Group news
Incidentally
Issue 47 - 2010
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Cunningham Lindsey launch a further two Global Practice Groups The implementation of our Specialist Practice Groups continued this quarter with the establishment of both a Product Liability Practice Group and a Specialist Global Marine Team. These groups, which are staffed by experienced adjusters in multiple locations within the Cunningham Lindsey global network have been designed to provide our clients with market leading expertise, on a consistent global basis. In September, we successfully launched the Product Liability Practice Group at the Anise bar in London, which was attended by London's insurance and reinsurance clients as well as numerous colleagues from around the world. Product liability, recall claims investigation and management are the core skills offered by this group. We have a broad range of industry expertise and understand the sensitivities that product liability claims expose. Many cases will be suitable for settlement; some cases are there to be defended. In those cases, the team will advise on the options and the costs and risks of each option. Our geographical spread means that we can offer local investigation by claims adjusters who understand local business, local cultures as well as local law and regulations. Continued on page 2
Tackling fraud in travel claims
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To watch or not to watch?
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Keeping America beautiful
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Career highway
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Growing by degrees
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Subsidence - a modern take
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Working together in Canada
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Sergon Building Consultants
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So near and yet so far
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New generation claims group
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European regional meeting
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CRIMS conference 2010
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Claims conference 2010
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Major Loss Review launch
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FOCUS on the customer
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Staff survey 2010
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National customer service week 11 Excellence awards
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20 years of service
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Claims professional of the year 12 2011 Calendar
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Tribute to Denis Duchesne
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Cunningham Lindsey football
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Charity news
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People profile
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Group news
Continued from page 1 - Cunningham Lindsey launch a further two Global Practice Groups Our multi-disciplined global team specialise in the following classes of business: • Agriculture • Automotive • Building materials • Construction • Electrical goods • Food and drink • Pharmaceuticals • Retail • Surface coatings • Transportation and automotive The Global Product Liability Practice leader, Jonathan Clark commented, "this group has been set up so that we can bring to our clients the best possible solutions when there is a potential loss. We recognise that brand reputation is at risk for all parties and by having a team of market leaders available and working together we can focus on what needs to be done in any case." Jonathan added, "the global reach recognises that product liability claims are a global issue and we can provide both an in-territory response and a truly international response where claims cross national borders. Key to what we do is sharing knowledge in the group and making sure our clients have someone to speak to when a claim occurs." Click here to view our Global Product Liability or contact Jonathan Clark, jclark@product-cl.com. The Global Marine Practice Group was launched, in October, at the International Union of Marine Insurance conference in Zurich, followed in November, by a team meeting and client reception in London. Commenting at the International Union of Marine Insurance conference, Ton Schox, Global Marine Practice Leader said, "as Gold Sponsors of this event, for the fourth consecutive year, IUMI was the perfect place to launch our Global Marine Practice Group. Our experienced marine surveyors based in multiple locations within the Cunningham Lindsey network, are there to provide our clients with market leading services on a truly consistent, global basis." Royston Ford, member of Global Marine Practice Group added, "this was a very successful conference for us. We have been providing independent, expert client-focused service to the
marine industry for over 50 years and it was a great opportunity for us to renew some old friendships and to make some new ones." The marine insurance market is unique because a loss could happen in any location, regardless of where it has been insured or where the insured party is located. Because of this, the transportation and storage of goods is subject to complicated international and national legislation, it is therefore essential that our clients have access to a marine loss adjusting network all over the world. The size of our marine team allows us to cover all aspects of marine insurance including: • Cargo • Catastrophe response • Claims management • Claims recovery • Expert witness • Hull machinery • Liability (inland carriers liability, port and terminals and warehouse keepers) • Land based equipment • Nautical surveys (pre-loading and discharge supervision) • Recoveries • Risk management • Salvage sales • Specialist investigation Prior to the marine event, held in London (attended by over 100 people active in the marine market including brokers, underwriters, lawyers etc.) the team leaders from over 16 countries discussed a range of topics including using a intranet tool to aid collaboration, global service, quality and training. It was also agreed that a training session would be held in the United States, Vale, Arlington the first week of December. (This is to train six employees strategically located at the West side of the United States, this follows an earlier training session of five employees located at the East side.) To find out more about the Global Marine Practice Group please click here to view the brochure or contact Ton Schox, tschox@marine-cl.com. Rebecca Crawford London office United Kingdom
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Group news Tackling fraud in travel claims
To watch or not to watch?
At a recent meeting, the major insurers involved in the travel market, the Insurance Fraud Bureau and travel claims handling firms; agreed to further investigate the establishment of a claims and underwriting exchange travel database. At the meeting, there was an agreement that a database of all industry travel claims would enable fraud to be tackled more effectively and that it should follow the same principles as the other claims and underwriting exchange databases. The insurers have requested that Insurance Database Services Limited, project manage the work and a steering group consisting of insurers, the Insurance Fraud Bureau, third party claims administrators’ including Claims International, and Insurance Database Services Limited has been established. The first task is to issue a tender seeking costing proposals from potential technology suppliers. Assuming a satisfactory technical and commercial deal can be reached with a supplier, it is anticipated the new database could be established during 2011. Philip Nunn, acting Chief Executive Officer of Insurance Database Services Limited, said, “the claims and underwriting exchange approach to fraud detection has proven very successful both in detecting individual cases of claims dishonesty and via the Insurance Fraud Bureau, in identifying collaborative activity. Assuming the costs of running such a database are acceptable to the industry, it will be a useful tool both in its own right and when used in conjunction with the other three claims and underwriting exchange offerings covering motor, household and personal injury. Claims fraud is not a victimless crime. Innocent policyholders pay higher premiums because of the actions of a small minority and Insurance Database Services Limited was established to address this unfairness”. Lynda Calloway will be representing Claims International on the steering group, if you require further information you can contact Lynda at lynda. calloway@cl-uk.com
The case of a council who spent many hours of surveillance to try and prove that a family lived outside a school catchment area sent ripples of unease throughout the surveillance industry. The council were acting under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and whilst this only applies to insurance investigation when we’re working for a local authority or the police, we nevertheless work within its guidelines. We’re just as concerned to protect the rights of the subject and the reputation of our clients as we are to secure evidence of fraud. In fact we always ask ourselves a few simple questions before we accept any surveillance instruction. • Is the surveillance necessary and proportional? • Can we justify interfering with a person’s right to privacy? • Is there a less intrusive way of achieving the same result? • Are we working in an area open to the public and with no intentional intrusion into private areas? If the job doesn’t fit these criteria then we won’t accept the instruction. That might seem a trifle high handed, but this is a sensitive area in which to work and words like ‘fairness’ and ‘reputation’, not to mention ‘cost-effective’, are paramount. We recently conducted a surveillance operation on a man who we suspected to be working despite claiming substantial benefits under a creditor insurance policy. Following him discretely to a factory on an industrial estate we gathered several hours of video footage showing him sweeping up, carrying heavy items and generally labouring unsupervised in the factory yard. When challenged with the evidence he claimed he was merely on a work trial and made a complaint that our video footage was obtained by trespassing and filming into private areas. This despite the fact that our van was parked in a public area next to a snack bar and the only footage of the inside of the factory was because the factory door was wide open. Both we and our clients were satisfied that our surveillance was entirely within the essential criteria and his insurance payments were stopped. Balancing the right to privacy against the duty to stop people making fraudulent claims can be a tricky decision, but we are confident that our formula works to the benefit of everyone but the fraudster. For further information on how our team can help you, please contact Phil Lowe on +44 7880 780 447.
Lynda Calloway Cardiff office United Kingdom
Mike Lister Manchester office United Kingdom
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Group news Keeping America beautiful Cunningham Lindsey’s Environmental/ Pollution Claims are helping to keep beautiful places beautiful, throughout the United States. "Over the past year we have seen a dramatic increase in environmental losses resulting from accidents involving transport tankers," said Director, Environmental Claims Services, Mark Luehrs. "Our client base that insures such tanker companies has increased significantly." The tankers are often carrying over 8,000 gallons of fuel or chemicals. When a spill occurs there can be significant environmental damage. Contamination to soil, waterways, ground water and storm sewers usually ensue, not to mention the property damage and injury that can result - especially when the entire load ignites! The remediation activities often result in claim files being open for months, and in some cases years. Pictured right, Environmental/Pollution Claims and
Cruising the Cunningham Lindsey career highway Chris Lassiter is a great example of how interesting and rewarding a career in claims adjusting can be, particularly when you can benefit from the opportunities that Cunningham Lindsey has to offer. Chris started part time in 1994 and he is now a senior adjuster in Houston, Texas. He has enjoyed a great global experience along the way. Chris worked in the print shop of Lindsey Morden in Tyler, Texas during his college years. He was studying to be a high school history teacher and planned to coach football and baseball. At the time, the print shop was a very busy place. It produced all of our business cards, forms and other printed materials in-house, and processed the company mail. Chris remembers his supervisor, Lynn Towery, as having a major influence on his life; teaching him the job but also a lot about life in general. On the day he graduated in 1998, Chris was asked to stay on and he accepted an adjuster trainee position in the Tyler Claims Branch. Chris never looked back. He was well trained in property, casualty and workers compensation at Vale and became a licensed adjuster. In 2000, a job posting came out for an adjuster to join Cunningham Lindsey International in the US Virgins Islands. Chris landed the job and he and his wife, Milissa, packed up and headed to St. Thomas. Chris was a one man show on the island and
Services responded to a multi vehicle truck accident in beautiful Utah. Spilled fuel was running through storm drains and out into a nearby stream. Absorbent booms were placed on the waterway to help trap the petroleum product on the water's surface, to minimize any environmental impact and facilitate the clean up. Mark M. Luehrs Dallas office United States
worked under the direction of Martin Wright who was in Puerto Rico. Chris credits Martin with teaching him how to make the transition to Cunningham Lindsey International, and what is takes to properly handle claims for the Lloyd's market. Chris also benefited from several opportunities to travel to London to further develop his knowledge and skills regarding Lloyd's and its subsidiaries. During their three year stay, Chris and his wife never experienced a hurricane in St. Thomas, but Chris did spend a considerable amount of time responding to hurricane damage on neighboring islands, including long periods in the Bahamas and Belize. Life on the island offered a warm and relaxed lifestyle and endless scuba for these two avid divers, but eventually they longed to return to Texas. Chris was able to transfer back when an opening arose in the Victoria branch, and he immediately struck up a great friendship with his new manager, Randy Ordner. When Randy transferred to Houston in 2004, Chris followed suit. Chris and Milissa are eager to revisit St. Thomas, but in the meantime they have taken some great diving vacations to exotic destinations including Greece, Japan and the Caribbean. What's next? Chris can't say for sure, but he is always open to taking a new road along the Cunningham Lindsey career path. Lori Chaput Hamilton office Canada
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Group news
Growing by degrees What does the average specialist adjusting network adjuster have in common with Richard Gere, Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep? Well apart from their striking good looks they are aged over 50 and therein lies the challenge, ‘how to plan for the future’? Out of this challenge was born the specialist adjusting network graduate programme with the ambitious aim of taking graduates through to ACILA status in just five years! Unsurprisingly there was considerable interest with over 200 applicants putting themselves forward from within and outside the business. After an intensive selection process the successful candidates gathered in Birmingham (last September) for a three day induction where they met a number of the senior management team as well as trainers and other staff. Thereafter, the programme has seen the group meet on a monthly basis for two day classroom sessions which have covered topics from principles, practice, and building construction through to fire, wet perils and business interruption as well as presentation and negotiation skills. It is not just about passive learning though. After each session, the graduates have assignments to complete before the next meeting, with some assignments relating directly to the operational aspects of their role such as calculating the value at risk of their office or writing a ‘description of premises’ of the building. These are designed to test the initiative of the
graduates to seek out the information they need and decide how it is to be presented. The programme has also included talks from external speakers covering forensic investigation of the cause of fire losses and restoration of machinery and other contents. Achieving professional qualifications is a crucial part of the programme and exam support has been included in the form of workshops and surgeries. So where are we now? All the graduates were qualified CertCII by the end of 2009 and they are making excellent progress with the DipCII. Some have already obtained the qualification, which is a fantastic achievement and the others are almost there. They are now contributing to their teams, not only by playing an active role on losses, but also they have helped with client work and acted as ambassadors for the company at university fairs, which is all very encouraging. Year two started this autumn and will see a further round of technical and soft skill training combined with exam support. At the same time a new crop of graduates joined at the beginning of September so watch this space! If you would like further information on the specialist adjusting network graduate programme please contact LAS Training, through either Paul Davidson, on +44 7880 780711 or Colin Atkins on +44 7880 780375, or by emailing LASTraining@cl-uk.com Paul Davidson Newcastle office United Kingdom
Specialist adjusting network graduates
Annahita Mansourpour London office
Anjulee Parmer Leeds office
Paul Meyes Birmingham office
Imran Ramzan Birmingham office
John Newnes Bristol office
Emma Green Birmingham office
Philip Speers London office
Thomas Wood Leeds office
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Group news Subsidence - its causes and Andrew Jeremy travels the modern approach across the pond Early this year Cunningham Lindsey in the United Kingdom published a paper on subsidence – its causes and the modern approach to dealing with it, including faster diagnosis and the environmental approach to dealing with trees, including new local authority protocols. Insurance cover for subsidence was first introduced in 1971, mainly at the request of the building societies. Initially new claim numbers were low by today’s standards, about 8,000 claims a year until the early 80s. Since then there has been a much increased public awareness of subsidence and this is largely due to increased media attention. This has coincided with reduced tolerance by the public to cracks in their homes. As a consequence, the industry now receives approximately 40,000 claims a year. 55% or so turn out to be unrelated to subsidence with the cause of cracking being due to thermal movement or to a variety of uninsured building defects. Subsidence can be defined as, “the downwards movement of a building’s foundation caused by loss of support of the site beneath the foundation.” So some influence has to be acting on the soil to result in a loss of support. Two common influences are: Escape of water from drains causing softening of the soil and tree root related clay shrinkage. The latter being the main cause, especially in times of drought conditions. This type of subsidence accounts for approximately 40% of valid claims. Or to put it another way, 7,000 claims per annum. Clay shrinkage occurs when roots from trees, or large shrubs, literally pump water out of the clay soil causing a volume reduction of the clay and downwards movement. Tree roots can extend up to 5 metres depth below the ground surface and if the property is sat on top of that shrinking clay, then subsidence can occur. The handling of subsidence claims in the 70s and 80s started from quite a low technical base: Loss adjusters had little knowledge of the causes, ground investigation techniques or the mitigation and repair options open to them. This resulted in a lot of expensive and environmentally unfriendly underpinning as part of the repair solution. Today it is usual for an adjuster to operate a project managed approach to a subsidence claim: the adjuster holds both insurance and building qualifications and not only assesses the insurance aspects but also undertakes the technical aspects of the claim. To read the full article please contact Andy Naylor. Andy Naylor Leeds office United Kingdom
Cunningham Lindsey in Canada welcomed the United Kingdom’s Learning and Development Manager, Andrew Jeremy at the Head Office in Mississauga, Ontario from October 18-20. Andrew has been assisting his Canadian colleagues to develop and implement their own version of Evolve, the online learning tool. Andrew sparked interest in the program with his presentation to Canadian senior executives last February, and Senior Vice President/ Executive Director, Gary Dalton, got the ball rolling. Over the last eight months Andrew has played a vital role helping Canada's Quality and Education and Human Resources departments to write content, organize user lists, develop modules and get up and running with a learning management system. In January 2011, Canadian employees will be able to benefit from their first Evolve course titled, 'New Employee Orientation'. The five modules in the course are designed to give new recruits an introduction to our people, policies, corporate culture, best practices, IT systems and in-house claims management software LINK. During his visit Andrew was able to provide valuable feedback to maximize the impact and efficiency of the Evolve learning experience; his feedback will ensure a smooth launch in the new year. Andrew was able to demonstrate the growth and value that online training has had in the United Kingdom and the many possibilities it holds for Canada. The Canadian Evolve Team would like to thank Andrew for sharing his knowledge and expertise and for devoting his time to this project. Lori Chaput Hamilton office Canada
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Group news The rise and rise of Sergon Building Consultants Sergon Building Consultants in Australia is a division of Cunningham Lindsey Australia. Sergon provides specialised reports for the insurance industry to assist in claim determination, auditing of insurance repair work, inspection services for government agencies and also in the home owner warranty insurance market in Australia. Sergon have grown from one employee in 2001 to over 70 highly dedicated and motivated professionals in 2010. Sergon’s success has been driven from a vision to provide a building consultancy service that provided a truly nationwide coverage.
So near and yet so far Predicting subsidence numbers in the United Kingdom is notoriously difficult. There are lots of factors which affect volumes although the key two are; temperature and rainfall. Surge years occur when there are high summer temperatures, coupled with little rain to provide moisture for the trees and other vegetation in the clay areas of the country. In such conditions the vegetation has no choice but to extract ever increasing volumes of water from ever deeper in the soils. Once the clay under the foundations of homes dries out and shrinks, subsidence can occur. The spring and early summer started off promisingly with a very dry period extending from April through to the end of July. At that time there was much talk in the industry that this was going to be another surge year, similar to 2003 with high claim numbers stretching adjusters' resources. In the final analysis this has not proven to be the case. At the start of the year we challenged Positive Weather Solutions, independent weather forecasters, to attempt to predict rainfall and average temperature, several months in advance, for the two regions of East Anglia and the South East of England, given that these are predominantly clay areas and so are the first to suffer high claim numbers during dry periods. Such long term prediction is notoriously difficult, if not impossible to do - so much so even the Met Office have stopped trying. Nevertheless Positive Weather Solutions undertook to give it a try with their initial forecast predicting 149mm of rainfall in the South East over the period from April to July. This turned out to be within
Initially the small Sergon team spent much of their lives on planes travelling the vast distances that Australia offers to service our customer’s needs. Today our team, although larger, still travels extensively to meet our client’s requests. Whether the damaged property is in a remote Aboriginal settlement in the Gulf of Carpentaria, a resort island on the Great Barrier Reef, in Kalgoorlie in the Australian Outback or even just one of our capital cities, Sergon has been there! Sergon provide their customers with tailored programs that suit their specific requirements and work closely with Cunningham Lindsey adjusters to provide them with the assistance that they need to finalise their customer’s insurance claim efficiently and professionally. Peter Davis Greenwich office Australia 13% of the actual rainfall experienced, which has to be a good effort for such long distance prediction. However, all was lost when two very aggressive Atlantic weather systems swept in from the Southwest during late August, yielding near on double the average rainfall for the month. Positive Weather Solutions have concluded that the root cause was strange behaviour in the jet stream, creating a very unusual 'blockage' phenomenon. This not only blew Positive Weather Solutions' August rainfall prediction out of the water but also effectively put paid to any prospect of a surge year. Like most of us, trees like an easy life and it is much easier to extract recent rainfall from nearer the surface rather than push their roots deep in search of moisture. 2010 will be viewed by insurers as a “narrow escape” in surge terms. Low rainfall coupled with relatively high average mean temperatures were both in place as of the end of July and it was only the high rainfall and cooler temperatures in August which prevented high claim numbers. As a result the increase in new claims experienced in July has levelled off, but still remains approximately 80% above the June number of claims. The great news for clients is that we can handle this increase within normal service standards. We have also been able to test our surge preparation using cross product assistance during August and September. This worked well overall and a big thank you goes out to the teams and individuals who provided the assistance. We have identified some initiatives to improve for 2011 - as one thing is for sure, at some point in the future we will need these plans in earnest! Andy Naylor Leeds office United Kingdom
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Group news New generation claims group European regional meeting One of our trainee adjusters, Paul Mayes, has been invited to join a group of forward thinking young professionals. The Chartered Insurance Institute has brought together the group to consider and develop new and Above: Back Row: Left to Right: Paul innovative ways to Mayes, Tony Emms, Clive Nathan; Middle improve the claims Row: Left to Right: Jonah Lee, Robin process. Stagg, Gillian Donegan , Tim Andrews; The group, called Front Row: Left to Right: Clare Ditum and Gary Lobb the New Generation Claims Group, comprises eight talented insurance practitioners who have been nominated by senior management within the profession. The group will investigate how social media can be used to improve customer communications during a claims surge. The group will present a report to the Charted Insurance Institute claims faculty board in March 2011 and look to implement successful techniques within their own companies. Robin Stagg, Corporate Partner Claims Team Leader at Allianz Insurance, nominated by the group to act as leader said, “the sector has an existing surge event process for large disasters such as the Buncefield explosion or the Cockermouth floods. The Insurance Independent Emergency Response Committee, working with the Association of British Insurers and the Home Office, has an incredibly effective process to ensure insurance companies are collaborating on the ground. We feel new media could provide a highly effective way to share practical and useful information with policyholders quickly and efficiently. We will build on the existing new media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, to create a dedicated framework for each event, within which member organisations are able to share information with large numbers of customers.” New Generation Claims Group members are: • Tim Andrews, Aviva United Kingdom • Clare Ditum, AXA Insurance • Paul Handy, Crawford & Company • Neil Higgins, QBE Insurance (Europe) • Jonah Lee, Zurich Insurance • Gary Lobb, Fortis Insurance • Paul Mayes, Cunningham Lindsey • Robin Stagg, Allianz Insurance The group expects to report back on project findings in early 2011. Paul Mayes Birmingham office United Kingdom
The European regional meeting was held in Madrid on 6 - 8 October with a very tight schedule, as usual at such meetings, headed by Chris Panes, Chief Executive Officer, and Robert Dalton, Regional Director of Europe. They were accompanied at the meeting by Ben Price, Executive Director, and the Country Managers of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Itlay, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Spain. On 6 October we had dinner at a cool restaurant and after a few glasses of good Spanish wine and the odd gin and tonic, we were all good friends by the end of the evening! The next day the workshop began at 8:30 in the morning, with discussions on budgeting, future developments, special practice groups and strategic planning. We also heard from Fernando Suarez de Tangil, managing director for Cunningham Lindsey Iberia in Spain and Ulrich Mann, managing director for Cunningham Lindsey Zorn in Germany, whose companies were recently acquired by the Group. I should also mention that the Risk Manager of Repsol came to share his view of what they need from an expert point of view for their international programmes, which was very interesting and enlightening. Finally we all ended up at the Madrid Casino, where a cocktail party was held to present the group’s new company in Spain, Cunningham Lindsey Iberia, with over 300 guests representing leading insurers, underwriters, brokers, law firms and insured. Raquel Gala Madrid office Spain
Above: Left to Right: John Galanis, Greece; Paul Frösegård, Sweden; Andrey Bogachov, Russia; Zoltán Oláh, Slovakia; Ben Price, United Kingdom; Markus Montigny, Germany; Robert Dalton, United Kingdom; Ulrich Mann, Germany; Giuliana D'Amore, Italy; Chris Panes, United Kingdom; Fernando Tangil, Spain; Martin Valk, Germany; Pawel Kaminski, Poland; Zoltán Márkus, Hungary; Bob Vermeiren, Belgium and Allessandro Lercari, Italy.
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Group news CRIMS conference 2010 Over 200 delegates visited the Environmental Solutions Remediation Services (ESRS) booth at the Risk and Insurance Management Society conference in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. Delegates were invited to complete a quiz and earn some custom flavoured ESRS extra virgin olive oil. "We made some great new contacts that will add to our growing business and client base," said Mike Laberge. Andrew Rayner Toronto office Canada
Above: Left to Right: Vice President Operations, Mark Samis, Calgary Manager, Diane Wunder, Director Sales and Marketing, Andrew Rayner and Vice President Business Development, Mike Laberge
Claims conference 2010
Major Loss Review launch
The 2010 Post Magazine Motor Claims Conference was well attended by the great and the good of the claims industry. With a full agenda and number of key note speakers the spotlight was firmly focused on the key issues affecting the industry. As you might expect there was considerable interest surrounding the future regulatory and legal landscape. Paul Hopkin, Technical Director of Association of Insurance and Risk Managers provided a review of what we can expect in the coming months from the Jackson Report and break up of the Financial Services Authority. Only time will tell how these key issues will truly affect insurers. A journalist’s view of how the industry had responded in the wake of the volcanic ash cloud was provided by, Merryn Myatt, from Perris-Myatt. The reputation of the insurance industry was debated in a lively exchange, before an analysis as to how we should prepare for such incidents in the future. As always claims farming was high on the agenda and still a major concern for insurers. A hot topic was the referral of claims by insurers and accident management companies in exchange for referral income. It was clear that insurers will continue to face the challenge of gaining control of professional indemnity and credit hire claims, until they are able to take control of the non fault market. The key message from all participants was that as an industry we have challenges to overcome, but through expertise and innovation we have capability of meeting these.
To launch the publication of our Major Loss Review 2010, we held an exclusive event in the City of London. The day of the launch arrived amid much excitement and a great deal of rain, but the event was well attended by clients from all sectors of the market. Roy Shevlin, Head of Specialist Adjusting Network, welcomed our guests to the launch and emphasised our commitment to investing in and improving our major loss offering. Following the publication of the Major Loss Review, our clients have responded positively and we have received numerous requests for further copies of the publication. Some of the comments have included: “I just wanted to thank you for the major loss review" “I really do enjoy reading this each year" “I have received the 2010 Review and this year’s edition looks very interesting" "We look forward to receiving the Review each year” We have also received requests for specific articles that our clients can pass onto their colleagues who are involved in the types of losses we have covered in the Major Loss Review. The feedback received from our clients is very encouraging and supports our commitment to this annual flagship publication. You can view this year’s edition of the Major Loss Review on the website and if you would like to order some copies, please contact me. Mags Oakley London office United Kingdom
Jonathan Pritchard Glasgow office United Kingdom
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Group news FOCUS on the customer The Customer Service Strategy Team in the United States recently launched 'FOCUS on the Customer', a new initiative to remind everyone that our customers are the reason we are here and how we can focus better on meeting their every need. Over the past few months the Customer Service Strategy Team has encouraged employees to take a look at the great job they are doing by sharing department profiles and submitting 'WOW' stories about how their work has impressed customers and clients. Being confident about our own skills and expertise is a big step towards providing outstanding service to the customer. We now want to raise the bar and provide added value as we continue to differentiate our service delivery to our clients and customers. November 1-5 2010 was declared, 'FOCUS on the Customer Week', and employees were encouraged to participate in a number of events designed to promote interaction and learning. Vale Training Solutions provided a customer service webinar, which was the first of our quarterly training programs designed to bring awareness and focus on various touch points that add value to the entire claim
Staff survey 2010 Our latest staff survey was launched in September 2010 and over the three weeks it was open, it attracted a total of 1,460 responses, which represents a 74.7% response rate. As in previous years, our survey was delivered and managed by an external provider, Digital Opinion. Using a specialist company such as this, allows us not only to offer our staff complete confidentiality, but also provides us with the latest statistical analysis techniques to identify key issues and an objective view of the results and recommendations for future improvements In their report, Digital Opinion concluded that: "There are a number of important positives to come out of the survey. People are very positive about the company values, their line managers and how their immediate teams work. "Nearly 88% of people said that their manager, values their contribution and over 86% felt they support their development. There has been a big increase in the number of staff who feel that our performance review meetings have helped them to understand what they need to do.
process and increasing overall customer satisfaction. In addition there were various online contests to promote discussion about how we can learn from previous good and bad customer service experiences. We know we have superstars at Cunningham Lindsey who excel at their job and wow our customers each and every day. Our employees play a crucial role in what can be a very challenging environment, but most importantly, we need to make sure the customer is always number one. We aim to highlight the importance of setting ourselves apart from our competition by providing the best customer service and exceeding our clients and customers expectations. Rick Hayne Orlando office United States
Of course, it is good to know what we do well, but the main objective of the survey is find out what the current issues are and how we can improve working life for everyone. We are pleased to say that this survey has given us a clearer idea of where we need to concentrate our efforts over the coming months. Penny Cox Reading office United Kingdom
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Group news National customer service week It was National Customer Service Week from 4-10 October and for the third year running, Project Management Services took the opportunity to push, promote and celebrate customer service. The week brings a great opportunity to bring an element of fun to some serious business objectives. The week encompassed a range of initiatives from enhancing the current, ‘Superstars Award’, where staff are rewarded and celebrated for ‘wowing’ the customer; a competition to define service values within project management services and a range of fantastic local initiatives all with the aim of improving our customer service. North Region Nigel Barnes, subsidence service team project manager, recently visited a policyholder and when entering the cellar for his inspection, came upon the largest spiders to be found in a house, also in the same cellar was a newt! Instead of running and screaming, Nigel, being the gent he is, removed these creatures on behalf of the policyholder. South Region Customer Support Manager, Maureen Bettey, was delighted to award, Penny Langley with a Superstar Award for delivering exceptional customer service. The South region launched its new target initiative where staff can track their targets using a visual display in the office. East Region The East region chose to concentrate on actioning scope checking and policyholder updates. They set themselves a target of contacting 300 policyholders during the week and exceeded it by 45! The project managers also reached their target in scope checking all schedules within service level agreements ensuring policyholders get a quick turn around on their repairs. West Region The West region's primary aim was to achieve 100% for policyholders six weekly contact. After a lot of effort and teamwork, by the end of the national customer service week this was fully achieved! Left: Left to Right: Penny Langley after receiving her Superstar Award with Customer Support Manager, Maureen Bettey
Right: Building Guarantee team's exercise to understand more about themselves
As a result they can be sure every policyholder has up-to-date information on their claim, giving them a great start going into the final quarter of the year and also that every claim had been recently reviewed which can only help their year end targets. Chelmsford During customer service week staff were asked to think about internal customers and in particular speed of response. Rewards were available to staff who received the most ‘thanks’ during the week. Kammy Porter was the winner of the reward receiving several messages of thanks from internal customers for, ‘prompt and diligent work’. Cardiff The team in Cardiff chose a great exercise to map out the Salvation Army reactive repair process. They were able to establish where they could make improvements in the process in order to improve the levels of customer service provided. Wolverhampton The repair support team have also been focussing on internal customers. Susanne Gillen and Marion Webb have been promoting an initiative within their team on improving customer service for internal clients. Each team member has been putting forward ideas on what sort of service they are committed to delivering in order to create a service promise for the team. Building Guarantee Building Guarantee did an exercise to understand more about themselves. “The team selected a name from a hat and then in pairs they had to describe that person and the rest of the team had to guess who it was. It was fun for all but most of all each individual got to see how they are perceived by others. By the end of the task we all felt good about ourselves.” Giles Carter Leeds office United Kingdom
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Group news United States Pinnacle of Excellence Awards Left: Hanadi Hendi (left) and Sherrill Leppich are congratulated by President and Chief Executive Officer, David Repinski
20 years of service Engineer Mehboobali Nassur joined Toplis and Harding, Muscat in May 1990 under the tutelage of Richard Dixon, the Muscat Manager. Nassur developed marine, plant and equipment aspects of the business and quickly attained a market following in these areas. Two decades later, with Toplis purchased by Cunningham Lindsey, Nassur is still with us and he has seen a cycle of four managers in that period. Nassur is a well known and popular member of the Muscat insurance community and possibly might just have another 20 years loss adjusting left in him.
Every year, Cunningham Lindsey in the United States honors two outstanding employees with the Pinnacle of Excellence Award. The prestigious award is limited to those select few who have made outstanding contributions to the company by being top performers, displaying excellent quality in all aspects of their work and achieving above and beyond expected performance. Recipients are nominated and selected by their colleagues in two categories - management and non-management. The 2010 winners were Administrative Assistant, Sherrill Leppich and Assistant Vice President, Hanadi Hendi. Sherrill and Hanadi were presented their awards on September 21, 2010 during a dinner meeting in Dallas, Texas. The United States Leadership Team was in attendance. Sherrill Leppich was awarded the Pinnacle of Excellence for the non-management category. Sherrill provides support for offices in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Oregon. She has always demonstrated a high quality of work and is well respected by her coworkers as well as external customers. Sherrill and her husband, Tom, were flown down to Dallas, Texas for the awards ceremony. A highlight of her trip was the opportunity to tour Home Office and meet many of the fellow employees she has talked to, or emailed, over the years. Hanadi Hendi was awarded the Pinnacle of Excellence for the management category. Hanadi is the Assistant Vice President of Information Technology and is well-known for her kind and cheerful disposition and her tireless efforts supporting people all over North America. Hanadi is clearly a top performer and this recognition is well-deserved.
Above: Mehboobali Nassur (far right) celebrates 20 years of service with his Muscat team and Richard Dixion, office manager (third from left)
Paul Hacker Schaumburg office United States
Randy Gray Dallas office United States
Richard Dixon Muscat office Oman
Claims Professional of the Year 2010 Shreveport, Louisiana, casualty adjuster, Debra McBride, was presented with the 2010 Claims Professional of the Year by the National Association of Insurance Women State Council of Louisiana. This is a huge honor for Debra and proves that she is truly an outstanding claims professional.
Right: Debra McBride after receiving her award
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Group news 2011 calendar out now The 2011 Cunningham Lindsey calendar has now been distributed to clients and staff all around the world to be placed on their desks for the next 12 months. Our theme this year emphasises our desire for finding solutions to real problems. The calendar shows by using more distinct and imaginative forms of transportation, how humanity has solved the problems of transportation around the world. The twelve bright visuals emphasise creativity, partnership and local culture reflecting one of our key business differentiators in that although we are a global company our strength lies in our understanding of local customs and cultures but accepting that the need for professional loss adjusting services remains consistent. As previously with our calendars, each month you are presented with a question and the answers will be available on our website cunninghamlindsey.com. We do hope that you and your clients enjoy our calendars and as always, we would welcome back any feedback you may have. Rebecca Crawford London office United Kingdom
Tribute to Denis Duchesne Denis Duchesne spent ten years on the board of the Quebec Independent Adjusters Association (AESIQ). He was a member of the board of directors for five terms and was a director for many years. Denis was also president of the Association and was re-elected unanimously for a second term. In the course of his terms Denis had to deal with sensitive issues and worked in close collaboration with our industry's decision-makers. In addition to his work with the AESIQ, Denis participated on several subcommittees, which paved the way to various orientations including the updating of the continuing education units, which had an impact on all certified adjusters in the province of Quebec. Denis currently acts as ex officio president and as such, advises and assists the current president. Denis
never counted the hours he volunteered and never slowed down his day-to-day performance at Cunningham Lindsey. His presence at the AESIQ board of directors ended in October 2010. Cunningham Lindsey QuĂŠbec team members wish to commend his leadership and thank him for his dedication to his colleagues and the field of independent adjusting.
Above: Denis Duchesne
Jean-Marc Laurin Montreal office Canada
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People news We played in the World Cup Cunningham Lindsey’s Hong Kong office was invited by HSBC Insurance to participate in a 5-a-side World Cup Tournament, featuring all the big names of the Hong Kong insurance industry. Player-coach, Peter Tang, led our squad of eleven in a tough group featuring Adjusting Services, much fancied HSBC Insurance and Swiss Re. The campaign started badly against Adjusting Services, with a tepid showing against a side reportedly playing a few ‘ringers’ (and eventually fetched the Championship). The loss of an early goal meant that we were chasing the game, and a second goal was conceded as we tired. Some tinkering with team selection saw us settle on our best line up and tactical subs for the second game against HSBC Insurance. Once again however, we started badly with a sharp early goal from a corner, but new keeper Henderson, rock solid stopper Wilson, talisman playmaker, MF Chan, and veteran anchorman, Peter, were soon snuffing out HSBC, whilst our youthful attackers featuring (at varying times), Jason, Mic, Daniel and Sunny had started threatening the HSBC goal. A deserved equalizer in the second half from Jason and several near misses around the HSBC goal, meant we finished the game with a draw. Confidence in team Cunningham Lindsey was rising! Next up was Swiss Re, a strong side, but who had lost narrowly to HSBC and drawn with Adjusting Services. Cunningham Lindsey needed at least a two goal margin win and a winner in the other game between HSBC and Adjusting Services to progress to the finals.
5-a-side champs The East Region entered the Mid-Kent Chartered Insurance Institute 5-a-side football tournament with a history of poor performances; this year's preparations were hampered by the heavy burden of a tradition for underachievement and the late loss of squad members. All the other teams looked professional compared to us - whilst they had tactics and matching shirts, we had bibs and knew who was going in goal. After an opening 3-0 win against Carmichaels, we knew we would not finish last. A solid 1-0 win followed and our confidence grew. As underdogs, we defeated Bluefin 1-0 to leapfrog them to top the group. As word spread about our winning streak, our fan base grew and we prepared for our toughest encounter yet - the semi final. After conceding our first goal of the tournament, we showed our bounce back ability by
With confidence rising, Wilson was letting no-one through and MF was calmly controlling the midfield. An opener from Jason, following a pass from right wing raiding goalkeeper Henderson, was followed with another first half goal from Wilson. We were looking good and whilst there was no score in the other match, our hopes were high. A third goal in the second period from Daniel gave us a three nil convincing win over a shell shocked Swiss Re side, but the other match in the group, which was delayed with an injury was played out with a tense draw, HSBC peppering the Adjusting Services goal with efforts, but failing to score. So that match ended in draw and major disappointment for Cunningham Lindsey as we were third in the group and out. A super evening’s football and the first event for the merged Hong Kong operations and a great team success. Russell Henderson Hong Kong office Hong Kong
Above: Cunningham Lindsey team line up (Front) Russell Henderson, Tim Tsoi, Wilson Ho, Sunny Lui, Abel Tang, Daniel Chan (Back) Mic Lau, Jason Kwok, Peter Tang, Jeff Lai and MF Chan.
powering to a 3-1 win and secured a place in the final. An epic game of cup football ensued with the balance of play shifting like a tug-of-war. As we prepared to face the penalty shootout lottery to separate us from our opponent, disaster struck - a last minute Bluefin winner. Despite suffering heartbreak, Cunningham Lindsey proudly stepped up to receive the first piece of office silverware and returned to work the next day as heroes. At least that's how I remember it. James Neville Maidstone office United Kingdom Right: Left to right: James Neville, Mathew Hastie, Dan Overing, Glynn Lucas, David Bailey
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Charity news
Locks of love When a late night TV commercial for 'Locks of Love' packed a powerful punch to Jennifer Wilson's heart, she decided it was the right time to take the scissors to her waist length long hair. Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who are suffering from long-term medical conditions that cause hair loss. Children who have been diagnosed with cancer and other serious illnesses already face a huge battle, never mind losing their self-esteem because of their physical appearance. "That reality broke my heart", said Jenn. "If my meager donation could help a child through one of the most difficult times in their life, then that would be the greatest gift for me. I felt that I had plenty of hair to spare."
A true champion Anne Simmons who works at one of our Sydney offices also doubles as an IronMan Triathlete at the tender age of 61. After competing in the pinnacle of IronMan events in Hawaii in 2009 Anne had no major goals this year. However, she went to Canberra in January 2010 for the Olympic Distance Australian Championships and won her age group. She was automatically selected to represent the Australian team in Budapest this year. She achieved a personal best in Budapest and placed 9th overall – an absolutely amazing achievement! She is now back training for the IronMan! Anne trains up to 20 hours per week, on top of a full time job and 3 children – she sleeps very little! Congratulations Anne, we’re very proud of you. Loretta Murphy Fortitude Valley office Australia
Right: Anne Simmons proudly showing off her medal
Jenn logged on to locksoflove.org, read through the guidelines, made an appointment with her hairdresser and had ten inches of her hair cut off to be used to make a wig. Jennifer's actions will surely make someone a beautiful brunette and help to ease their pain. Three years ago Jennifer's mother passed away from brain cancer. During her chemotherapy she had lost all her beautiful hair, but a family member was able to secure a wig almost identical to her mother's hair so that she could be remembered just the way she was. "That one little wig made such a difference. It's amazing how hair does that," added Jennifer. Jennifer Wilson is the Administrative Assistant/Registrar at Vale Training Solutions in Arlington, Texas. Jon McCreath Atlanta office United States
Right: Jennifer Wilson after her charity haircut
Canadians raise $38,000 for breast cancer
Above: Left to right: Roch Pelletier, Gary Dalton, Elaine McCormick and Shelby Gray
Employees in Canada came out in full force to raise money for breast cancer. At the nationwide Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure event on October 3 2010, participants raised $19,059.00 which was matched dollar for dollar by Cunningham Lindsey! Quebec Commercial Risk Division Director, Roch Pelletier, was the national coordinator for Team Cunningham Lindsey. There were 77 participants on nine teams representing Cunningham Lindsey all across the country. The success the event achieved went way beyond expectations. Well done to all that took part. Roch Pelletier Montreal office Canada
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Charity news and people profile 55 mile fundraising challenge The sound of the alarm beeped at 5.15am signalling the beginning of what was going to be a tough challenge! The fundraising bike ride took place on a very rainy Sunday on Axe Edge moor, Stock-onTrent, in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis trust. As soon as we arrived small talk with other riders revealed that in fact Axe Edge was the toughest climb. I also heard that quite a few riders had already pulled out due to the weather. We started the ride at 7.30am and from the beginning we were pushed through the unrelenting rain out of the more urban areas and into the countryside. The cows looked on as if in pity for us. It didn’t take long before the combination of the relentless climb and the presistent rain began to draw on my deepest reserves of energy and determination. Every so often the road would level off or even dip slightly giving a brief respite as we pushed ever onwards and upwards but such breaks were few and short lived. I discovered that if I got behind someone that was going about the same speed as me (just above walking pace), and I concentrated on their rear wheel, I could just keep pedalling almost on auto-pilot. I have no doubt that this technique got me to the top but there was a drawback that you had to watch out for. Eventually, they would begin to wobble, just very slightly at first but it would gradually become more pronounced until finally they just fell over. I battled-on up Axe Edge, then I started to get cramp in my thighs and that really hurt. I was afraid that this would be it for me, but the worst went off and it just remained as a slight twinge. Five miles to go. Not many other cyclists around now and in this urban area I was afraid I would miss a turn, conveniently marked by large green arrows. I had relied on following other riders up to now. I did take one wrong turn but soon spotted my error and found the right track again. After five hours, 53.51 miles and £2,000 raised, I was back at the start. I had done it! A big thank you to all our sponsors – I am humbled by your support. Sponsorships are still being accepted, if anyone would like to donate please contact Nigel on +44 7880 780801 or email: nigel.barnes@cl-uk.com Nigel Barnes Leeds office United Kingdom
Right: All three cyclists arrived back safe and sound, all though slightly wet after 53.51 miles on the road
People profile Tony Halpin Adjuster Leopardstown Dublin office Ireland
Where did you grow up? Monaghan, Ireland. What was your childhood ambition? To play for Leeds United. How do you relax/what are your hobbies? I like to drive...that gives me time on my own to relax! What newspaper do you read? I tend not to buy or read newspapers... after all newspapers are yesterday’s news. Do you have a favourite quote? Lots, one of which is, “show me a man who has no enemies, and I will show you a man who has no character." That one makes me feel better about myself when I feel some are out to get me. Useful one for an adjuster! Who/what inspires you? My wife and children. What is your favourite film? Goodfellas. What is your favourite book? Roddy Doyle trilogy of, “The Commitments,” “The Van,” and “The Snapper,”...it is hilarious! What’s your favourite drink? A good pint of Guinness... hard to beat. Which football team do
you support? Leeds United...has given me a lifetime of misery. Do you have any pets? We have a cat called, “Ben”...kids love him...I think I’m allergic to him! Are you superstitious? Not at all...unless I walk under a ladder, it’s Friday 13th, a black cat crosses my path, a single magpie follows me around etc. If you could time travel, where would you go? I can remember a few nights in my teens that would be nice to revisit! What was your first job? Raspberry picking How long have you been with the company? 18 years. What do you like best about your job? Meeting people. Describe your typical working day. Desk, emails, emails, emails, emails, phone calls, emails, phone calls, emails, emails, emails, forms, forms, dictation and then out inspecting damage! What would you do tomorrow if you left adjusting? I guess I would try to get back into loss adjusting...I’m institutionalised at this stage!!
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Do the Group right news thing
Do the right thing To RBS Team (Cardiff office, United Kingdom) from insured: “I would like to thank all staff for their assistance during a time of much distress for us. Their empathy, patience and professionalism at all times was very assuring." To Adam Edwards (Cardiff office, United Kingdom) from insured: “‘Thank you very much for the safe and comfortable return to this country last Thursday, from hospital in Germany arranged under the policy. The splendid service my wife and I have received from everyone involved in all stages involved in our support and transportation have been beyond the normal calls of duty.” To Travel team (Cardiff office, United Kingdom) from insured: “I would very much like to take this opportunity to thank you for the excellent service that I received. I have never had to use travel insurance before however my uncertainties were immediately put to ease from the very first call to your call centre the staff and everyone that I dealt with were so caring and helpful.” To Jonathan Jenkinson and Stefanie Szafranski (Manchester office, United Kingdom) from insured: “They have both been very professional, courteous and extremely punctual in their responses and actions. Nothing has been any trouble. Both a credit to your organisation, you should be very proud to be associated with them.” To Caroline Prows (Exeter office, United Kingdom) from insured: “I would just like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and caring.” To Mike Moore (Birmingham office, United Kingdom) from insured: “We would like to express our appreciation. We know that this is probably hopefully a once in a life time experience. So thanks again for all your efforts.” To Maggie McCarthy (Burlington office, Canada) from insured: “Maggie, thanks again for all your help and kindness, we appreciate and value your professionalism and thoughtfulness throughout!”
To Yvon Mourant (Tracadie office, Canada) from insurer: “I am very pleased with your work regarding the claim. You did excellent work in finding out that aspect of the NB automobile insurance coverages. I'm most impressed and you have saved us a tidy sum.” To Rachelle Bassett (Calgary office, Canada) from insurer: “I want to commend you on your diligence in working with everyone. I am pleased with your interaction with us. You are a credit to your profession.” To Tim Williamson (Cranbrook office, Canada) from insured: “Thank you for being so helpful and patient in helping me deal with all of this. If it wasn't for you I probably would have lost my mind months ago.” To Rosemary Russell (Boston office, United States) from insurer: “I can't say enough good things about you. You are unbelievable! You are helpful, patient, organized and really have a handle on what I need even before I ask for it. You are a real peach! I wish they could clone you!” To Leon Duncan (Baton Rouge office, United States) from insurer: “Our insured was very appreciative of your service. You were able to make her feel comfortable and respected. Thank you for providing such excellent service.” To William deVuyst (Fort Lauderdale office, United States) from insured: “You did an amazing job! You were timely, followed directions, provided photos and the quality was excellent.” To Philip Andrus (Columbus office, United States) from insured: “Thank you for your quick, courteous response and prompt evaluation of the damage to our property. This is a service we have come to expect and admire from both our insurance company and Cunningham Lindsey.” To Glen Davis (Frenso office, United States) from insurer: “Thank you for your very thorough report of your site investigation and damage documentation. I appreciate your professionalism and excellent work on this claim and hope to use you again in the future.”
To Roch Mulligan (Gatineau office, Canada) from insured: “I wanted to let you know that I was completely satisfied with your services. You were always courteous, quick and very professional. You helped us get through this stressful situation. Thank you.”
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In the press
In the press Insurance Age - 1 October 2010 Commercial Express joins Cunningham Lindsey Commercial Express has joined with Cunningham Lindsey to launch a new claims handling platform. Duncan Pritchard, managing director of Commercial Express, said: “Cunningham Lindsey is the largest claims management and loss adjusting business in the UK. After careful research, Commercial Express chose this new platform as it will mean a dramatic improvement in claim handling efficiencies. News of the appointment has been received very positively throughout our netwok of brokers. This new facility will enable brokers to quickly access and track their cleint’s claims without the need to refer.” Post Magazine - 7 October 2010 The loss leaders The top-performing large firm in the table was Cunningham Lindsey which was ranked sixth with 72%. Of the 110 respondents, 98 had used Cunningham Lindsey in the previous year. Their comments totalled 77:23 positive, plus 17 mixed. For low-value work, staff could be light-calibre and responses sluggish. Here and there, there were issues surge management and claims leakage. But most clients found Cunningham Lindsey seasoned, dedicated professionals: “When the storm, floods and burst pipe claims hit, Cunningham Lindsey acted in a pro-active manner and managed to work alongside us,” said one respondent. The firm was on-the-ball with FNOL, client-minded in its MI, sound on supply chain management and always looking for ways to improve. “They do what they say they will and are generally very innovative,” remarked a head of technical claims. “They don’t wait for the customer to ask for service or process improvements.” With many contracts going to the lowest bidder, reliable MI is crucial in keeping firms up to the mark. Cunningham Lindsey and GAB Robins were among the leaders in provision of “detailed, easy-to-understand and relevant” MI, with useful drill-down capabilities. A system didn’t have to be sophisticated to keep insurers happy, however. For most, simplicity and flexibility seemed the main concerns. Post Magazine - 7 October 2010 New recall practice group Cunningham Lindsey has launched a new practice group in response to an increase in worldwide product recall and liability claims. Cunningham Lindsey said that this continues the commitment it has shown by
developing practice groups in various disciplines as part of a global strategy. Jonathan Clark, group leader of the global product liability group, said issues raised by the current BMW and Rolls Royce voluntary recall reflect many of the reasons why the company has established the group. Post Magazine - 4 November 2010 Wait less programme Technology can also be used to check the validity of a claim. For example, Cunningham Lindsey uses information from its subsidiary, Weather Net, to help verify claims from storm, freeze and flood. With this, weather information is broken down by postcode so it is immediately apparent whether a claim is genuinely a result of the weather. Post Magazine - 11 November 2010 I'm sticking with you The dynamics of the supply chain can also influence customer service and retention and many insurers claim they are busy looking at the way they work with their suppliers from a customer service perspective. This customer, rather than price, driven approach often means more long-term relationships with suppliers too. This is something that Kevin Larman, client relationships director at Cunningham Lindsey has witnessed. “It makes sense,” he explains. “If you retain a supplier you can start to join up the dots, with both parties really understanding the other’s needs and putting investment in to making things happen.” Post Magazine - 11 November 2010 Wide of the mark In terms of improving the affordability of valuations, Luke Lockhart, valuations services manager for Cunningham Lindsey, says those with large property portfolios can benefit from rolling programmes to spread the cost. “Clients may be telling brokers they want to spend less and are asking if they can reduce cover along with not wanting to update valuations, but most brokers I speak to are warning them of the potential perils.” Luke Lockhart, came across an example of a manor house, converted to a hotel/restaurant, which had been insured for its purchase price of £4.5m. The insurance valuation should have been around £12m and he was able to explain this to the client before there was any loss. Had a claim occurred, then only a third of the actual rebuild cost would have been payable.
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Competitions
Bubbletalk
Where in the world? Well done to Richard Gross, Mexico office, who supplied the last photograph for ‘Where in the World’, as no one guessed the right answer of Mexico City.
The winner of the last Bubbletalk competition is Lawrence Sim from our Malaysia office with his caption, "When walls of opportunity open, jump in with both legs". Well done, a Cunningham Lindsey gift is on its way to you.
New competition
Write a suitable caption for this new photograph and you could win a Cunningham Lindsey prize.
For your chance to win a Cunningham Lindsey prize all you have to do is guess correctly where in the world the above picture was taken. Entries to Rebecca Crawford by emailing her at rcrawford@cl-int.com.
Season's Greetings All the editorial team at Incidentally would like to wish all readers and their families every happiness for this holiday season and throughout the coming New Year. Rebecca Crawford, Audrey Adjei, Mags Oakley, Kathryn Lourenco, Anne-Marie Trott, Grace Hakaria in the United Kingdom Lois Creighton in the Middle East Lori Chaput in Canada Vicki Baham Black in the United States Loretta Murphy in Australia Raewyn Henry in New Zealand Gillian Cregan in Ireland
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