Covéa Insurance successfully launches new household claims service

Covéa Insurance has today announced the successful launch of its in-house Household Claims service, following the in-sourcing of the management of its household claims.

The company has recruited and trained a forty strong team of claims specialists, at its Halifax based office, who will manage its household claims service. As part of the service offering, the company has implemented a range of service improvements and retained a number of the current provider’s service enhancements, to deliver a good customer claims experience and generate greater efficiencies:

• Investment in an improved phone system so that in the event of a queue, customers are made aware of their position in the queue and are provided the option to request a call back
• Cross-trained staff from its motor claims team, to support the management of claims during ‘surge periods’ following major weather events, as the impact is significantly higher for household claims than motor claims
• Continued customer access to an online claim notification system - Customer Connect - that allows customers to report their claim on-line through Covéa Insurance’s website. As well as giving customers a facility to upload documents and images to support their claim, it also allows customers to track the progress of their claim and contact their claims handler directly
• Continuation of the use of Integrated Weather Mapping, allowing weather related claims to be validated more quickly. This data will also be used to predict claims volumes and put resources in place in advance of a significant weather event, to support affected customers

Later in the year, the company will commence the process of working towards Institute of Customer Service (ICS) accreditation for its household claims operations. The company has recently been awarded ‘World Class Service Provider’ accreditation by the ICS for its motor claims operation and as part of its customer service vision, is aiming for all its operational areas to achieve ICS accreditation by 2016.

Speaking about the company’s recent claims developments, Claims Director Adrian Furness said:

“Claims management is one of our core competencies and bringing our household claims handling operation in-house allows us to build upon and maximise our capabilities. Cunningham Lindsey, our current service provider, has played an instrumental role in helping us successfully manage the transition, and they will remain our key home claims partner providing various loss adjusting and specialist services. Being recognised by the ICS as providing ‘World Class Service’ for our motor claims handling service is a significant milestone in achieving our ambition to provide ‘world class’ service across all our operational areas by 2016.”

Phil McNeilage, CEO of Cunningham Lindsey UK commented;

“We have worked very closely with Covéa Insurance over the past 18 months following their strategic decision to in-source home claims. We will continue to provide all necessary support to ensure safe implementation of the changes and are of course delighted to remain Covéa Insurances sole supplier for the provision of domestic, commercial and liability loss adjusting.”  

-Ends-

About Covéa Insurance

Covéa Insurance Plc is the UK underwriting business of leading French mutual insurance group Covéa (which includes the global reinsurer PartnerRe since July 2022). 

Covéa Insurance looks after the insurance needs of UK customers, across a range of product lines; delivering financial reassurance through its Standard & Poor’s ‘AA- stable’ rating, as a guaranteed subsidiary of Covéa.  

Covéa Insurance has a strong people and service ethos and holds ServiceMark accreditation with Distinction for its Personal Lines operation and its Commercial & HNW Claims teams, as well as Chartered Insurer status for its Commercial business. Covéa Insurance is signatory to the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter and the insurance Inclusivity Pledge and has been named one of the top 75 employers in West Yorkshire & the Humber. In 2022 Covéa Insurance was named Insurer of the Year at the British Claims Awards and Personal Lines Insurer of the Year at the Insurance Times Awards.