We meet customers in an emotional state of emergency

In recent days and weeks, storms and continuous rain have once again caused considerable damage in parts of Germany. Karin Brandl, Sebastian Schmieding and Andreas Bedurke explain how ERGO is helping customers.

Ms. Brandl, what does the current weather situation mean for the Claims division at ERGO?

There have been several extreme weather events in recent weeks. Shortly before Christmas, the severe low-pressure system "Zoltan" swept across Germany and caused a lot of damage in the north. This was followed by continuous rain, which led to extreme flooding in many regions of the country. We are now once again rolling up our sleeves to help our affected customers quickly and unbureaucratically. This means a lot of extra work, because normal work, i.e. settling normal claims such as water damage or burglaries, is of course continuing.

We are experiencing extreme weather more and more frequently. There used to be a stormy year every now and then, but in the past four years one has followed the next. The intensity has also increased significantly. We have to be prepared for this trend to continue. True to the motto "simply because it's important", we have reorganized our structure and are also constantly optimizing our processes. A close exchange and continuous coordination with our colleagues in Product Management is very important in this regard so that we can continue to improve our products.

Mr. Schmieding, what is the situation like for your loss adjusters?

At the moment, our loss adjusters are mainly working in Lower Saxony, Bremen, in small spots in Saarland and in Erfurt. And there are also places in North Rhine-Westphalia where residents have had to be evacuated because of the floods. Cellars are flooded, buildings, household goods and vehicles damaged. We are expecting additional claims reports in the coming days, as we know that we have insured more customers in the affected areas. Last week was still a vacation and many customers were on vacation, office buildings and also agencies and brokers were closed. The damage will only be discovered when they return. Overall, we are expecting a moderately severe event and there is still a lot to do before all the damage has been settled. The usual annual storm season has not even started yet.

Our employees have years of experience in managing damage. We have specifically selected the service providers we work with based on their professionalism. This enables us to act together with foresight and offer our customers the best service. For example, we reserved 8,000 construction dryers as soon as the floods were foreseeable. They are always ready when they are needed on site.

Mr. Bedurke, as a claims adjuster, how do you help customers on site?

The agencies settle smaller claims or they are handled completely digitally. As loss adjusters, we are personally on site where major damage has occurred. This is where we often meet customers who feel helpless in their situation and are in an emotional state of emergency. We take them by the hand, stand by their side and help them as quickly and unbureaucratically as possible. Using the adjuster app on our iPads, we record the damage directly on site and can usually already quantify the settlement amounts. If desired, we can then take care of everything in collaboration with our service providers. However, customers can also commission their own tradesmen on the basis of a damage assessment or have the claim amount paid out.
We face major challenges when it comes to settling claims. The more severe weather events are causing more extensive damage. For example, roof windows are literally smashed through by hail. It is important to act quickly here to avoid consequential damage. However, the current shortage of skilled workers repeatedly leads to delays in repairs.

Our focus is clearly on the customer. We are constantly looking at how we can best support them. For example, we have brought the Amazon feeling to claims processing with an upload link, making it easier for everyone involved. We have also been communicating with our customers via text message since the flood disaster in summer 2021. At the time, it turned out that this was the quickest way if we couldn't reach them by phone.

Interview: Claudia Walter