Stick to what you know

I would take issue with Neil Courtney's comments regarding claims handling (14 March Insurance Times).

It is precisely because insurance companies are sending in single contractors that they are overspending by over a hundred million pounds per year on small building claims involving, in particular, fitted furniture.

After all, if you were considering refurbishing your kitchen would you call in a local jobbing builder from yellow pages or consult a specialist kitchen company?

Similarly if your prized Lowry suffered water or impact damage would you call in your local painter and decorator to assess the damage? Come on, get real.

Cleaning contractors and jobbing builders should stick to what they know best and insurance companies purchasing departments should allow their inspectors and loss adjusters to use specialist companies to quantify the true value of the fitted furniture part of the building claim.

If any insurance company senior executive reading this doubts the figure of a hundred million pounds plus, then if they would care to contact me, I will gladly furnish home office and fire brigade statistics to prove my point.

Joel Johnson.
Decordoors (M/CR)
Salford

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