Mastering Loss Control: Maximize Your Visit

What feeling do you get when you learn that your insurance company wants to do a loss control visit with your roofing company? Hopefully, a loss control visit would be met with high expectations of a collaborative relationship between your organization and the insurance company, however, we’ve found that most roofing contractors are skeptical and even worried about what will happen during the visit. These feelings of skepticism and worry are completely normal and why I wanted to write this article. If you have any concerns about the loss control visit, don't hesitate to reach out to your insurance agent for more information and guidance.

What is a loss control visit?

First, let’s talk about what a loss control visit really is and why the insurance company would want to perform one. Simply put, a loss control visit is a meeting between a roofing company and the insurance company to learn more about the roofing company and assess potential risks. The ultimate goal of a loss control visit is to help the roofing company control losses, which is the most effective way to contain insurance costs and maximize profits. The majority of the time this is an in-person meeting that happens at the office or shop of the roofing company and might continue in the field at one or two job sites. Loss control visits could also be done over the phone in certain circumstances. By working together with underwriters to control losses, both the roofing company and the insurance company can save time and money.

There are a few different reasons for the visit, but the underlying theme is to help the roofing company reduce the risk of injuries and accidents within their company. They also can be utilized by the insurance company to help in pricing of the insurance policy and where to guide the roofing contractor for improvement. Sometimes the visit is set up before the insurance company even issues a quote for coverage or after you’ve had a large accident or claim. In order to maximize the benefits of the visit, it is important to have self-inspection checklists and other training and resources available to identify and correct hazards and prevent accidents.

Unfortunately, most people have heard a story or experienced a loss control visit that wasn’t productive or collaborative which has led to the common skepticism and worry about these visits. Too often, these visits can be pencil-whipping check box visits where the loss control rep is just checking items off a list without offering much help or guidance. However, with special considerations for workplace injuries, such as utilizing loss control consultants, these visits can be more effective in identifying potential hazards and finding solutions to prevent injuries in the workplace, including evaluating the company's hiring, selection, and training practices. Additionally, loss control visits can also provide valuable driver training and resources to help improve safety on the roads.

One key to remember is you are already paying for loss control services with the premium that you pay for the insurance coverage. Whether it is your General Liability, Property, Auto, or Work Compensation company that is doing the visit with you, their loss control services are already built into the price that you’re paying. This is especially important for commercial general liability policies, as loss control measures, such as fire safety guidelines, can greatly benefit both the policyholder and the insurer.

Six tips for maximizing your loss control visit

1. Understand the Purpose of Visit – When asked by the insurance company to set up the visit, ask for clarification on what the insurance company wants from the visit. If they are looking to learn about a specific part of your operation or the equipment you use? Perhaps they want to help mitigate any fire hazards in your shop? Whatever it is, understanding the insurance company’s purpose will set the meeting up for success and allow you to engage them in helpful conversations around those topics. 
2. Who, How Long, and Where – Along with understanding the purpose of the visit make sure to ask who will be performing the visit, how long they expect the meeting to take, and where they would like to go.
3. Make it Your Priority – Sometimes schedules don’t align perfectly, but as the leader of your organization, making the loss control visit your priority is vital. If your insurance company is coming to help your company out don’t you want to be the one to hear what they have to say and offer the appropriate information to them? 
4. Engage your Agent – Some insurance companies are better at informing or involving their agents in the loss control process. That said, many times your agent won’t know that the visit has been scheduled, so whenever you get asked to have a visit done, contact your agent to discuss it with them. They may be able to join you for the visit or at the very least help you before or afterward the meeting. Remember they are your advocate to the insurance company and will be able to help during this process. 
5. Be Prepared – Before the representative comes to visit with you, inform your team and ask if they have any questions they’d like you to bring up during the visit. Chances are no one on your team will say anything, but by asking them, you are including them in the process and helping to foster the safety culture you desire to have. You also should think about the insurance company’s purpose for the visit and what information you can get from them to benefit you the most in that area. 
6. Keep an Open Mind – Lastly, please remember to keep an open mind with the objective of the meeting and with the loss control representatives themselves. I wish all representatives would “wow” their clients with their experience, knowledge, and charm however, the reality is they do not know the inner workings of your business as well as you do, and while some representatives may get into preaching or even scolding mode, check your emotions to not take what they are saying personally or worse close off to them. Take the helpful nuggets from the representative that you can use and politely offer a different vantage point to them if needed and when appropriate. 

Like most of the advice we give to roofing companies, the more prepared you are for a loss control visit the more successful the visit will be and the further ahead your company will be for it. With practice and attention to the bigger picture of loss prevention and risk reduction, loss control visits can become an integral part of your company’s success. As a business owner, it is important to have liability insurance coverage, such as sexual misconduct or employment practices liability, to protect your company during a loss control visit. When preparing for your visit, be sure to have information ready about your company's operations, including the number of employees, hiring and training practices, and employee responsibilities. This will help the consultant better understand your company's risk factors and provide tailored recommendations for improvement.