In the ideal world of restoration contractors, every insurance payout for the jobs they’re working on goes directly from the provider to them, skipping the policyholder completely. Unfortunately, sometimes insurance payouts end up with policyholders, complicating payment collection. If you’re a restoration contractor that’s faced this problem before, here are some tips from OCS Senior Operations Manager, Kaity Zittel, and Customer Care Team Lead, Belle Morgan, on how to avoid insurance funds ending up in the hands of policyholders and how to get funds returned to you if that happens.
The easiest way to ensure insurance funds go directly to you is to have your customers sign Assignment of Benefits paperwork at the beginning of the job. This legally-binding agreement requires providers to direct claim payouts to you instead of the policyholder, making the payment process more seamless for both you and the homeowner.
AOBs have restrictions in Florida and are not permitted in Texas. For restoration businesses in those states, Direction to Pay, a non-legally binding request, can be used to increase the chance of the insurer sending funds directly to the contractor.
Clear and upfront communication can help prevent a lot of headaches in the event that carriers send a claim payout to the customer. Help your customers understand early on that their insurance policy is intended to cover the services provided by you as their contractor. “Contractors should have contracts that outline a clear policy that the homeowner is ultimately responsible for payment, so if they don’t want to forward funds from insurance, they’ll owe those funds out of their own pocket,” Kaity says.
Sometimes, even if you’ve done everything you can to get insurance funds to come directly to you, insurance funds get sent to the policyholder. Whether you’re dealing with a third-party claim or you’re in a state with restrictions on Assignments of Benefit, here are some tips for how to get insurance funds returned to you:
Often, all it takes to get insurance funds returned to you is to communicate with the policyholder to clear up any misunderstandings about the purpose of insurance payouts.
Other times, the homeowner may have a reason for withholding payment. “Sometimes homeowners will hold onto insurance checks as leverage because they have additional concerns about the work that was done,” Kaity says. “It can be helpful to approach these conversations with an open mind to try to reach a mutually agreeable resolution.”
If you’re struggling to get a customer to send insurance funds to you, consider bringing their adjuster into the loop. “If the same messaging is coming from the contractor and the adjuster, this can help to put the homeowner’s mind at ease about sending payment,” Belle explains.
If all other attempts to secure funds from the homeowner fail, consider filing a lien. If you want the option of filing a lien available to you, give the homeowner pre-lien notice at the beginning of the job. This helps ensure you will have initiated the process within the legal timeframe allowed if you run into issues collecting funds from the homeowner down the road.
For tips on how to communicate about liens and pre-liens with homeowners, read OCS’s recent blog article.
For restoration contractors that partner with One Claim, it’s both less likely for funds to go to the homeowner and easier to resolve if it happens. We advise our contractors on what legal documentation and contracts can simplify securing funds. OCS has a dedicated team to contact property owners and adjusters until funds are collected. Our in-house legal counsel helps us ensure we use all recourse options available in your state to our advantage.
Interested in how OCS can make payment collection easier for your restoration business? Contact our team.
335 E Germann Rd #340
Gilbert, AZ 85297
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2024.
Hi there! I’m Connor, the Account Executive for One Claim. My goal is to guide our contractors through the sales process, ensuring you’re equipped with all the information you need to make your decision and hit the ground running once aboard. We view ourselves as an extension of your business and I strive to make the process an enlightening and consultative one.
My career has primarily been focused in software sales over a few different industries but the last few years were spent helping general contractors solve similar problems to what we’re doing here at OCS! Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, cooking and boating during the summer months.
Hello! I’m Nicole, and I’m here to champion for our employees, recruit for new talent, and impact culture at One Claim Solution. I find satisfaction in supporting a memorable employee experience and bring innovation, problem solving, and strategic view to the process. Nothing is more important than our people, and a healthy culture is my top priority! I have had the pleasure of building my career in various sectors, specializing in small to medium size firms focused on high-growth. My experience is centered around driving and implementing change, leading high-performing teams, and driving process improvements. I am excited to make an impact at One Claim. Outside of work, my family and I enjoy getting outdoors as much as possible to explore beautiful Colorado!
Great to meet you! I’m Elizabeth, and I’m the one behind all the emails and advertisements you’ve been seeing. As the Demand Generation Manager at One Claim Solution, my mission is to connect with contractors like you who need our services. I’m passionate about having an impact on others and I bring a wealth of experience in demand generation and marketing strategy to create moments of delight, curiosity, and education for you.
Prior to One Claim Solution, I had the privilege of building marketing departments from the ground up at companies in a variety of industries, including IT consulting, first protection, and healthcare. Personally, I love being outdoors, playing Dungeons and Dragons and board games, singing, and traveling.
Welcome! I’m Alisha, and I’m here to champion your success as the Director of Contractor Success at One Claim. With a passion for helping contractors thrive, I bring a wealth of experience in onboarding, customer service, and account management to ensure your journey with us is nothing short of exceptional.
Prior to joining One Claim, I had the privilege of scaling SMB and Enterprise Customer Success teams at fast-growing SaaS startups. With over six years of experience at companies like Mavenlink, Teamwork, and ServiceTitan, I honed my expertise in building high-performing teams and fostering proactive, consultative relationships. This background has equipped me with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by businesses like yours, and I’m dedicated to helping you overcome them.
Hi there, my name is Eric! I am the Chief Technology Officer here at OCS, spearheading our technical strategy. I have a background in computer science, graduating cum laude from BYU-Idaho with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Technology.
Before coming to One Claim, I served as the Director of Engineering at Slingshot Technology, Inc., a company later acquired by WorkWave in 2021. My professional journey has spanned both emerging startups and established corporations, with a steadfast focus on cultivating high-trust, low bureaucracy teams and innovating technology using agile methodologies.
In my free time, you can find me flying drones, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with my family.
Hello, my name is Cam, I’m the COO of One Claim Solution! I come from a management consulting background (Bain & Company) and hold an MBA from the University of Michigan. I have worked at a wide variety of organizations, from Fortune 500 to small-cap, in an equally wide variety of industries. I have over 15 years of experience in operations and strategic growth, and I have spent much of my career focused on developing high-performing tech-enabled service organizations through early stage and high growth phases.
Outside of work, my wife Brittny and I have four kids, ages 13 to 6. As residents of Mesa, Arizona, we love to ski and explore the national parks of the southwest!
Hello, my name is Dan, and I am the CEO of One Claim Solution. I am super excited by everything we are doing at OCS to be the market leading insurance billing specialist that advocates on behalf of our restoration contractors.
My professional experiences are predominantly corporate in nature. My career started at General Electric in finance and accounting. Immediately prior to joining OCS, I spent time as an investor at Bondcliff Partners and management consultant with Bain & Company. I also hold an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and got my BS in finance and accounting from Northeastern University.
Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time with my wife, two young children, and our family dog, Whiskey. We live in Charleston, SC and take advantage of the beautiful weather by spending as much time as possible outside at the beach or adventuring around town
Hi, I’m Josh! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Jeremy Traasdahl, and I serve as General Counsel of One Claim Solution. Working in the restoration industry, Jeremy and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to see our company grow and to advocate for our clients as general counsel.
Outside of my passion for helping the restoration industry, I enjoy spending time outdoors, fly-fishing, hunting, skiing, and coaching my kids’ baseball teams. I’ve been married to my amazing wife for 20 years and we have a beautiful family of 5 children.
Hey, I’m Jeremy! In 2016, I co-founded One Claim Solution with my partner Josh Ehmke. Working in the restoration industry, Josh and I saw contractors struggling to get paid quickly and fairly and we knew there was a need for change. We founded One Claim Solution to be this change and it’s been my privilege to lead our amazing team.
Prior to One Claim Solution, I started my career as an inside sales rep for Avnet, then moved to Pepsico as a district sales manager. Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife and four children, two boys and two girls!
602-491-2588
