FEATURE STORY
CURBSIDE , ONLINE , AND BY PHONE .
In premium audit , we are delivering our services in new and responsive ways , much like other industries over the course of 2020 . For us , that means finding common ground that respects a policyholder ’ s COVID-19 guidelines — which vary by industry and state — and conforms with A . I . M . Mutual ’ s guidelines as well .
There are logistics , to be sure . Have you ever worked on a laptop in an automobile while trying to hold records so you can see them ? How many times has your pen or phone dropped down by the side of your seat , necessitating a disembarkment to move the seat forward and crawl under it ? It ’ s a job best left to a trained busker attuned to manipulating and balancing many items at once , making sure to drop none .
Although there is no applause at the end , the satisfaction comes from getting the job done with the comfort level of our customers intact . Their safety and ours is priority one . AN AUDIT — RIGHT NOW ? Premium audits are an essential part of the life cycle of a workers ’ compensation policy . Some might say a necessary evil , but the fact remains the same : one way or another , they need to be conducted . After all , calculating insurance costs correctly by completing annual audit adjustments not only makes sense but is a requirement .
Yet during the pandemic , with fluctuations in payroll , audits took on more urgency in some industries . A recent challenge has been the ability to get out to see our customers to do these physical audits . Our territories can cover a wide region . In my case , I ’ m responsible for parts of northern and central Massachusetts .
OUR OWN PROCEDURES RESTRICTING IN-PERSON VISITS ALONG WITH THOSE OF THE “ WOULD-BE VISITED ” CREATE A NEED TO FIND ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF COMPLETING OUR OBLIGATIONS TO OUR POLICYHOLDERS AND TO OUR GOVERNING BODIES .
Many folks we have visited year-in and year-out in the past are not able to meet face-to-face under current circumstances . Others allow modified on-site visits while some join us for virtual audits . Still others are opting for “ curbside service ;” that is , we work on an audit in their parking lot , perfecting that juggling act in the car .
It ’ s a case of what ’ s good for the goose is good for the gander . Our company currently limits outside visitors , and we respect the requests of our insureds to keep their employees safe . We share the same common goal . Among other things , it ’ s the right thing to do and our efforts have not gone unappreciated by our customers . WITH A NOD TO OUR BROKERS For some policyholders , the notion of an audit is as familiar to them as the surface of Mars . . . maybe less so . Broker involvement in reaching a fair share of our customers and being a conduit to us as a carrier is essential .
In the current crisis , we have expanded communications with our brokers to get in touch with customers as well as to secure the information required . Our broker community is an invaluable resource , helping customers understand and comply with audits . In turn , brokers appreciate when we go the extra mile . One recently thanked me for calling before sending out an estimated audit , a last resort when repeated attempts to reach an employer fail . The broker succeeded where we could not , noting “ most companies would have sent a massive AP bill by now .”
To reach parts of our small business book , we have a direct connection via The Fairway Agency , a valuable liaison to customers who may not be familiar with the process . They communicate both with their brokers and our customers to inform them of the importance of audits and their contractual requirement .
Our need to balance public health , safety , and social distancing with getting our jobs done has forced a rethink from both insured and insurer to come up with new , secure ways to communicate and transfer information . As keepers of our customers ’ information , we must be respectful , courteous , and , above all , imbue trust in the way we handle ourselves .
Frank Cataldo is a Premium Audit Supervisor for A . I . M . Mutual and has 35 years of experience conducting workers ’ compensation audits .
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