Whether we’re in the midst of a global pandemic or not, claims will always remain a significant part of the insurance lifecycle. Runacres claims manager Ryan Jones (pictured) chatted to Insurance Business about his insurance career and why it’s important to provide good outcomes for clients through claims experience.
Jones (pictured) entered the insurance industry when he reached a point in his career where it was time for a change. He said: “Insurance stood out for me for various reasons, so I thought I’d give it a crack and see what happens. Eleven years later and I’m still here and enjoying it as much as I did when I started.”
He has held various roles in insurance, but mostly claims-focused. Over the years, he has experienced different aspects of the industry, including earthquake risk, quality, and compliance. He eventually joined Runacres as his interest in the brokering environment grew but, of course, still focusing on claims.
“The brokering environment had interested me for a long time, and when the opportunity arose to become a part of the Runacres team, I jumped at it,” he said.
As a claims manager, Jones helps and advocates for his clients by working with insurers and interpreting and debating their policy wordings to ensure the best outcomes for his clients.
Speaking about his role, he said: “It’s fair to say the role has exceeded my expectations. The variety, the challenges and the learnings you encounter on a daily basis are what attract me to it.”
Remaining in claims despite moving to a new firm, Jones said claims are a vital part of insurance as a brokerage or insurer’s relationship with its clients “will inevitably be judged on the claims response provided.” This is also why Runacres focuses on providing good claims outcomes for its clients.
“The outcome of a claim and the way it’s handled is vitally important in the broking service we provide. One of our main goals is to advocate for our clients’ best interests, which in line with the latest government legislation for financial advisers, which is ‘Good Outcomes for Clients’ - something we adopt as a minimum standard in our claims experience,” Jones said.
“It is critical we support our brokers in the office and work as a team to achieve these ‘good outcomes’ for our clients to ensure we establish client relationships for life.”
Despite seeing the significance of claims and enjoying his work, Jones warned that claims come with their share of challenges that are “not always for the faint-hearted.”
“A claim often has an emotional aspect to it, and this results in pressures from all angles. The pressures placed on clients and insurers can create a challenging environment for a claims professional, especially when it comes to balancing these pressures and meeting people’s expectations,” he said.
“I find a key part to overcoming these challenges and resolving any issue is to take a step back and ask myself: ‘What would I reasonably expect from in this situation if I was in the clients’ shoes?’ From there, you can set goals and targets for the settlement of the claim. Working collectively with colleagues and strategic partners, we can then achieve these goals.”
