Top 5 reasons front-line techs Need to be involved in documenting claims

You hear it in every industry: front-line workers often know more about what’s happening in the business than the people running it. There is some truth to this statement, especially for the restoration industry. This is why it’s critical to make sure you involve front-line technicians in the claims process.

5 Reasons Why You Should Involve Technicians

We trust technicians with our vehicles, equipment, and tools… so why don’t we trust them with taking photos and helping us explain what happened on the job? The reality is, if you involve your front-line technicians in the claims documentation process, you’ll see the positive impact on your bottom line, reputation, and ability to generate revenue for your business.

1. Reduce Your Liability

Restorers drop everything when an emergency call comes in, often putting their own business at risk to help others. As the first responders, they get the first opportunity to document a loss. This provides a unique opportunity to view the condition of the property and contents as close to the time of damage as possible. The photos, videos, and detailed notes that were taken at this time can provide you with important visual facts that you can base your decisions on.

Technicians can also note any pre-existing conditions. Was there previous water damage? Was there mold on-site that previously went unnoticed? These are the types of things that can come back to haunt you if not properly documented at the start.

2. Get Surge Ready

When you make liability reduction a goal for all of your front-line staff, you’re putting emphasis on what’s important to get done. When I’m talking to customers, they often tell me that their technicians don’t always know what to look for or don’t know how to do something properly.

In order to grow your business, you need to empower your staff and remove limitations within their work. Technicians are a vital part of your business. Your company can benefit by assigning technicians to tasks that are within their area of expertise, like determining the severity of water damage or what techniques need to be used to properly dry a structure.

It’s hard to believe that these people wouldn’t be able to spot liabilities or eliminate them. We ask them to eliminate safety hazards in order to protect themselves and home occupants, so we should also be asking them to protect the company they work for! By involving these technicians in the documentation process, you’ll have more people who can manage more job sites and handle the work as it comes in.

3. Reduce Administrative Overhead

Customers who have deployed Encircle in the field have reduced the amount of administrative work associated with their files by over 70%. When the platform is used by technicians to take photos of the situation on-site and manage the signing of documents, administrative staff no longer have to spend time searching for physical paperwork. With Encircle, these time-consuming tasks are managed in just a few clicks in the Encircle mobile and desktop web apps. Administrative time spent chasing internal paperwork is wasteful spending. Instead, you can focus on proactively managing claims and building a positive customer experience to build your brand.

4. Reduce Content Disputes

Contents are personal for your customers. They may be a prized-possession or something that defines them. I’ve witnessed thousands of claims where the insured remembers their items as being in impeccable shape or new but in reality, they aren’t anywhere near that condition. By using front-line technicians to properly document pre-existing damages and the actual condition of items, you’ll head off any disputes and save yourself a lot of pain in the long run!

5. Document a Job Well Done

We’ve all had times where we’re extremely proud of our company, staff, and the way a job was executed. Everything went really well and the job ended with a very satisfied customer. Afterwards, you’ll sometime hear back from the property owner. They tell you they have a weird smell or mold in their basement… because of something you did.

You start asking yourself if you properly documented the loss? Did your technicians take all the readings in a consistent and repeatable way? Did the reviewer questions your work in the field? If you didn’t properly document your job, these are all common issues that will prevent you from getting paid and put your reputation at risk.

How Encircle Can Help

Encircle’s real-time documentation and restoration job management platform empowers field staff to more accurately and efficiently document a loss, reducing liability for everyone involved. See how Encircle can help you in the field by requesting your personalized demo today.