We’re very excited to unveil our latest video from our new blog series titled “Insights from the Top: 3 Questions with PLM Leaders.” Every month, we’ll feature a different member of our leadership team, offering their perspectives on industry trends and the crucial role PLM plays in addressing the needs of the wood niche.
In this month’s edition, we are joined by VP of Claims – John Kennealy
Question: The Claims deparment can easily be seen as the star of the show. What does a typical day in Claims look like?
John Kennealy: I’m not so sure there is such a thing as a typical day. I say that because every claim that we handle is different. That drives the kind of day that we’re going to have in the Claims organization. But I would say the common thread is that every day we work toward meeting the contractual obligations of our policyholders and provide superior customer service for them as well. In a time of crisis (a fire, horrendous, storm or horrible job site accident), claims can only be the star of the show, so to speak, if in the customer’s time of need, we’ve got this.
Q: What is the most rewarding factor of working in the Claims department?
JK: Good question. For me personally, I would say it’s the satisfaction that is derived from meeting the customer’s immediate need – be it a phone call, a devastating fire loss, or a pending lawsuit that threatens the existence of a four generational family business. What’s really important to me as a Claims person and as a leader of a Claims organization is that everybody in that organization is working hard to put all of the customer’s needs, that all of their concerns, and convincing them that we’ve got this. We will take care of it, and you will be back and better than ever.
Q: What is something you would like to demystify about the Claims process?
JK: I think I’d like to demystify the notion that claims are handled in an expedient manner. They are not. Claims decisions are typically the result of a detailed analysis of coverage, liability, and damages. We don’t tend to shoot from the hip in Claims. We’re very detailed and thorough in our decision-making process. The one area where I think we can get better as a Claims organization is in communicating those decisions directly to the policyholders. Sometimes the policyholders are left to wonder why we’re doing what we’re doing. They should never have to wonder. We should be communicating with them every step of the way as to what actions we’re taking to best protect their interests.
