For glass firm, the case for Zurich becomes crystal clear
June 7, 2018
An underwriter and Risk Engineer team up to help provide a safety-focused customer the solutions it needs.
Opportunity knocks: When Zurich Underwriter Kara Ryan learned that a New England-based glass company was shopping for a new insurance carrier, she wasted no time asking to look at their casualty program, including Workers’ Compensation, Auto and General Liability. Although the Zurich office had asked about this customer’s business for several years, the company had remained loyal to their incumbent carrier.
Her first question: Why now?
“I learned from the broker that they were going to market due to the lack of loss-control services being provided by their current carrier,” Kara said.
A turning point for the company came after an internal audit revealed that soft-tissue injuries had become a leading cause of workers’ compensation losses. Although management quickly took proactive steps, they decided it was time to find an insurance provider that would further help them identify and mitigate risks.
“This is a customer as passionate about safety as our own Zurich Risk Engineers,” Kara said. “To win this business, I knew it would be important for the customer to become familiar with our breadth of Risk Engineering services and feel confident in our ability to deliver on them.”
Listening to the customer: With the broker’s assistance, Kara arranged an on-site customer visit for Zurich Services Risk Engineer Tony O’Dea, who, prior to joining Zurich, had many years of experience in the construction industry.
“I conducted an extensive review of the customer’s claims and business,” Tony said. “I combined this research with my own experience working in the region’s construction industry and being familiar with the same construction managers with whom the customer was contracted.”
During his visit, Tony took the time to tour their operations to help him understand the specific challenges and opportunities the customer was facing.
“I saw the improvements they had made in fabrication and material-handling equipment to improve safety and productivity,” Tony said. “After listening to the customer and their concerns, I followed up with them to offer support and my own local knowledge with their new safety director, who wasn’t from the area.”
In the meantime, Kara contacted colleagues in other Zurich business units to see if they were interested in offering the customer a comprehensive insurance package that included Property and Umbrella.
Reflecting on a win: Impressed with the responsiveness, knowledge and willingness of both Kara and Tony to find tailored solutions, the customer made the switch to Zurich for all the lines offered.
“Tony’s involvement was very important in securing this win,” Kara said. “The time he spent with the company president helped establish a foundation of trust. The company also benefited from a logistics standpoint as their Casualty, Excess and Property policies are now being handled by one insurance provider and they can turn to one Claims liaison for updates and insights.”
Also pivotal was Kara’s ongoing communication with the broker. Changing insurance providers after a long relationship with an incumbent can be challenging, even when it’s the right decision.
“The broker was able to confidently deliver a program that met all of their longtime client’s changing needs, demonstrating their flexibility and willingness to support their client,” Kara said. “This is definitely a win we’re all excited about.”