Kiwi insurer Tower is doing everything it can to support customers affected by flooding in Auckland and the upper North Island.
Tower Chief Claims Officer Steve Wilson says, while it’s too early to estimate overall numbers, claims volumes are high and the business expects the floods to be a large event.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected by flooding in Auckland, as well as the wider Auckland community.
“We are experiencing high claims volumes and are taking a number of actions to best support our customers during what we know is a stressful and traumatic time for many. Our job as an insurer is to be there when people need us most. Our teams care deeply about our customers - we’re working as hard and as fast as we can to do what’s right by them.”
Tower customer support update:
- Early this morning we stood up extra resource to support our phone lines and online claims lodgement. We will be adding more resource over the next 24 hours, including support from our call centre in Fiji
- We have had assessors on the ground in affected areas since this early this morning. At present, additional claims assessors are being flown into Auckland to assist
- This evening, we sent over 88,000 emails to our customers in Auckland and areas of Waikato bordering Auckland, to check on their welfare and provide insurance and cleanup advice
- In addition to the 117,000 text messages Tower sent to customers in Auckland, Northland and Waikato yesterday evening, tonight, we’ll reach out to these same customers via text again, to check back-in and provide insurance advice
- In the first instance, Tower is encouraging customers to claim online by visiting tower.co.nz/claims/, with the aim of keeping phone lines as free as
possible for those most impacted and requiring urgent assistance. For urgent enquiries please call the Tower team on 0800 379 372.
Insurance advice following an event:
- If you’ve had to evacuate, only return to your home once it is safe enough to do so – follow instructions from authorities
- Write down a list of everything that was damaged to ensure you don’t miss anything
- If you can access any proof of purchase for items that were damaged, group these together with the above list
- Record the damage using photos and video before you start any clean up. Don’t throw anything you need to claim on away
- Clean up as much as you can. It’s helpful if you have a covered space to start drying out your things – you’d be surprised by how much you can save if they are dried early
- For drying carpet, start by removing everything from the affected area and the excess water, open the windows and doors if you’re able to, to get as much air in the house as possible while you do this. Fans and dehumidifiers will also help dry carpet
- Read your policy wording – you might find out you can make a claim for something you didn’t know. If you’re unsure, do give your insurance provider a call to discuss
what your policy covers, and what the next steps are for claiming - If your home isn’t safe to live in, check with your insurer if you are covered for temporary accommodation. Tower customers are covered for temporary accommodation under their house insurance policy.
- For areas of New Zealand affected by heavy rain, Tower’s blog features helpful advice such as, what to do before and after a flood and what water and flood damage does your insurance cover?
- For areas of New Zealand affected by heavy rain, Tower’s blog features helpful advice such as, what to do before and after a flood and what water and flood damage does your insurance cover?
“We are committed to our customers and are here to support Auckland’s recovery over the coming days, weeks and months. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help,” says Mr Wilson.
ENDS