You've now been working in the Claims Centre for over five years, Nina. How did it come about?

I'd completed my commercial training with an industrial company. Everything in that job revolved around the products, and unfortunately I had no connection with them and couldn't identify with them. That made it important for me to do something in my next job with which I also had personal points of contact. Everyone has insurance, after all – it's part of life. That's why I found the idea of applying to Helvetia exciting. Helvetia is also a well-known employer in the St. Gallen region.

And now you're in our Claims Centre. Which claims do you handle?

I deal with claims for damage to vehicles – everything except personal injury. I also handle claims under other policies, such as private liability, building liability or travel assistance.

Exciting – these are just a few of the areas you've had the opportunity to deal with since you started. Claims are often handled personally over the phone. How do you feel about the contact with customers?

Most of the people who report a claim are very friendly. Many appreciate our personal and uncomplicated service, and thank us for it. And of course there's sometimes a customer on the phone who sees things differently – but you shouldn't take that personally, because a lot of customers get quite emotional about damage to their cars.

Do you need a thick skin in this job?

Now and then, yes – we can't do everything that every customer wants. But most of them are very happy with the way their claims are handled. We feel this most when we're deployed to a hail drive-in.
We've had quite a few of those this year because of the heavy thunderstorms.

How does a hail drive-in work?

When customers report damage, we give them an appointment at a hail drive-in nearby. Most drive-ins are organized at affected locations throughout Switzerland after heavy thunderstorms. Customers bring their damaged vehicles to the halls we've rented, where we welcome them and assign them to an expert for the vehicle inspection. The claim is processed within minutes. The payment is normally made directly on site, and further steps are discussed with the customer.

How often do hail drive-ins take place?

It depends on the weather. We've organized about 15 of them this year. As I'm in charge of hail damage, though, my work is mostly on the organizational side. I'm not often on site. Drive-in teams come from all over Switzerland, staying on site for the whole week. Many stay in hotels overnight. In the evening everyone has supper together, you spend a lot of time with colleagues.

That must be a big contrast to your normal working day in St. Gallen.

Such assignments offer a stimulating change from day-to-day life. But I also have a good time with my team in St. Gallen – we sometimes do something together after work.

You're currently looking for reinforcements for your team. What qualities should new team members have?

Naturally it helps if you're open-minded, and willing to learn all about claims and insurance. The job involves quite a lot of administration, too. The main task is to process claims, after all. Other qualities that are certainly helpful are independence, enjoying communication and being motivated. We would be happy if the new recruit were also interested in doing things together after work. In any case, I'm glad I ended up at Helvetia and have been able to immerse myself in the world of claims here.