Anyone who has worked in claims knows it’s not an easy profession. No matter the line of business, many aspects of the job are the same: juggling caseloads, keeping up with emails, reviewing documentation, paying bills, returning phone calls, conducting investigations, having difficult conversations, making judgment calls and so on. But at the heart of it all are the people we connect with each day and the countless opportunities we have to make their lives a little bit better. Here, I will explore the important role of kindness in the claims process and what adjusters can do to demonstrate in their daily work how caring counts.
Amid uncertainty, kindness goes a long way
In defining the word “kind,” the Oxford English Dictionary says: “Having or showing a benevolent, friendly or warm-hearted nature or disposition; ready to assist or show consideration for others; sympathetic, obliging, considerate.” As recently noted in the Harvard Business Review, kindness is distinct from niceness — which may involve people-pleasing or be disingenuous — in showing honest sensitivity to the needs and experiences of others. Certainly, these are qualities you would want in an adjuster handling a claim on your behalf — the person entrusted with matters as important as your well-being, livelihood and valued possessions.
Regrettably, the relationship between claimants and adjusters is often viewed as adversarial. Some of the injured workers I support presume my job is to find ways to deny their claims and withhold their benefits — and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Their employers have entrusted programs to Sedgwick (and, in turn, to me) to ensure their people are well taken care of when it matters most. My role is to help them during a challenging and uncertain time, so they get the support and resources they need to recover from and adapt to life following a workplace injury.
In claims, we connect with people after something bad or unexpected has occurred: an industrial accident, a slip-and-fall in a retail outlet, a car crash, a medical diagnosis, storm damage to their home or business, and so on. They’re likely experiencing a range of emotions, including fear, anxiety, sadness and anger, and may also be in physical pain. They look to us to help them understand the process and make things right again. A friendly voice can go a long way in putting people’s minds at ease and changing the tone of the relationship from adversarial to supportive. Kindness dissolves friction in claims and helps adjusters build trust and rapport.
Practical ways to demonstrate kindness
While kindness can be a difficult thing to learn, over the course of my career I’ve identified some tangible ways to show claimants I care about them and their well-being; you may find these tactics helpful and want to put them into practice, too:
- Don’t try to multitask while you are on the phone. Devote your full attention to the person with whom you’re speaking.
- Listen to understand, not just to respond.
- Be prompt and accurate in handling any requests or next steps.
- On claims involving injury or illness, start conversations by asking how the person is feeling. Inquire about their pain level/symptoms, what may help it, and how that makes them feel emotionally.
- Draw on your own experience to address claimants’ struggles. Offer suggestions that have worked for you or others.
- Be honest and straightforward in delivering bad news. Lean into empathy in the process.
- When ending a call, bid the person good wishes. You can refer back to topics raised during the call. For example, if the person mentioned that they feel tired because they didn’t sleep well the night before, end the conversation by telling them you hope they can get a better night’s sleep.
- Always remember there’s another human being on the other end of the line. Put yourself in their shoes and consider all they’re dealing with at the moment. In the age of social media, everyone wants their lives to look and sound peachy all the time. But we’re all going through a lot more than we let on. Our jobs require us to interact with people on what may be the worst day of their lives; give them some grace and extra patience.
Being kind to ourselves
We’ve all heard the well-known adage that you can’t pour from an empty cup. In order to excel at our jobs as adjusters and effectively take care of others, we must prioritize our own well-being.
In claims, there’s always more to be done, but working nonstop is harmful to our physical health, makes us irritable and resentful, and can lead to burnout. Additionally, adjusters may struggle with absorbing the difficulties facing their claimants and lose sleep over how best to help them. Practicing healthy habits when it comes to diet, exercise, rest, unplugging from technology and enjoying time away from work are essential to achieving a sense of balance.
Here’s some great news: Scientific studies about practicing kindness find that the positive effects aren’t limited to the receiver. It’s equally beneficial to the giver, too. Being kind has been shown to increase the body’s release of serotonin (promoting calmness, happiness and healing) and oxytocin (the “cuddle hormone,” which also underlies social bonding and strengthens the immune system), boost endorphins (the brain’s natural painkiller) and lower levels of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress). This means that demonstrating kindness to others in the course of our work can actually help us at the same time!
Caring counts
Kindness can easily have a ripple effect. Today and every day, find meaningful ways to practice kindness in your claims role, as taking care of people is at the heart of everything we do. The far-reaching benefits of being kind make the effort well worth it.
> Learn more — visit our careers site to explore opportunities to do meaningful work and practice kindness at Sedgwick