Jacek Nowotarski: The scale of the disaster was indeed beyond any expectation. From May to July 2010 alone, we registered some 4,000 property damages, which was more than the number filed in the whole of 2009!
A year after the floods
Last year's flood was a disaster on an unexpected scale. Some people in southern Poland lost everything they owned. Did Allianz have to take any special steps so that claims could be settled without delay?
We had to introduce special procedures. Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to help on time. We started by employing external claims adjusters and sending them to the flooded areas. Then we trained motor loss adjusters in property claims and secured support from other Allianz units in the country.
The staff worked non-stop, also on weekends. In places where water didn't allow prompt inspections, we decided to use simplified procedures to pay out unquestionable claims made by phone or e-mail. Customers who were affected worst received an advance payment from Allianz to cover the most urgent expenditures.
Jacek Nowotarski, Head of Allianz Polska's Claims Center for Southern Poland: "Customers need advice on how to better protect themselves"
How did customers react?
Nowotarski: People reacted in many different ways – for some it was one of the greatest tragedies in their lives, and some took it more calmly saying that a good drying and clean-up would do the job. Others just needed to talk to someone about their ordeal to get the feeling that they were being taken care of in some way.
There was one customer whose ground floor was under water, and he was trapped in the first floor with no access to any data concerning his insurance or even bank details. Since the customer needed the money urgently, his loss adjuster contacted his Allianz agent and asked for the client's bank account number from which insurance premiums were usually paid. In this way an advance payment could be sent to him without delay.
Floods in Poland: "The scale of the disaster was indeed beyond any expectation"
What lesson did you learn from the event?
Nowotarski: Sometimes you should expect the worst and be mentally prepared. We observed the constant rain that started in April and assumed that it wouldn't get better. So our employees were ready and able to get through three waves of flooding that had them working overtime for five months.
It was also important to show our customers that we care for them and can be flexible under extraordinary conditions. This was reflected by the results of our Net Promoter Score, a method Allianz Group uses to measures customer satisfaction. Compared to before the flood, our score rose by 6 percent.
What is more, we figured out that our customers need advice on how to better protect themselves and their property against floods. Therefore, Allianz Polska prepared an information brochure that was directed to customers living in high-risk areas.
Are you still in touch with the customers who suffered from last year's flood? How do they evaluate Allianz's help?
Nowotarski: We are mainly in touch with customers who, having finished their home renovations, hand in further claims or with those who don't agree with our decisions and appeal against them. However, having received damage compensations, most of our customers have repaired their houses, and we hope they were able to recover from those awful days, remembering that Allianz fully kept the promise it made.
Was there any danger of flooding again this year?
Nowotarski: In mountainous regions like in southern Poland the risk of flooding is always higher because of slopes and impermeable ground. Rainwater flows directly to the valleys, quickly increasing water levels in the rivers. Additionally, any kind of obstacles in the river beds - like a fallen tree - together with heavy rainfalls can cause sudden inundation.
Progressive urbanization in those areas and faulty drainage systems make the risk even higher. This year, unfortunately, some regions were flooded again, but the scale of damages was much lower.
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