and we will send out somebody to make a full assessment. It is important to note that making this call to us and having us send somebody out does not mean you are turning in a formal claim. We won’t escalate the situation up to a formal claim until it is determined there is one first.

—— If it is clear that you have damage that may cause leaks, you have a tree on your home or your home cannot be occupied you need to call me on my cell at 314 397 6901. I will send out a contractor to tarp your home, remove the tree, and board up your windows and doors. I establish temporary housing as well. You can also call my office at 636 530 0440 and ask for Kelly or Brooke.

——- You are always welcomed to make temporary repairs, remove trees, board up windows and doors or install tarps yourself. It is important that you secure the property for further damage. Simply keep your receipts and take pictures.

——- If your vehicle is hit by hail there will be a drive up facility established for you to bring your car to. You can call it into us or call the direct claim hotline (24/7) on your ID card. The only time a vehicle hail claim becomes urgent is when the windshield is destroyed and for those cases, call our office or my cell.

——- Stay away from storm chasers. If somebody knocks on your door claiming to fix your damage, simply tell them you already have the situation under control and ask them to leave. You are not under any obligation if they tarp your roof. Do not sign any contracts. Some of these contractors can be pushy. They will claim to be local, well established, and reputable. We have all learned over the years the hard way that having work done by these outfits is a terrible idea even if they are able trick the carrier and hide some of your deductible. The warranty they claim are useless because by the end of the summer they will be out of the area and they will do the bare minimum without any concern of quality workmanship. If you have to wait for the local, reputable contractor, that is a good thing and worth the wait. If your home is secure, there is no rush. If my office sends the roofer over, you can be sure they are good.

Great claims service is about communication. Whenever I have complaints, most of the time is surrounds around breakdowns in communication. One side thinks the other is doing something and vice – versa. Sometimes the carrier is not as clear as they should be on what they need my client to do; they forget that my client does not know insurance. My agency and I have been thru and seen it all over the years. If you have any issues, we are here to run interference for you; but, we can’t help if we don’t know about it.

Sincerely,
Shawn

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