First General Increases Customer Rating and Improves Productivity using Encircle

Location: Hamilton, ON

Founded: 1986

Industry: Restoration

Challenge:
Delay getting documentation back from the field

Solution:
Encircle's documentation tools for photos, videos, and notes

Result:
Improved productivity and transparency with insurance carriers

First General is a leading restoration network in North America with over 85 locations. Shawn Thomas, owner of the First General Hamilton-Burlington, Ontario branch has earned high customer approval ratings by providing fast, efficient and superior disaster restoration services.

THE CHALLENGE

Communication with property owners and insurance companies is critical to a successful restoration project. Being transparent about job status, selection of materials, procedures, and work schedules are just a few ways that First General helps build customer confidence. Shawn Thomas knows that customer satisfaction also plays a significant role in meeting key performance metrics used by insurance companies.

“I need updates from the field every day,” explains Shawn. “If people are busy and don’t have time to complete paperwork, then everything is delayed. Minor hiccups are common in most jobs, but if I can get ahead of things and provide answers quickly, I avoid having small items turn into major issues. There is no single magic tool for running a restoration business, but to have a competitive advantage, you need to integrate technology into workflows to exceed policyholder and insurance carrier expectations.”

In the restoration industry, gathering field documentation is a very manual process collected through methods like pen and paper, digital cameras and email. Not only would Shawn’s team have to go to a job site numerous times to capture information required for a claim, the administrative team would then spend a significant amount of time assembling the data – uploading and organizing photos, transcribing handwritten notes, and then making sure files were grouped and associated with the correct claim.

Shawn recognized that technology opened up fresh opportunities that could make his company stand out from the others. As a result, he looked to Encircle – a real time solution with built-in productivity tools for centralizing information and streamlining field processes.

THE SOLUTION

In today’s digital age where speed matters and customers expect technology to be ubiquitous and ‘always on’, First General clients and business partners want instant answers. Speed matters. “With Encircle’s real-time capabilities, I work faster and deliver better service too," describes Shawn. “No matter where I am, I can review photos and the latest notes and quickly answer customer questions with confidence, knowing that I’ve got reliable information. Encircle enables me to build trust with customers – and when I do that, I have a customer for life."

 

“There is no single magic tool for running a restoration business, but to have a competitive advantage and exceed policyholder and insurance carrier expectations, you need to incorporate technology into your workflows."

SHAWN THOMAS, OWNER OF FIRST GENERAL HAMILTON

THE RESULT

With powerful features that are easy to use and collaboration tools that make everything easy to see and share, First General Hamilton-Burlington uses Encircle to improve productivity and transparency with insurance carriers. “Encircle’s reports are far more professional, and have considerably more detail than the reports previously available. It makes the job for adjusters so much easier. The best part is that I get accurate, quality, visual reporting at the press of a button. Insurance companies are taking note of my performance.”