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Google is a lousy insurance risk adviser. Here’s why…
In the 24/7 Google-driven world that we now live in, there is no shortage of sites offering advice on just about everything under the sun. Type the search term, click, scroll and you are bound to find what you’re after.
Herein lies the pitfall. We’re also living in the age of misinformation. What if the advice you get off your computer turns out to be wrong? The price could potentially be costly, particularly for SME owners who have come to rely on Google as the default adviser for everything, including insurance.
Insurance company QBE recently highlighted the fact that every business is different and an analysis of the unique risks they face won’t be found on a search engine. “Insurers and risk advisers are ideally the first point of contact for advice about insurance,” says the company’s General Manager for Small to Medium Enterprises, Aaron Gavin.
“Ensuring that you have the right level of cover for the risks that your particular business might face is essential to protect your livelihood. An insurance professional is best placed to provide that advice.”
Unfortunately, our biggest competitor remains the information-peddlers, good and bad, which fill your computer screen. Many business owners appear to still prefer to take the advice of anyone except insurance risk advisers.
A recent QBE survey into the insurance habits of SMEs found just 14.6% of SME companies turned to a risk adviser when they needed risk and insurance advice. But a whopping 40% looked up the internet and more than half got in touch with their accountants or financial advisers, whose expertise isn’t focused on physical risk and insurance.
And here’s the clincher. While so many SME owners and operators turn to Google or professionals with limited expertise, 62% of them believe they probably don’t have the right insurance cover.
Not only that, a similar number admit they have little to no understanding of liability insurance and about half are not sure about the different policies that are available in the market to cover the sort of risks their businesses face.
In a customer case study cited in the survey, a tradie recounted how his risk adviser, by doing a rigid review annually, has kept his business adequately insured with the appropriate liability covers as his operations grew.
He said this regular contact with his risk adviser has built a relationship he has come to value.
As the QBE survey puts it, insurance risk advisers like us can save your business money and give you peace of mind. Our work goes beyond simply arranging an insurance policy.
We tailor policies to meet the specific needs of your business, and we negotiate the best price possible with insurers. And when a claim has to be made, we will be there to help with the complex paperwork.
So talk to us now. Tell us about your business and let us sort out the insurance you need. Or if you’re already one of our clients, you can gloat a little about the peace of mind you’ve achieved!