The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance has designed a short course to help claims staff provide empathetic and trauma-informed customer service.

ANZIIF says empathy is crucial in claims handling because it fosters trust, understanding and satisfaction among claimants.

“We are hoping this course is well received by the insurance sector, as we endeavour to understand current concerns and issues in the sector and provide relevant and timely professional development to ensure we are all working together to obtain good consumer outcomes,” ANZIIF CEO Katrina Shanks said.

The Empathetic Claims Management course explores the difference between sympathy and empathy, how to identify and respond to trauma, and what empathy “looks, sounds and feels like”.

The Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby says frustration has been voiced over a perceived lack of empathy shown by insurers during the claims process.

The group is proposing the inclusion of empathy standards and mandatory empathy training in the industry code. “An empathetic approach can transform potentially adversarial situations into supportive experiences, thereby fostering trust and reducing disputes,” it says.

Strata Insurance Solutions claims manager Sue Shandiman says she recently completed ANZIIF’s one-hour course. “It's a vital resource for claims managers striving to improve their handling of sensitive situations,” she said. 

The course is available here.