Claims support in an independent P&C agency is not claims handling. The agency does not adjust or settle claims. What the agency does is advocate for the client through the carrier claims process: ensuring the FNOL is reported accurately, following up on outstanding items, communicating status back to the client, and escalating when the carrier is unresponsive. In a clean claims support operation, every open claim has a defined follow-up schedule and the client always knows where things stand. In most agencies, claims support is entirely reactive. This page covers what clean claims support actually looks like day to day.

What broken claims support looks like

A client reports a claim. The CSR takes down the information and calls it in to the carrier. The carrier acknowledges receipt. Nothing happens for two weeks. The client calls the agency asking for an update. The CSR calls the carrier adjuster, gets voicemail, leaves a message. Another week passes. The client calls again. The owner gets involved. The claim is handled eventually, but the client remembers the experience as the agency dropping the ball. The agency had no system for following up proactively. Every update required the client to chase.

What clean claims support looks like day to day

FNOL documented and submitted completely. When a client reports a loss, the account manager documents it in the AMS and submits the FNOL to the carrier with all required information before the call ends. Incomplete FNOLs that have to be corrected later delay the claim and create E&O exposure.

Follow-up scheduled immediately. A follow-up activity is created in the AMS the moment the FNOL is submitted. The follow-up is not conditional on the client calling back. It is scheduled for a defined number of business days regardless of carrier activity.

Status communicated proactively to the client. The account manager contacts the client at each follow-up interval with a status update, even if the status is that nothing has changed. The client should never have to call the agency for a claims update. The agency calls first.

Carrier escalation when warranted. If the claim is not progressing on the carrier’s standard timeline, the account manager escalates through the carrier’s escalation path and documents the escalation in the AMS. The client is informed that escalation has occurred.

Claim closed in AMS when resolved. When the carrier closes the claim, the account manager confirms resolution with the client, updates the AMS record, and closes the claims activity with a complete record of the timeline.

What makes the difference

Scheduled follow-up regardless of carrier activity. Reactive claims support means the client chases the agency. Clean claims support means the agency follows a scheduled timeline and contacts both the carrier and the client on a defined cadence, whether or not anything new has happened.

Documented escalation paths by carrier. Every carrier has a different escalation process. Agencies that document these carrier-by-carrier can escalate quickly when a claim stalls rather than spending time figuring out who to call. This is the operational difference between an agency that is a credible advocate and one that is a passive message-relay.

Client communication at every interval. The client’s experience of the agency during a claim is almost entirely shaped by how well they are kept informed. An agency that communicates proactively — even when the news is that nothing has changed — retains clients after claims. An agency that goes silent loses them.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between claims support and claims handling?

Claims handling is the carrier’s responsibility. The adjuster investigates, values, and settles the claim. Claims support is the agency’s role: reporting the FNOL accurately, following up with the carrier, keeping the client informed, and escalating when the process stalls. Independent agencies do not adjust claims but they are the client’s advocate through the process.

How often should an agency follow up on an open claim?

A standard follow-up schedule is every five to seven business days for active claims and every ten to fourteen business days for claims waiting on client information or third-party documentation. The schedule should be defined in the agency’s claims support workflow and logged in the AMS so any team member can pick up an open claim without losing the thread.

What is the biggest claims support failure in small agencies?

Going silent after the FNOL. Most small agencies report the claim and then wait for the carrier or the client to provide the next update. The result is a client who feels abandoned during the worst moment of their relationship with the agency. Scheduled follow-up — even when there is nothing new to report — is the single most impactful claims support practice a small agency can implement.

For the full back office framework: What a Clean P&C Back Office Actually Looks Like Day to Day

Talk to COVU about building a clean claims support operation for your agency

Based on COVU’s operational experience managing service operations across 50+ agencies and $200M+ in premium.