QBE says its supplier customer charter had its first “road test” during this season’s unprecedented extreme weather events and proved invaluable in helping policyholders recover.

The charter is a set of six standards agreed between QBE and its property supplier network, which sum up what customers can expect from the insurer and its contractors throughout the recovery process.

“The claims experience can be a particularly traumatic time in a customer’s life, particularly in the wake of extreme weather events where a whole community can be affected,” QBE Chief Claims Officer Jon Fox said.

“Our supplier customer charter aims to help alleviate some of the stress by making sure all the contractors who enter their home follow an agreed set of guidelines that work towards making them feel supported and respected.”

The six principles are: respect of the customer’s home, property and privacy; understanding of their concerns and needs; responsive and transparent communication; pride in the delivery of work and services; support and accountability for the customer throughout the process; and flexibility around a customer’s unique circumstances.

QBE is also running bi-weekly video conferences with its suppliers to keep them updated.

“We’ve seeing our suppliers becoming an extension of our business and an integral part of our customer’s experience, which is precisely what we set out to achieve,” Mr Fox said.