Winning the award for “Claims Team of the Year” at the recent UK Broker Awards was a fantastic achievement for Clegg Gifford. It is the recognition that in the UK broker market, simply put, we have the team recognised as the best in the industry. And whilst that means we cannot rest on our laurels, this award is not a destination but merely a milestone on the path to continuous improvements.

It’s worth reflecting on what this claims award means. Recognition for what has been a thorough and comprehensive transformation process that has taken place over the course of several years. The team themselves have exceptional longevity and this core contingent of fabulous claims handlers are committed every day to solving what can be the most emotive part of the insurance process.

Is also a recognition of the quality not only of our team members but also of the training they receive. It is a rare thing for an insurance company to delegate claims handling to a broker, but when the customer’s interests are paramount and foremost in the brokers’ mindset, it is a logical extension of traditional insurance broking activity.

Because, let’s face it, what good is insurance unless it performs in the event of a claim? Up until that point, this is a relationship which has produced at best a few emails in terms of proof of cover and maybe even a physical certificate, but little else. As a policyholder, you have paid your premium on the expectation that should the worst occur, your insurance will pay out.

That is the fundamental principle of insurance and it is one that we keep close to our hearts within the claims team. At the end of the day, you have suffered a loss and the last thing you need is unnecessary processes foisted on you to tick boxes. And yes, we do have strong compliance and risk and overall regulatory frameworks that need to be addressed. We cannot fully do away with those checks, essential balances and control measures that we must put in place to keep all stakeholders happy. But we are a reactive team and when policyholders have suffered misfortune we take a proactive stance in terms of how we set ourselves up in order to handle claims better in the future. Learning lessons, and thinking of creative ways to ease the burden and make the claims journey that much smoother.

It is worth exploring what type of claims we handle. If you are insured on say a motor trade policy, these claims can be both complicated and indeed somewhat varied given the multiple trades that fall within the broad category of motor trade insurance. Motor traders have come to know and love the Clegg Gifford brand, which has decades worth of experience not only in the placement and underwriting of your policies but also in the handling of your claims. Our dedicated team of claims handlers are trained in motor trade insurance nuances and this can make all the difference when selecting your insurance partner in the first instance.

Do ask what authority and potential support another broker can provide you when looking at a claim. Sadly in too many cases, the answer is none. And it does matter. Having a claims team that you can call up and not be palmed off to a much larger call centre insurance operation who have no real relationship with a broker other than the selling of the policy, can create both friction and indeed frustration for you. So it is a key question to ask and it is one we are very proud to say we have a claims department that we have invested a small fortune in to make sure they are the best in the industry.

The same goes for taxi claims for instance. The key motivator for any cabbie is to get back on the road as soon as possible. We work with a number of garages up and down the country to get them back on the road quicker, facilitate repairs and keep down the cost which also then brings down the quantum of their claim helping to offset pressure against premiums in these inflationary times.

All told then, we’re very proud of the work that our claims department have done to reach the zenith of the industry. We are now recognised as the best UK broker claims team and we are very proud to be able to serve our customers in this way and for many years to come. If you have any questions about our award-winning claims service, please do not hesitate to contact us and remember to look at any claims journey and the provisions of the company you are using, before you select your insurance broker.