The damage management industry is embracing new training standards Not everyone is convinced. Caroline Jordan reports.

Are damage management companies nothing but glorified cleaners: cheap untrained mop-pushers?

According to the damage management industry, the sector is being taken seriously.

The leading firms are all involved in initiatives to show they can provide their insurer clients with the highest standards of service.

But, scratch beneath the surface, and is this an industry that is as pristine as its exponents would have us believe? While all firms seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet as far as improving standards are concerned, there is one voice of dissent.

Enter Jeff Charlton, founder chairman of trade body the British Damage Management Association (BDMA).

Charlton, who is also managing director of Hazmat Response, which specialises in international business disaster recovery and hazardous clean up operations, says he is disappointed with standards in the industry.

He says the association, which he set up five years ago, is in a difficult situation. "So much for talk of rising standards. The industry has been dumbed down, largely as a result of bullying insurers.

"As an industry, we have the staff in the UK that have the potential to tackle some highly complex jobs, including asbestos and toxic mould removal. Many of the people within BDMA companies and outside are fantastic, but the insurance industry is far more interested in getting work done at a basic level and at the cheapest possible price."

Charlton says no one in the damage management industry is prepared to speak out, since they rely so heavily on insurers for work.

"Over the past few years, smaller damage management companies have disappeared - they could not get enough work from insurers. "Now we only have a few larger companies getting all the work. But I don't think they will be making huge profits, some may even be struggling."

He argues that damage management companies need to start charging more and make training far tougher. "It is too easy to pass the exams. There needs to be greater emphasis on the skills needed. Too often, insurers arrange for a job to be done by a builder which costs more and is worse for the client."

Best people

But, the disaster management companies insist that standards today are higher than they have ever been. And, while this is not as a direct result of FSA regulation, they say it is because they want to employ the best people and satisfy insurers wanting to provide a first rate claims service.

Bob Spencer is the BDMA's chairman and is also training manager for Rainbow International.

He says: "I want to focus on driving forward the CPD programme, the licensing of training centres and developing links with other industry organisations.

"Insurance companies need to ensure that damage management contractors, who carry out restoration in their name, are delivering the highest professional standards. And the desire to get it right first time, every time, must be paramount to everyone involved," he says.

Currently, the BDMA does not offer in-house training courses, but is looking to license approved external training bodies.

The BDMA education committee is also selecting relevant associated websites to assist members with the learning process.

Meanwhile, BDMA member companies say they are addressing the training needs across the board.

Clare Bye, head of HR for Munters, comments: "All our technicians are BDMA qualified and everyone has a personal development plan.

"Increasingly we are making sure pay is linked to competency and we are also keen to take on technicians who have other qualifications, such as HNDs in building and plumbing."

She adds that a major focus at Munters is management training. "We have the Munters Academy, which is an online resource. We will be doing a lot more in this area this year."

Belfor marketing manager Helen da Silva says her company has a massive internal training programme. "We look for soft skills as well as technical ones. We are also making sure all our call centre people who are on the front line are thoroughly trained, with many of them taking CII qualifications."

Belfor's call centre team leaders - around 10 people - have already taken the FIT qualification. The company says its priority this year is to ensure trainng is available to more junor staff.

Highly technical work

She adds that technicians are trained at the company's UK head office and by a mobile training manager. They can also attend Belfor's training academy in Germany, which deals with highly technical work, including electrical repair.

Da Silva points out that all Belfor's staff are employed directly by the company, rather than working for franchisees, which is common in the industry. She says that this helps to maintain high standards.

However, Bill Lakin, technical training director for Chem-Dry, which has franchised outlets, says high standards of training are crucial to his business and that head office regularly audits all areas of the business.

"We have some very large accounts with insurers and know how committed they are to service standards."

He says the attitude of Chem-Dry's technicians is to go the extra mile.

Chem-Dry has also just opened a state-of-the-art training school at its head office in Beverley. Lakin says: "We will also be providing training there for technicians from other companies in the industry. There have been major training improvements in the past few years and the industry will be all the better for it."

Hard bargain

There is no doubt that insurers drive a hard bargain when it comes to buying services, whether these are loss adjusting, legal services or damage management.

Certainly, some in the motor repair industry say insurers have tried to slash repair costs and independent garages have struggled to make a profit.

But, Harry Rule, property claims manager for Allianz Cornhill, says his company has respect for the damage management industry and pays fairly for its services.

"This is an important industry and we find these companies attend to business quickly and efficiently.

"The quicker they can start work and get a company up and running again - or sort out a homeowner - then the better we can control the cost. "We support the BDMA and believe it has raised standards."

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