Am I being too sensitive/bloody-minded?

[Oscar]

thats right, insurance companies only employ one claims handler and 20 supervisors just so they can make sure everyone is getting the best service.

supervisors stuff up more than the handlers when they do the handlers job, they are just there to make decisions outside of normal operations

Having worked for Banks and Insurance Companies over the years, can I tell you what happens when people with Lou’s attitude turn up?

They get shafted.
Sooner or later they get into a situation where the loan application/claim could go either way.
This gets referred to the Supervisor or Manager.
The Manager looks at the file – the one full of correspondence like complaints, privacy act requests and (this is a dead giveaway) annual requests for premium quotations.
The Manager then declines the claim/loan, and hopes the client will fuck off to Kiwi Bank or State Insurance.

When I was in finance, I had clients whose rates I "front loaded". If they asked me the current loan rate, I would add a couple of points, knowing that they would whinge their arse off about getting a special rate. I would then back it off to the book rate, and leave them thinking they'd "beaten the system".

[pyrocam]

Having worked for Banks and Insurance Companies over the years, can I tell you what happens when people with Lou’s attitude turn up?

They get shafted.
Sooner or later they get into a situation where the loan application/claim could go either way.
This gets referred to the Supervisor or Manager.
The Manager looks at the file – the one full of correspondence like complaints, privacy act requests and (this is a dead giveaway) annual requests for premium quotations.
The Manager then declines the claim/loan, and hopes the client will fuck off to Kiwi Bank or State Insurance.

When I was in finance, I had clients whose rates I "front loaded". If they asked me the current loan rate, I would add a couple of points, knowing that they would whinge their arse off about getting a special rate. I would then back it off to the book rate, and leave them thinking they'd "beaten the system".

yeah I always thought those faggots in sales were as smarmy as me but never could prove it. something alot of people dont realise is insurers can just go, pfffft nah your a dick I dont want to insure you. as long as we get to the end of the contract we can say F off. or use one of the little used policy clause's to void the contract.


wait... we? I mean, like, them. from like, back in the day. all 7 months ago.

[Oscar]

yeah I always thought those faggots in sales were as smarmy as me but never could prove it. something alot of people dont realise is insurers can just go, pfffft nah your a dick I dont want to insure you. as long as we get to the end of the contract we can say F off. or use one of the little used policy clause's to void the contract.


wait... we? I mean, like, them. from like, back in the day. all 7 months ago.

Yeah, "them".
I'm a Broker now, one of the good guys....

[pyrocam]

Yeah, "them".
I'm a Broker now, one of the good guys....

a broker hahaha.... one of the good guys.. bwaaahahahaha oh please... pleease stop..

ok yeah well brokers arnt _all_ bad, but for consumer insurance theres no point, stop being lazy and call around.

[Lou Girardin]

So how would you react to someone at your work turning up with that attitude?


Just a wild guess - you have a lot of trouble with authority, don't you?

The difference is that where I work, we give people what they pay for and appreciate their custom.

[Lou Girardin]

thats right, insurance companies only employ one claims handler and 20 supervisors just so they can make sure everyone is getting the best service.

supervisors stuff up more than the handlers when they do the handlers job, they are just there to make decisions outside of normal operations

Let me clarify my statement pyro.
When problems develop talk to supervisors etc. But always get the name of whoever you deal with. If you don't they dematerialise when problems occur.

[Lou Girardin]

Having worked for Banks and Insurance Companies over the years, can I tell you what happens when people with Lou’s attitude turn up?

They get shafted.
Sooner or later they get into a situation where the loan application/claim could go either way.
This gets referred to the Supervisor or Manager.
The Manager looks at the file – the one full of correspondence like complaints, privacy act requests and (this is a dead giveaway) annual requests for premium quotations.
The Manager then declines the claim/loan, and hopes the client will fuck off to Kiwi Bank or State Insurance.

When I was in finance, I had clients whose rates I "front loaded". If they asked me the current loan rate, I would add a couple of points, knowing that they would whinge their arse off about getting a special rate. I would then back it off to the book rate, and leave them thinking they'd "beaten the system".

I'm not worried. We are of an age and social demographic where these companies chase us.
And little tricks such as you mention only work with idiots. But it is very revealing of your attitude to your customers.
Competition is a wonderful thing.

[stunz]

Will you post the ins co response? I feel I need a good guffaw before the christmas cheer sets in...It would be interesting to see if you get the response you asked for or if you just get a lot of policy drivel.

Glad to hear you got your car AND its contents back. Thats relatively unheard of in my neck of the woods...

[pyrocam]

Will you post the ins co response? I feel I need a good guffaw before the christmas cheer sets in...It would be interesting to see if you get the response you asked for or if you just get a lot of policy drivel.

Glad to hear you got your car AND its contents back. Thats relatively unheard of in my neck of the woods...

yeah actually which co. was that? cos by default if theyve paid out then they just take ownership of the items. I guess if you havent spent any of the money yet and you prefer the old stuff then your better off with it I guess.


ok yeah thats a reasonable point lou. it is good to get the names, although some call centres (mainly outbound sales) and I _think_ state sales dept use fake names. although they are meant to use the same one.

when I was bored I'd use someone else's name for laughs.

[Oscar]

a broker hahaha.... one of the good guys.. bwaaahahahaha oh please... pleease stop..

ok yeah well brokers arnt _all_ bad, but for consumer insurance theres no point, stop being lazy and call around.

I agree.
I would rather have teeth pulled than do consumer/domestic insurance.

I specialize in Professional Negligence, Directors & Officers and Liability Insurance.

[Oscar]

I'm not worried. We are of an age and social demographic where these companies chase us.
And little tricks such as you mention only work with idiots. But it is very revealing of your attitude to your customers.
Competition is a wonderful thing.

The only companies that chase consumer insurance are those that specialise in it. Due to the nature of their market their services standards have to be very low, like their average premium.

You get what you pay for.

As I've said here before, insurance is not something you shop for by price alone.

[fische]

I had my car stolen, and the insurance paid out. But they got me to sign a form saying that i hadn't arranged for it to be stolen and hadn't ryied to sell anything off it in the last 12 months, amongst other things, and that just pissed me off. I mean do they think I'm some sort of scum rip off ARTIST OR SOMETHING? They've got no problems accepting my premiums each month but then they turn around and have that sort of attitude. Do you think if i was gonna rip them off i'd tell them??? Fuckwits

[Oscar]

I had my car stolen, and the insurance paid out. But they got me to sign a form saying that i hadn't arranged for it to be stolen and hadn't ryied to sell anything off it in the last 12 months, amongst other things, and that just pissed me off. I mean do they think I'm some sort of scum rip off ARTIST OR SOMETHING? They've got no problems accepting my premiums each month but then they turn around and have that sort of attitude. Do you think if i was gonna rip them off i'd tell them??? Fuckwits

Actually they did think that.
Standard procedure when they think a claim is dodgy is to get the punter to sign a Statutory Declaration. It's partly a scare tactic and partly to crank up the consequences if they do find proof of wrong doing (signing a false declaration is easier to prove than fraud).

[pyrocam]

Actually they did think that.
Standard procedure when they think a claim is dodgy is to get the punter to sign a Statutory Declaration. It's partly a scare tactic and partly to crank up the consequences if they do find proof of wrong doing (signing a false declaration is easier to prove than fraud).

mmmm good old stat dec.

client: "what do you mean I have to sign it in front of a justice of the peace? cant I just sign it in the office?"
pyrocam : for the love of god who are you and why do you keep calling me? cough I mean, yeah yeah, sorry, goto the court and get it signed. dont worry, they only bite if your lying.

[thehollowmen]

The one you should go for is the privacy act request.. as mentioned above.

Hopefully you've got a reasonably clean record and it won't affect them playing around with anything else in the future.

yes you have to return the money, but I don't see why you can't cancel the claim and wipe all record of it.