Hurricane season typically lasts from June 1st-November 30th on the east coast, but if you live in an area that's susceptible to hurricanes or if you insure people who are, it's vital to be prepared well before a storm hits. With the technology we have today we're fortunate to have a safe heads up when a storm is on the way, but there are things you can do ahead of time that will help the people you insure.
Take some time during the spring months to have someone in your office reach out to clients who could be affected by storms. Making sure you have everyone's most up to date contact information and that they have yours will help to make any kind of emergency assistance for your policyholders a little more seamless should the need arise.
You and your staff should have plans in place for servicing clients in the path of a storm. Everyone should be made aware of what the plan will be internally to help clients and handle calls as they come in. If your business is in the path of an oncoming storm, make sure they have plans to evacuate and to stay in touch once they've left. There should also be a tentative plan for returning to work if there will be a disruption in work hours.
Have someone in your office research and compile a list of pertinent toll-free carrier numbers and links to storm-related online emergency resources. You and your clients don't want to be stuck in a situation where they're searching for numbers and links in the midst of chaos. Sending this info out to clients who could be affected by the storm is a great way to show them that you're there for them ahead of time and prepared to assist if need be.
Spring is another great time to reach out to policyholders reminding them of the details of their coverage. If it's not time to renew, you'll just be calling in to touch base and make sure they understand the policy as it is. If it's time to renew, it will be a helpful reminder that certain policies don't go into effect until a certain number of days after they're written.
Having emergency emails, texts and voicemails set up before a storm hits is important. Automation software is a great way to prepare, store and then disseminate information that should go out to potentially affected policy holders. It's also a great time saver so that you can reach multiple customers at once rather than reaching out to everyone individually.
Being proactive and following these steps will serve in saving time for your staff and showing your clients that you're ready and able to serve them in case of an emergency, especially if you and your agency are also in the path of an oncoming storm. It's never too soon to take the proper steps to safely protect yourself during and after a hurricane.