Tips to manage angry claimants.
If you work in the workers compensation insurance industry, then dealing with angry claimants is an unfortunate part of your job. While getting yelled at and treated rudely is no one’s idea of a good time, it’s important that you remain in control and attempt to diffuse the tense situation. Here are some of the things that you should remember when handling an angry claimant.
- Stay Calm
Regardless of a claimant’s bad attitude or belittling tone, it’s vital that you remain calm. Getting emotional will do nothing but make a bad situation worse. Do your best not take the claimant’s words or attitude personally and instead focus on appeasing and calming them down. Remember that most claimants are angry because they do not know what’s going on or why certain decisions have been made on their claims. So, listen patiently and allow them to vent. Once they seem to have gotten it out of their system, then you can step in and attempt to explain the situation to them.
- Be Patient
The worst thing that you can do is interrupt an angry claimant while they are talking. Rather than trying to break in with clarifying questions or explanations, let them vent their frustration without interruption. Once they have gotten things off their chest and feel listened to, most claimants will calm down a bit. At this point, you can explain the situation with them rationally and discuss what their options are moving forward.
- Offer Solutions
The last thing that an angry claimant wants to hear is that there’s nothing they can do to address the decisions made on their claim. Fortunately, claim decisions generally aren’t written in stone. Previously denied claims can be accepted later, and vice versa. So, give the claimant options for what they could do to reverse the outcome of their claim. For instance, you can advise them to file for mediation on a denied claim, or submit more information to be evaluated. Whatever the situation, offer them options so they feel like you are actively working to address their concerns. Even if you don’t have an immediate solution, let them know that you will work on it and get back to them with some answers shortly.
Keep these tips in mind when dealing with angry claimants. Do you need further advice with handling workers compensation insurance claims? If so, then contact the experts at PMC Insurance Group. Our dedicated team is ready to offer you the assistance that you need.
