Third Party Administrator Programs Provide Excellent Framework for Restoration Customer Service

Love them or dislike them, our insurance restoration business model has been molded by Third Party Administrators (TPAs) from the onset of our business plan.  This was intentional to simplify our new restoration service division in a complex industry to satisfy all end users, i.e. insurance companies, and policy holders. 

We recognized that the TPA programs as a whole offer the frame work for high levels of customer service for all entities that we serve.  Our systems are based on the TPA frame work, so whether we are involved under one of their programs, or work that we do as directly hired by an insured, our service will be the same consistent level of quality.

What we have gleaned from TPA models:

• Cost Efficiency and Predetermined Pricing – One of the reasons TPAs were originally developed was to help make claims more cost efficient. We use the same estimating software as the insurance carrier, so our pricing matches.  This takes out any discrepancies or a source of discontent with the insured.  It also eliminates the need for a policy holder to waste precious time shopping for a restoration company based on the price.
• Improving Service Time – TPAs have strict reporting requirements to track response times and work progress. Our parent company, Wolgast Corporation, a 70 year old commercial contractor, has a reputation for getting buildings built quickly.  We draw from their experience and processes to set milestone dates and ensure that we’re efficient and meet deadlines established at the start of the project.
• High Level Customer Service – In our program work by TPAs, we are regulated as to how quickly we respond to a claim, how quickly we provide estimates and how quickly we complete our work; all things that are important to the affected policy holder. This has helped us to provide excellent customer service to policy holders, many of whom have sent us letters of goodwill stating their appreciation during their time of need.  We have taken this a step further with sensitivity training for our first responder staff members to help instill in them that they don’t just need to quickly expedite critical restoration processes, but also that they need to provide emotional support to the insured during a highly sensitive time.
• Maintaining Qualified and Well Trained Staff – Each of our staff members have been trained and certified in their area of expertise, as well as have had background checks prior to entering an insured’s property. This is how we can confidently comply with TPA programs as well as reduce risks of deviation from our reputable service.

We continually hone our processes to continue to improve our speed, efficiency, customer service, and staff development, as we speculate that TPAs will continue to expect more.  This is how it’s been since the inception of Wolgast Restoration and how we set ourselves apart.

Check out these blogs:
How to Meet Expectations of Property Insurance Customers after a Disaster
Being What Agents and Adjusters Seek in a Restoration Company
How to Solve Your Biggest Problems with Property Content Recovery

The Restoration Contractor’s Role in a Dynamic Team

A Property Restoration Contractor is in a unique position with diverse clients and multiple customers on each of their projects.  It’s the restoration contractor’s responsibility to find the best solutions that both the policy holder and the insurance adjuster can agree upon.

Wolgast Restoration, a systemized company, feels they have found a solid program to be a solution provider to this dynamic team.  Their systems have been developed to include the steps for best case outcomes and case studies they’ve accumulated through their own past experiences.  The system dictates the steps they take on each unique project, which helps the process run smoothly, communication, stay open, and expectations be met.

Should expectations not be met, it can sour the relationship for most or all parties.  And there are expectations throughout, starting with the initial meeting of the policy holder, which is typically a highly upsetting time for the policy holder as they’ve just experienced a loss and are facing many unknowns.  As part of Wolgast’s process, staff members are trained on how to handle sensitive situations.  When there is a large project to tackle, sometimes it’s easy to jump into action without realizing that the policy holder’s world seems to be in shambles.  Having Wolgast’s team members address the direness of the client's situation helps to start the project with trust that they’ll be taken care of.

Other expectations to be met are the scope of work, what will be covered, and what the restored property will look like when it’s finished.  Wolgast addresses this by using Xactimate software and following IICRC guidelines.  A Restoration Contractor can easily set expectations for the cost of the restoration by using Xactimate estimating software as it’s the same software/pricing that the adjuster uses for their estimate.  This takes out the guessing game early in the process.  The contractor and adjuster only have to agree on the scope of work at this point, and the methods of restoration are dictated by the standards of IICRC, also well known throughout the industry.

Furthermore, in the unfortunate case of a total loss, say due to a fire, Wolgast Restoration is part of a team of licensed Michigan Builders that have been in business for 70 years, which includes a licensed architect on staff.  This is an advantage that Wolgast Restoration brings to the table.  A team of this caliber with the knowledge of the insurance industry standards, language, pricing, and policies; plus a skilled construction workforce and architect will complete your restoration quickly, efficiently, and with expected outcomes.

Lastly, Wolgast has established good ratings with all Third Party Administrators with which they work.  The TPAs appreciate our professional and systemized approach to insurance restoration.  Wolgast works hard to maintain their scores with these TPAs and will do the same for insurance adjusters, agents and their customers, so all parties can maintain their respective clients.

The insurance restoration industry is filled with franchised, nationwide companies.  They have come with an established name and a network of connections.  However, based on our experience as a general contractor reconstructing structures after they were damaged, we saw there were areas for time savings to get our clients in their buildings or homes faster.  Being independent gives us more flexibility to tailor our service to each unique situation.  Furthermore, being systemized, employee-owned, and having an experienced construction crew on our team, we provide many benefits to quickly mitigate, clean, and restore your property following a disaster, getting our mutual clients in their building faster and the restoration project closed earlier.

As we started planning for our restoration division, we had to face the barriers associated with being a start-up and an independent contractor.  However, we had many things already going for us to enter into the industry and enough exposure through our previous reconstruction projects to know how we’d like to change things in our market to set us apart from our competitors.  First off, we were already a systemized company and could apply the same planning to create a seamless flow from our restoration services to our construction services and streamline the process, making it quicker for residential or business owners to get back into their home or building. 

Also, we are an employee-owned company which leads to many advantages for attracting quality staff and also to provide an elevated level of customer service.  Our employee ownership program makes each staff member vested in the success of the project, so they will make you look good in the eyes of our mutual customer.  We have 130 staff members, giving us the ability to do much of our work in house, and to accommodate large loss projects easily.  Additionally, being paired with a construction company gives us ready access to back hoes and two-ton dump trucks which can make work move along quicker.

Additionally, we had the flexibility to add services that aren’t common among many restoration companies.  Those include content cleaning, storage, and re-construction.  We have two storage warehouses to take on multiple content storage projects, if needed, and our construction division has almost 70 years of experience in commercial and residential buildings, with the ability to design and rebuild damaged structures.  Over the past 69 years, Wolgast has done its fair share of reconstruction after a fire, vehicle impact, or flooding.  We could see that there were delays that prevented us from starting our work as we waited for paperwork to be filed and the project to be handed to us to start construction, based on an additional company being introduced to the mix.  Now, by being on the same team, communication with the insurance company can take place earlier, plans can be drawn, materials can be ordered, contractors reserved, and the process can run more smoothly to get our customers in their building quicker.

We are interested in being added to your approved vendors list.  Please contact us for information, 888-WOLGAST.  This is also our 24-Hour hotline for emergency calls, should your client need our services in an emergency.