claim-intake-triage

# Taking a claim The aim is a complete record on the first contact. Every field missed here is a week added later. ## Capture Policy number · policyholder and whether they are the caller · date, time and place of the incident · what happened, in their words · what was damaged, lost or injured · third parties, with contact details · whether authorities were involved and any reference number · whether anything has been repaired or disposed of already. ## Ask the questions people forget Are there photographs? Is the item still in the state it was after the incident? Has anybody else been told — a landlord, an employer, another insurer? ## Set expectations, accurately Say what happens next and by when. Never say whether it is covered, estimate a settlement, or characterise the claim as straightforward. ## Escalate immediately Injury, a third-party fatality, suspected fraud, or a claim near a policy limit. Say a specialist will make contact and stop collecting detail.