We are excited to be celebrating 15 years since Action Insurance Repair opened its doors for business, with the aim of simplifying the insurance claims process for residents and businesses in the North West of England.
We’ve been reflecting on the past 15 years during which we are proud to have completed 309 insurance repair jobs, helping people and businesses return to normal...
62 storm repair projects
69 fire and smoke damage repairs
147 water damage projects
15 theft repair jobs
16 Impact repairs
Action Insurance Repair Founder Joanne Ginty talks about how and why Action Insurance Repair came about in 2008:
How did you get into the insurance repairs game?
Whilst at college, I started out working for an insurance-approved contracting business, which carried out work for Legal and General, RSA and other major insurers and insurance helplines, undertaking planned reinstatement work and emergency repairs.
I left to join the Tesco Graduate Scheme, but it wasn’t what I envisaged and when I bumped into my old employer, he offered me a job with his new company which was offering insurance repair services to home/business owners rather than the insurance companies.
This business quickly became successful and evolved into a franchise model, the network of which I oversaw as the Ops Director. Eventually the shareholders sold their interest in the business, and I moved on, then after a short break from the industry, I decided to set up on my own.
I could see that there was a demand for the service, outside the franchise model which, due to very speedy success, had been hindered by the calibre of some of the earlier franchisees who ended up letting the network down. I could see that there was potential and demand for this type of service, but I felt that there was a better way to deliver it.
So, Action Insurance Repair was born.
What has been the biggest challenge over the years?
It has been and still is managing surges in business due to storms, floods and cold snaps which produce a flurry of claims, quotes, and paperwork.
Then, when insurers hold up the process and slow down the timescales between quote submission and approval, the onus is on us to manage workflow and labour supply until the project is given the go ahead. Luckily, I have a trusted and trusting team and we work well together, as business ebbs and flows!
How would you change the insurance industry?
I know this is controversial and people might shout ‘nanny state’ at me, but I would regulate the insurance industry claims process...
Perhaps because of red tape or surges due to inclement weather, but even when there is no liability to argue, claims and quote approvals simply take longer than they should – and it helps no one.
Insurance companies nit-pick over a few hundred pounds of work, causing delays and possibly cost increases. Sometimes, they’re even paying alternative accommodation costs, which exceed the prices they’re querying!
A quicker process would be more efficient for everyone – including the insurers – and let people get on with their lives, and businesses plan their work and cashflow.
Too many quotes – too often ignored!
Insurers expect customers to get two or three repair quotes – requiring them to take time off work. Plus, it can take half a day for each quoting building company to visit a site, carry out a survey, and prepare a fully itemised quote – which smaller companies often can’t afford to do.
Insurers then analyse and compare the costs with their own out-of-date or discounted rates, and often try to cash-settle or send their own contractors to do the job anyway!
Regulate Insurance quotes!
Insurers request 2-3 quotes and approve the cheapest, without checking if they’re like-for-like. We have lost jobs to inexperienced competitors because their quote wasn’t thorough enough in the first place, and it doesn’t cover all the work needed – leaving both the builder and the customer out of pocket.
So, to tidy all this up, I would suggest:
All policyholders are educated on the pros of hiring a loss assessor
Regulation is introduced around how long insurers can take to settle claims
Insurers produce their own repair schedules so local builders can quote on a like for like basis
If you or someone you know is ready to get back to normal, call us on 01254 665 333