Insurance staff trudge through snow to handle calls
Staff at insurance company swiftcover.com trudged through the snow, hired 4x4 vehicles to get to work and even spent the night away from home so they could assist the record number of motorists needing help as insurance claims soared by almost 75% during this week's snow chaos.
Despite blizzard conditions bringing much of the UK to a halt, swiftcover.com said that 90% of its claims handlers made it to their Kent offices to deal with unprecedented levels of calls. Most employees had to leave their cars at home and instead walked some or all of the way to work - one handler even got up at 4am in the morning to dig his car out of the snow, after abandoning it the night before, so he could get to work.
The company hired four-wheel drive vehicles to collect other workers, while a handful of plucky staff stayed several nights at a nearby hotel to ensure they would be on hand for the next days' deluge of calls.
swiftcover.com had predicted that, based on 2009 claims figures, the number of car accidents during the first two days of this week would probably be double the normal daily level. However, as the snow fell, the total number of claims for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week were 75% higher than the same period last year.
Robin Reames, swiftcover.com's director of claims, explained: "Claims during the winter months are usually 21% higher than the rest of the year, and the first working week of the New Year is traditionally a peak as an extra 14.5million* cars hit the rush hour as schools and many people return to work for the first time after Christmas.
"The severity of the snow this week caught many people by surprise and resulted in lots of drivers having accidents and problems with their cars, which in turn meant a record number of people contacting swiftcover.com for help or to make a claim. It is a testament to our staff that so many of them soldiered in and made it to work so they could help other people badly affected by the weather."
Reames said that in addition to swiftcover.com's own staff, the insurer's roadside rescue supplier, Auto Rescue Logistics, had also done an amazing job in rescuing stranded motorists and ensuring they got back home safely.
Claims calls to swiftcover.com during the first December snowfalls before Christmas were already nearly a third higher than the same period the previous year, and with more snow and sub-zero conditions predicted for the weekend and the start of next week, the insurer is expecting the high level of calls to continue for a while to come and is making provision to ensure staff are able to help motorists.