What sets CR Solutions apart from other CIP Administrators
Does your electrician know the difference between an Owner Controlled and a Contractor Controlled Insurance Program? Does the HVAC installer navigate the ins and outs of their workers’ compensation policy endorsements daily? When asked to calculate the insurance cost expected for a $100,000 contract, does your painter know where to start? Probably not. Fortunately, it is not their job to. The gift of OCIP/CCIP administrators is that these experts in their trade: the electricians, the installers, and the painters, are invited to thrive in their field without the added headache of deciphering what it means to be enrolled (or excluded) from a project with a CIP.
Even still, there are hurdles to jump for a subcontractor to be enrolled and compliant in the CIP (find out more about what a CIP/OCIP/CCIP is for yourself here). That is where our team comes in. The members of each project’s CR Solutions Account Team are here to facilitate documentation as well as project team updates for subcontractor safety and compliance. We walk closely with those same subcontractors to help them achieve their end goal of on-site work that highlights their true talents.
Although this process is not always easy and occasionally takes time, our team is committed to working with both subcontractors and project teams to bridge the gap between insurance “mumbo-jumbo” and safe, compliant, on-site work. Not only do we help project teams stay organized and safe on development sites, but we also offer subcontractors the support and insight needed to get there.
Unfortunately, we are usually delivering bad news to people about things they do not understand. We call them and tell them that the forms they submitted are incorrect or that their insurance is insufficient. These issues prevent them from doing their ACTUAL jobs until they are resolved. They should absolutely hate seeing our name in their inbox or our number on their caller ID. But for some reason, they do not. These subcontractors and administrators are usually frustrated and confused when they call us; however, they are usually laughing and thankful for the chat by the time we are done talking.
There is no reason that we should enjoy interacting with these clients who should hate hearing from us. However, CRS seeks to make every experience with our clients, from project team to office admin, as positive and enjoyable as possible. To complete the basic tasks our contracts require of us, we add these 3 client tasks to our list:
- To Listen
- To Support
- To Connect
To Listen
Often the calls we receive are from clients who simply need a place to vent their frustrations. The electrician we are working with does not know up nor down in terms of insurance. And they should not have to- that is why they hire insurance brokers! Thanks to CR Solutions, your project team does not have to know all this information either. In moments of missing requirements and limiting policy language, we take the time to listen. We validate subcontractors’ frustrations to ensure they feel heard. Although the information we have may still be considered bad news, one of our goals is to create the space our client needs to share their concerns and ask their burning questions.
To Support
A favorite phrase we use often is: “Don’t worry, we will get this figured out.” No, we cannot solve their compliance issue 75% of the time; however, assuring the payroll administrator on the other end of the phone that we on their team gets us halfway there. This little phrase sets our client up to hear our words in a supportive spirit, not a damning one.
Sometimes “getting it figured out” means telling a subcontractor that THEY do not have to figure it out! Reminding a client that we are a support system, just like their insurance agent, gives them permission to not understand all the ins and outs of the insurance world. We are here to support them in connecting the pieces and people so they can do what they have been hired to do…which is rarely insurance.
To Connect
It is hard to love people who do not love you back. It is doubtful that any of the clients we consistently deliver bad news to “love” us, per say. Yet we go out of our way to slow down and connect with them as individuals. Eventually, they come to a place where they trust that we are here to help them, not hinder them. This connection is usually built through tone and language. Issuing collective terminology like “let’s take a look” or “let’s see what we can do” puts us on their team. Affirming their concerns and creating a common point of connection (usually the annoying nature of insurance) gains their confidence and respect.
Nowhere in our official service agreement does it say, “love your client,” but making the choice to love our clients makes the REAL job easier. Our work happens when subcontractors know that our team is here to help them, and project teams trust us to keep their job sites safe. Because of the extra time we take with our clients, both project team and subcontractors alike, they know we are not putting roadblocks in their path but doing what we can to help them clear the way. Next time we have bad news to deliver or must deny access to a job site, these clients will know that we want them to win and that we are not out to undo their success.
We make the choice at the beginning of every day that we WANT to help. We WANT to see our client succeed. By loving them (even when it is hard- I mean, have you ever tried to explain a waiver of subrogation to a plumber?) they are able to hear us when we must be harsh or impede their final goals. Our clients are painters and electricians, not insurance brokers. They are general contractors simply trying to get drywall in place at their condominium to stay on schedule. We understand that we are just a means to an end for our clients…and we WANT our clients achieving that end! Communicating that we want to do everything we can to process enrollments and achieve compliance helps build the bridge to the potential relationship we want to have with each client.
The extra layer of care we offer by listening, supporting, and connecting sets our service apart from the rest. We assure clients that they are more than just a project status conference call or a name on a deficiency report. Loving our clients affirms that we are here to help them, not hurt them.
About the Author:
Beau Lunceford is an Account Associate at CR Solutions and is based out of company headquarters in Alpharetta, GA. Follow Beau on LinkedIn to stay up to date on recent insurance risk management articles and insights.
