Helping clients with a claim: quick, structured meetings

After an incident, a client needs two things fast: to know what to do now, and to feel that someone is handling it with them. Keep a few short claim support slots open each week that clients can book at short notice, and use them to go through the policy, list the documents and photos needed, and check the insurer's deadlines together. A structured first meeting turns panic into a checklist, and the claim starts on the right foot.

A burst pipe, a break-in, a car accident: a client calls stressed, sometimes with half the information. A phone call in the middle of your day rarely settles it; they call again, then again. A short meeting booked for the next day or two, with a clear list of what to bring, gives them something to do in the meantime and gives you the time to read their policy properly before answering.

If the situation is urgent, such as water still running, a door that won't lock or an injured person, tell clients in the description to deal with safety and emergency services first and to contact the insurer's assistance line if their policy has one.

Write the list down and send it after the meeting. It becomes the client's checklist and your file for follow-up.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. You open slots for each service at the length it takes, one place per slot. Clients pick a service, then a free slot, and receive a confirmation email.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. Keep a few claim slots open each day or each week, repeated on chosen weekdays until a date, so a client can find a time within a day or two. Say in the description that these slots are for claims only.

The public booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note you read in your new-booking email. Ask for the type of incident and its date in a sentence, and which policy they think applies. Photos and documents go by email or through your secure channel, not in the note. The note can't be edited once the booking exists.

When the insurer sends an assessor, clients can feel they're being checked rather than helped. A short meeting beforehand changes that: go through what the assessor is likely to look at, gather receipts and photos in one folder, list damaged items with their age and value, and keep damaged goods until the assessor has seen them, unless safety requires otherwise. Tell the client they can ask questions during the visit and should read any document before signing it. A prepared client has a calmer visit and a clearer file.

A claim can take weeks. At the end of the first meeting, agree when you'll next talk and book the follow-up from your calendar: first and last name are required, email and phone optional. Plan a follow-up after the insurer's first answer and, if an assessor visits, one to prepare for it. When a date moves, reschedule the booking from your bookings list and tell the client yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes.

With calendar sync (Google, iPhone, Mac), claim meetings sit next to your reviews and new-client appointments. Book doesn't manage claims, store documents or take payments; it handles appointments. It costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.