Customer dissatisfaction with their service experiences is rising in Canada, as highlighted by the most recent Forrester report. The report evaluated customer experience based on three dimensions: effectiveness, ease, and emotion. 

Unfortunately, Canadians are reporting the lowest levels of satisfaction seen since the report’s inception in 2016. The largest declines in 2024 have been in effectiveness and ease, signaling critical areas for businesses to address. 

Customer service is the backbone of any successful business. It shapes how customers perceive a company and directly impacts their trust and loyalty. Exceptional service builds lasting relationships. This reality is why we believe customer service is more important than ever. At Northbridge Insurance, we understand the critical role it plays in ensuring customer satisfaction and fostering loyalty. This understanding drives us to take proactive steps to address an industry-wide downward trend by focusing on customer needs and committing to service excellence at every turn.

“We know that a claim can be extremely stressful for anyone who has had something happen to their business, building, or vehicles,” says Jon Medel, Vice President of Claims Experience and Quality at Northbridge Insurance. “That’s why we focus on the customer experience – we work hard to streamline the claims process and demystify the perception that it’s complicated and impersonal.”

“It’s not just what we do to settle a claim, it’s how we do it,” he says.

Once a claim is filed, clients are promptly connected with an experienced adjuster to assess the situation and ensure the process advances without unnecessary delays. The primary goal is to help businesses recover quickly and effectively. 

“Shortly after filing a claim, customers are connected with an adjuster who assesses the damage and gets the case moving quickly. Northbridge’s objective is to close the claim as quickly as possible in the customer’s best interest,” says Evan Di Bella, Senior Vice President of Claims at Northbridge.

The role of customer feedback 

Customer feedback plays a pivotal role in improving Northbridge’s service delivery. 

“The customer’s best scenario is our best scenario too,” Di Bella says. “We want to put businesses back in the position they were in before the loss happened.”

To track and improve our service, we actively gather insights from post-claim surveys to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. 97 per cent of surveyed customers stated they would recommend us based on their claims experience. 

“This is a direct reflection of what our customers say about us and how they rate us. To us, customer feedback is where the rubber hits the road,” says Medel.

Feedback channels allow us to review and follow up on customer experiences, like this one from a policyholder in the trucking industry: “All my needs were looked after. The best interest of our company was always at the front of decisions with Northbridge.”

Another customer noted “The adjuster was remarkably easy to reach, always available to address any concerns or inquiries promptly. It is reassuring to know we have such a reliable partner.”

These testimonials reinforce how we focus on addressing pain points and delivering the solutions that matter most to our customers. 

Tailoring solutions for unique businesses 

Every business comes with unique challenges and needs. We address this by offering solutions tailored to the specific industries of our clients, including sectors such as transportation and logistics, construction, and manufacturing. 

“The foundation of the claims process is the same in all cases – investigate, settle and close the claim,” says Di Bella. “The key ingredient is really understanding our customer’s business and how to get them back up and running.”

Empowering our team through training 

Exceptional service begins with well-prepared teams. To ensure that our employees are equipped with the necessary expertise, we place a strong emphasis on education and continuous learning. This is why we created the Northbridge Centre for Claims Excellence, which helps the Claims team continuously develop their claims handling skills.

“When Northbridge was created in 2012, we had four basic “101” courses. Now we have more than 60 in-depth courses. They’re all homegrown, not something we buy off the shelf,” says Di Bella.

“For instance, people who take our recently launched residential construction course will know everything about how a home is built,” he says. “Understanding details like this helps us know how to be there for our customers when they need us.”

Our claims promise

We make it our utmost priority to provide our customers with an effective and efficient claims response and are excited to see that our efforts are being recognized by both the insurance industry and our loyal customers.

This year, we were pleased to be awarded Insurance Business Canada’s Five-Star Claims Award. This award is based on interviews conducted with insurance brokers, who rated work quality, specialist expertise, and client service of insurers they had worked with over the past year.

“This award validates all of the hard work we’ve put into consistently providing a top-notch claims experience,” says Di Bella. “Providing best-in-class service is more important to customers than ever, as the effects of climate change appear more frequently and take a greater toll.”

To learn more about our claims experience, visit our claims page, or watch our videos on how you can Re-Claim Your Business here.