Auckland, 25 February 2011 – AA Insurance has begun mobilising its people and resources in readiness for the surge in claims following the February 22 Christchurch earthquake. Calls to the insurer have already begun to increase.

“We have a team of staff arriving in Christchurch this weekend to assist customers in the most immediate need. More staff are scheduled to arrive over the next week, including assessors and personal Customer Managers,” says Chris Curtin, Chief Executive, AA Insurance.

These personal Customer Managers will be going to visit customers on a priority basis. All will be clearly identified as staff of AA Insurance, with branded clothing, hats and name badges, and all will be able to prove their identity.

“We have redeployed people and resources to meet anticipated demand, which we expect to increase rapidly next week. We have been in contact with emergency services and are taking their lead in keeping the roads and other infrastructures around Christchurch free to support rescue efforts,” says Mr Curtin.

Support for the elderly

AA Insurance has a significant number of elderly customers so staff are particularly concerned about those living on their own or otherwise vulnerable.

“As a result of the earthquake last September our personal Customer Managers got to know many of our customers well,” says Mr Curtin. “We know sometimes people don’t want to ‘make a fuss’ by telling others the problems they’re facing. We have identified those who may require special care and have been calling them to establish contact and check on their circumstances.”

Accommodation

“Naturally people are immediately concerned with survival and safety, and the welfare of their families and friends. To this end we have arranged temporary accommodation for people in Christchurch and in other parts of the South Island so they have a roof over their heads as they wait to return to the city. Some customers have asked to leave the city to get some temporary relief from the aftershocks so we’ve arranged accommodation outside Christchurch. And we have already spoken to some customers whose homes have been significantly damaged who wish to relocate to another part of New Zealand,” says Mr Curtin.

AA Insurance staff acknowledge the resilience and strength of the Canterbury community during a time of great difficulty.

“Insurance is all about helping customers to get their lives back to normal as quickly as possible. We are doing everything we can, especially for those people who need immediate help,” said Mr Curtin. “Our job is to attempt to reduce people’s stress by giving them some certainty as to what will happen in the future, as quickly as possible.”

ENDS

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