An EASY Tip for Any Property Owner
Managing your risk and purchasing insurance is difficult enough without having to make things more complicated - especially during those unexpected dramatic events that occur in life which lead us in having to use our insurance.
For those of us that have a typical homeowners or business policy - following a major fire or theft, a common practice that the insurance companies ask is that the insured fill out an inventory form and list everything that was damaged or stolen. In addition, they'll ask for you to turn in any receipts or canceled checks on those items.
Now try to imagine the trauma of coming home from work one day to find the charred remains of your home and possessions or opening your business one morning only to find that someone had broken in the night before and have taken it upon themselves to steal your merchandise, computers, printers, and other property that you use to conduct your business. OK, can you see yourself standing there in the midst of this tragic event? Now, I'd like you to picture your agent telling you that the first thing you need to do is compile that list of EVERYTHING that was taken or destroyed. Sound like a nightmare?? Well, it will be.
Instead, wouldn't it have been easier create that list beforehand? ( I know what you're thinking: Jerry, when am I going to find the time to create this list? And who really wants to spend countless hours on a Saturday night documenting all our cherished possessions??)
I hear you loud and clear. But in today's technological world - it doesn't have to be like that. Staples would jump in here and say, "Use the EASY button!" And here's how:
Take your smart phone and use it to document your home or business digitally. Take photos of each room and of all your personal business property. Or easier yet, just use the video feature on your phone and walk around taping all of your stuff. Next, either leave it on your phone for future use or upload it to your home computer. A lot of Internet service providers now offer backup space - which is often included in their service for you - to save your personal documents and photos. Here's a perfect place to store your video. And if you have a great agent, bring in a copy to their office.
I ask all my clients that have their homeowners, renters or business policies through me, to document their personal inventory using their smart phones. This way, if the unexpected happens, I don't have to burden them any further by asking them to rack their brains after such a terrible tragedy and try to remember everything that they lost. Instead, we just pull out those photos or video and start the documentation process from there.
A great time to update these photos or video is upon your renewal. If you happen to be my client, this is a tip that you can count on me to remind you to do each year. It only takes a few minutes and saves additional headaches during the claim process - only the best service for our insureds and their families.
Fast. Easy. Building a Strong Shield of Security.
blogged by: jerry usher
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