When disaster strikes, homeowners usually look to their insurance agent for guidance. They don’t want a call center. They don’t want a stranger in another city making decisions about who shows up to their home. They want the person they trust—their local agent—to step up with real help.
Unfortunately, many carriers push agents to funnel every claim through “claims central.” It sounds streamlined on paper, but here’s the sad little secret: once the policyholder is routed there, the agent loses control. A desk adjuster many miles away decides which contractor gets the job, and nine times out of ten, that contractor isn’t selected for their reputation in the community. They’re selected because they’re cheap, compliant, and willing to prioritize the carrier’s bottom line over the customer’s experience.
That’s a dangerous gamble for any agent who cares about retention.
The Problem with Outsourcing Trust
Let’s be honest: restoration work is personal. The homeowner isn’t just dealing with water in their cabinets or smoke damage on their walls, they’re stressed, vulnerable, and expecting their trusted insurance agent to have their back. When the agent punts that trust to a corporate call center, they’re effectively telling the client: “I don’t know who’s coming. Good luck.”
That may work out… but what if it doesn’t?
If the out-of-town vendor cuts corners, drags their feet, or treats the homeowner like just another claim file, who does the policyholder blame? Not the carrier. Not the contractor. They blame the person they actually have a relationship with, their agent. And if the frustration is big enough, the policyholder won’t just cancel a policy. They will shop for a new agent.
Local Control = Accountability
When agents partner directly with local, vetted contractors, the equation changes entirely.
- The agent stays in control. They know exactly who they’re sending into their policyholder’s home.
- The contractor is accountable. If the work is poor, sloppy, or delayed, the agent won’t refer them again. That reality keeps standards high.
- The client sees alignment. The homeowner feels cared for because their trusted local agent connected them with a trusted local restoration company.
- This is relationship-based protection. And relationships are what keep clients loyal to their agents year after year.
- And usually, the contractor makes the agent out to be the hero.
What’s Really at Stake
Insurance carriers want consistency and lowest possible price for the claim. That’s understandable. But agents live and die by trust and referrals. Every policyholder interaction is a test. Pass it, and the bond deepens. Fail it, and the client starts Googling other agencies before the claim is even settled.
When an agent defaults to Claims Central, they’re putting their client relationship on a roulette wheel. If the roll lands poorly, the cost isn’t just a bad restoration job; it’s a lost client and possibly lost renewals across their entire household.
In my 30+ years in this industry, I’ve watched too many policyholders get burned because their agent handed them off to a call center four states away. The contractor that showed up—cheap, careless, and desperate for the next referral—wasn’t worried about the homeowner, only about keeping the pipeline of jobs flowing from that call center.
A Smarter Path Forward
Smart agents protect their clients by keeping referrals locally. They build partnerships with restoration contractors they know, like, and trust. They make sure their policyholders get not just “a contractor,” but the right contractor.
At Team iDry, we understand that accountability flows both ways. If we don’t perform to your standards, you won’t call us again, and that’s exactly how it should be. That accountability makes everyone better. More importantly, it keeps your client looking to you as the trusted professional who has their back in their hour of need.
Bottom line: Don’t hand your relationships to a call center. Keep control. Stay local. Protect your clients, and in the process, protect your agency.
Author: R Wagner, Co-owner TeamiDry, LLC
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