In November, Sarah Campbell, an external loss adjuster in Crawford’s Darwin branch in Northern Australia, was named Claims Professional of the Year at the Northern Territory Insurance Industry Awards. Recognizing those who have helped to move the insurance industry forward in the region, this award is a great acknowledgement of Sarah’s commitment to making a difference to the lives of the people, businesses and communities that she helps to restore.
Sarah joined Crawford in December 2016. Already a highly experienced claims consultant when she came on board, her career path had also included heading up the claims services of a prominent regional insurance broker.
“I can honestly say that when you compare working across claims, broking and adjusting, being a loss adjuster is certainly the most challenging and rewarding role that this industry offers,” Sarah believes. “I feel like I’m making a real difference to the lives of customers and the diversity of work that the role creates has never left me bored, that’s for sure.”
That diversity ensures that no two days are the same. “Depending on workflow and capacity, the requirements of my job vary greatly each week,” she adds. “As I have always worked in regional branches, travel to out-of-the-way locations is a big part of my working life. For example, a recent loss saw me heading off to a remote part of the Northern Territory, flying over Kakadu in a five-seater Cessna.
“For me, it’s the autonomy of the role that I have, the ability to travel extensively, the diversity of the claims that I deal with and the acknowledgement of the difference that my work can make that are the stand-out parts of my job.”
That ability to make a difference was clearly demonstrated, when Sarah was assigned to a claim resulting from the tragic mass shooting in Darwin on June 4, 2019.
“We were working on two apartments affected and dealing directly with a person who had been confronted by the gunman,” Sarah explains. “We had to be very aware of the trauma that she experienced and take all possible steps to ensure that the work we did was carried out in the most professional, efficient and sensitive manner possible”.
“I am extremely proud of how the insurer, the trades people that worked on the site and the Crawford team worked together to resolve the claims as quickly and effectively as possible, with minimum impact on the affected person. There was a real sensitivity to the way the claim was handled. For me, that is when you truly understand the value of what you do; when you see how it can help people to get their lives back on track even after the most traumatic of events.”
For Sarah, another aspect that helps to set her job apart is the fact that the loss-adjusting sector is currently undergoing a period of significant transformation.
“At almost every stage in the claims process,” she says, “we are seeing new technologies and innovative processes being introduced. That extends from the first notification of loss, with the introduction of self-service apps and digital voice assistants, through to the efficient management of smaller claims via Robotic Process Automation, and the introduction of 3D visual technology that enables insurers to conduct virtual walkthroughs of impacted sites. This really is a fantastic time to be involved in the loss-adjusting sector.”
