Sentry Page Protection

First Claim - York Field Services

You've just received a new claim and we want you to succeed. 

Below is a no nonsense approach to satisfying the request of the client and successfully closing your first claim (or second, third, etc...come back as often as you like).
1. First assignment: What to expect.
2. Initial Contact, Notes and First Timelog Entry
3. Inspecting the Loss
4. Post-Inspection
5. Reporting
CONTACT, NOTES AND FIRST TIMELOG ENTRIES

What you will learn:
1. Contact guidelines.
2. Where to find contact information.
3. Documenting first contact and inspection date.
4. Adding notes to FileTrac and sending emails/alerts.
5. Adding Timelog entries for accepting claim and first contact.
6. What if I can't make contact?
CONTACT GUIDELINES
Contact with the insured, claimant and/or their representatives must be made and documented within the first 24 hours of assignment.
CONTACT INFORMATION
The contact information for the insured or claimant can be found in a number of places. We've already seen how to view supporting documents, which is where you will locate this information the majority of the time, but here are two more ways:
1. Hovering over the insured name in FileTrac will reveal a popup with the pertinent contact information:
2. Clicking the File Number or Claim Number in FileTrac will take you to a screen with additional claim information:
FIRST CONTACT AND INSPECTION DATES
Once you have made contact, you need to document the date of the call and the date of scheduled inspection in FileTrac:
Hovering above the icon represented by a piece of paper, magnifying glass and pencil with your mouse cursor will popup a box where you can enter this information. You can manually enter a date or choose it from the calendar as shown above.

Be sure to click Update to save your changes.
The above email gives you the FileTrac access information and also provides a link to get signed up for access to our adjuster webpage.
ADDING NOTES AND SENDING EMAILS IN FILETRAC
The notes section can be accessed from any claim by clicking on Notes  from the Manage Claims screen in FileTrac.
This is an overview of the notes area. This screen pops up in a seperate browser window when you click Notes from the Manage Claims screen.
Previously entered notes can be viewed by scrolling down.
The file number is always available at the top of the screen to ensure you are in the correct file:
This is the main note area:
Enter your note in the large blank box, if sending an email, make sure the note is formatted with a greeting, message and your signature.
Clicking the Insert Signature button will place your signature in the box automatically.
A clipping of pre-defined text can be inserted from the drop-down.
You can also elect to have a reminder notification appear on your alerts page by selecting a date and time and checking the Remind me box.
Selecting the check boxes will allow you to send emails and choose recipients. Any of the active support personnel on the file as well as all of the York staff can be chosen as a recipient of your message.
You can also elect to send an email to the primary insured or claimant, if in the system. Alternatively, you can enter one or several comma seperated email addresses in the provided box.
TIMELOG ENTRIES FOR RECEIVING CLAIM AND CONTACT
Learning the Timelog is one of the biggest keys to your success with York. Because of our arrangements with our clients, we need almost real-time updates when it comes to your activity in the file. When we designed the workflow for entering your time, we set out to make this process as simple as possible.
First things first, download our documentation for T&E Best Practices and the Approved Activity Guide and print them out, you'll need these whenever your making entries:
Now watch our video to learn all about the FileTrac Timelog:
Okay, now that you have a feel for the basics, lets walk through your first entry:

To access the Timelog in FileTrac, click on the clock icon:

This is an overview of the Timelog entry screen:
First, confirm that you are working in the correct file. There is nothing more frustrating than perfecting your T&E and discovering you put it all in the wrong file.
At the tope of the Timelog Entry screen is the Insured's information and a place to select a date for the activity you are submitting. It is acceptable to backdate by a few days but anything more than a week should be brought to our attention first.
We do not use the billing comments section, so there is no need to enter anything in that box.
Next you will choose the RECEIVED NEW ASSIGNMENT macro from the Macro Template drop-down. These coincide with the activities on the Standardized Activity Guide.
You will see the activity description boxes populate with the pre-approved text. Checking the boxes to the left will populate the notes with the same comments, saving you a step. Note you can resize these boxes by clicking and dragging the corner.
To the right of the activity description boxes are the quantities. Your time entries are measured in tenths of an hour:
.1 = 6 minutes
.2 = 12 minutes
.3 = 18 minutes
.4 = 24 minutes
.5 = 30 minutes
.6 = 36 minutes
.7 = 42 minutes
.8 = 48 minutes
.9 = 54 minutes
1.0 = 60 minutes
Entries are pre-populated, per the Standardized Activity Guide and cannot be increased beyond the amount listed in the guide without approval.

Only billing in tenths of an hour will be accepted.
Finally, clicking the Submit Timelog Entry button will lock everything in.
Now its up to you, add an entry for making contact on the claim using the instructions above.
WHAT IF I CAN'T ESTABLISH CONTACT?
Good question.

Occasionally you will get a bad contact number or in some rare cases, no contact information at all. Here's the steps to take, in order, should you encounter this:

1. Start with the basics. The internet is full of information and chances are your insured's business is online. A quick search will typically yield results.

2. You've searched online, but still have nothing, next try calling or emailing the agent if you have their information, if not, call the DA.

3. Evaluate whether a site visit would yield contact, and then hit the road.

Bottom line, never let more than 24 hours pass without trying all numbers provided and one of the above. If you have not established contact in a few days, and you've exhausted the above, its time to talk to your file manager about sending a contact letter.