Agenda

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

NAMIC Claims Registration Open

1:00 - 1:15 p.m.

Joint NAMIC/ICAC General Session - Welcome and Introductions

1:15 - 2:45 p.m.

How to Separate Yourself from 95% of the Competition
Getting new customers is one thing…keeping them is another! In this informative and challenging keynote, you will learn why customers stop doing business with a company or organization, and what to do to avoid these death traps. Customer Service is NOT the answer. The answer is EXCELLENCE…it’s going beyond what’s expected….to what’s possible…it’s all about “wowing” them! You’ll learn why it’s important to “break it” even if it’s not broken, and the secrets of what it takes to separate yourself from the competition by creating loyal customers who are - not just satisfied - but delighted!

Cherie Cross
President
Professional Training Dynamics Inc.
Atlanta, Ga.

2:45- 3:00 p.m.

Break

3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Practical Conflict Resolution Skills
This one is a must because conflict is inevitable! Conflict is assured because people have one thing in common….we are all different …different needs, different interests, different perspectives. The key is resolving it before it goes underground, escalates and negatively affects the bottom line. Many people avoid conflict hoping it will go away, until it reaches a boiling point. Then they deal with it by shouting, blaming, attacking, and in general “going for the jugular!” What we need is an arsenal of choices…strategies for dealing effectively with the “bulldozer,” the “know-it-all,” the “back stabber,” rather than internalizing it, sharing it with everyone else or slamming the door on the relationship. In this realistic, practical seminar we demonstrate how to surface manipulation and defuse contentious tactics. We show the necessity of preliminary work…How important is the issue? How angry do I need to be? Who is this person? If confronting the issue is deemed the wise choice after examining our viable options, then we need to follow the eight indispensable guidelines, be prepared for the five common responses and say it all with TACT AND FINESSE - Because what we ultimately want is cooperation…not resistance!

Cherie Cross
President
Professional Training Dynamics Inc.
Atlanta, Ga.

5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Joint NAMIC/ICAC Reception - in Exhibit Show Area
Join us in the Exhibit Show to network with participants from both the NAMIC Claims Conference and the ICAC Arson Investigation Seminar. Attendees will have an excellent opportunity to interact with exhibitors and peers from around the country. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served.

7:00 - 8:00 a.m.

Joint NAMIC/ICAC Continental Breakfast Provided in Exhibit Show Area

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.

Investigative Process in Claims Handling
The key to handling a claim coverage issue is the reliance on quality, systematic, and thorough investigation. As a seasoned insurance veteran, our speaker will cover the investigative process for a fire claim from the event to the decision. With more than 30 years in a large mutual company's Special Investigative Unit, our speaker has seen every aspect of the process and been involved in the investigation of countless claims. In this session, we will focus on the process that is critical to all levels of claims personnel.

Don Hancock
Executive Director
Insurance Committee for Arson Control
Indianapolis, Ind.

9:00 - 9:45 a.m.

“Arson Trilogy:  Plaintiff, Defense and Jury” Panel Session
See how the plaintiff and defense approach a civil arson trial and hear how the jury ultimately decides its verdict. This presentation will be a lively give and take of ideas, based on an arson/fire case. The well investigated case will have some claims handling issues or errors that could be detrimental, if not fatal to the outcome of the trial. The issues will apply to any property coverage case so the concepts learned will be beneficial to all. You will observe the strategies and legal considerations in litigating civil fire case, with insights into both the claimant's and defense attorney's perspectives.

Craig Simon, Managing Partner
Berger, Kahn, Shafton & Moss
Irvine, Calif.

Guy E. “Sandy” Burnette, Jr.
President
Guy E. Burnette, Jr. P.A.
Tallahassee, Fla.

Stuart Sklar
Attorney
Fabian, Sklar & King, P.C.
Farmington Hills, Mich.

9:45 - 10:15 a.m.

Break in Exhibit Show Area

10:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

“Arson Trilogy:  Plaintiff, Defense and Jury” Panel Session (Continued)
Joint NAMIC/ICAC General Session

12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

NAMIC Claims Conference Lunch Provided in Exhibit Show Area

1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

• Winning Writing for Claims Managers
  Writing skills may not be at the top of your list when you compile your assets for an upcoming performance appraisal. However, when you work with claims, you are often expected to write or even coach others on this vital subject. An added challenge is meeting the needs of audiences who can vary as much as your claims situations do! Designed around a baseball analogy, this workshop will help you score with your paragraphs, sentences, words, and formats. Throughout this session, you will have the opportunity to plan what you will stop, continue, and start doing for winning writing. If your goal is to sharpen the skills needed so you can efficiently and effectively improve your writing for your varied audiences, you will feel like a winner after this workshop!
  
  Linda Comerford
  President
  Comerford Consulting
  Indianapolis, Ind.
• Mediation in Claims Cases
  A mediator and resolution expert will provide attendees with information on benefits that mediation can offer in claims cases, how to prepare for a mediation, how to avoid common mistakes in mediation, and much more.

  Jeff Kichaven, Esq., Mediator
  JAMS, The Resolution Experts
  Los Angeles, Cal.

3:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Break in Exhibit Show Area

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

• Business Income
  This session will offer an introduction to business income insurance and measurement of losses.  Attendees will familiarize themselves with key terms of business income policies, will obtain an understanding of basic accounting procedures on measuring business income losses and the extended period of indemnity, and will learn the difference between extra expenses (EE) and expensed to reduce loss (ETR).
  
  Glenn Ricciardelli, CPA, CVA, CFE
  Partner
  Matson, Driscoll, & Damico, LLP
  Boston, Mass.
• Improving Customer Satisfaction in the Claims Process
  Filing an insurance claim is a critical moment of truth that shapes a customer's overall perception of their insurer. Often, this is the first time the customer truly becomes familiar with their insurance policy. Misconceptions about what is covered by the auto policy, or what to expect during the claim and repair processes can significantly undermine customer satisfaction increasing the likelihood that the customer may consider switching carriers in the future.
  
  While giving the customer everything they desire in a claim is often not feasible, there are tactics people in the claims process can employ to affect a satisfying experience. During this session, you will learn what customers have identified as best practices in the claims process based on J.D. Power's seven years of surveying thousands of insurance customers. Content covered will address every individual who interacts with the customer during the claims process and will highlight best-practice behaviors around: response times; types and frequency of communication; level of detail customers desire; documentation required.
  
  Jeremy J. Bowler
  Senior Director - Insurance Practice
  J.D. Power and Associates
  Troy, Mich.

8:00 - 10:00 a.m.

NAMIC Continental Breakfast Available during Roundtable Session
Claims professionals will facilitate audience participation roundtable discussions designed to reinforce the subjects learned throughout the conference. Some of the topics to be covered include: what it takes to find and be a productive adjustor, how to stay competitive as an employer, how to monitor and encourage employee improvement, how to manage efficiently when staff works remotely, and much more.

10:00 a.m.

Adjourn