Tips for insurance professionals

Posted on Thursday, March 27 2025

Ask most insurance professionals about their favourite part of the job, and they’ll say “helping people”. And it’s true: Insurance agents do enjoy the feeling that comes from assisting their clients to get back on their feet after a life-changing event.

However, we know that when natural disasters occur, the process can be stressful for everyone involved, including insurance professionals, who may be juggling multiple clients and hundreds of phone calls, many of them stressful as clients contend with what’s just happened to them. It’s not easy.

So how can insurance professionals do the best job for their clients while also providing some peace of mind and staying sane through the process? We asked the Canadian insurance professionals we deal with every day, and they gave us these 5 tips:

1. Stay informed.

With more claims relating to climate-related issues, it’s crucial that insurance professionals keep up-to-date about local weather, storm and environment trends. The more you know about potential catastrophes in your clients’ area, the better you can be prepared for a deluge of calls and complaints when it occurs – and you’ll be able to be responsive, rather than reactive.

2. Put compassion first.

As an insurance professional, you’re hearing about negative events on a regular basis – that’s part of your job, and it’s not surprising that you take the news in stride. But for the clients you serve, what’s happening to them is unexpected, unusual, and traumatizing. They may be angry at first, and not do a great job of communicating with you. However, if you can put compassion first, you’ll find the process goes more smoothly for both of you in the long run.

3. Provide resources and guidance.

The best insurance professionals keep a database of current resources like emergency contacts, local relief organizations and contractors that they can offer their clients in the event of major property damage. Additionally, depending on the situation, you may also want to connect clients with local therapists for themselves or their children. Whether or not they use the resources you provide, it’s amazing how even having those starting lists can reassure people that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

4. Build good relationships with adjusters/administrators.

Adjusters and administrators have a lot of boxes they have to tick before they are able to approve repairs and release funds, but they’re also human. When you build positive, long-term relationships with insurance administrators, you’re more likely to get the information you need for your client promptly, which in turn can help your client get resolution faster.

5. Follow-up communication is the key to just about everything.

When your home has been severely damaged and you’re living out of a suitcase, it’s easy to feel alone, and every day can feel like a week. You may be the key point of contact for your clients – their lifeline to getting back to normal. So it’s important for you to keep in close touch with them, especially in the first days after a catastrophe, even if you don’t have any new information. A brief phone call, an email, even a text can provide them with reassurance that their case hasn’t been forgotten and someone is out there fighting for them.

How Premiere Suites can help.

When your client calls, wondering where on earth they’re going to stay after their roof collapsed or their basement flooded or a tree crashed into their living room, you need to be able to give them an easy answer. That’s what we’re here for. With more than 1500 furnished suites, homes and townhomes across Canada, plus a network of more than 10,000 more furnished residences, we can help your clients get back to normal, faster.