Penny Black's insurance week

Zurich PR guru Wendy May was thrown to the lions last week, well, to be more precise Nicky Campbell on BBC's Watchdog, to answer accusations of alleged bad claims handling. Ms May told PM that the insurer's claims director would have ordinarily done the show, but because he was on a broker roadshow, she was handed the mantle, admitting that her gameplan was to act "humble, demure and say sorry". One gathers this is known as the anti-Mark Langford approach. However, Ms May was not prepared for two things: firstly Mr Campbell, off camera, asking hypothetically, whether a life company would pay out if a man's wife was found dead at the bottom of a cliff, and secondly her car breaking down at her local station and having to wait for the AA to come out. By the time she got home, a very stiff drink was required.

Speaking of having a drink in times of stress, one of PM's colleagues had an interesting conversation with Graham Burgess, UK technical director at GAB Robins, on his mobile last week. Apparently, the employees of said adjuster were cleared from their office in Great St Helen's, near Bishopsgate, last week after a big truck parked outside and raised fears it may contain a bomb. Fortunately, it was a false alarm, but unfortunately for Mr Burgess, in his haste to get out of the office after the fire alarm went off, he forgot to grab his wallet and had to borrow some cash for a beverage at the local Italian coffee bar.

And finally, perhaps some UK insurers would like to follow the lead of GE Commercial Insurance, which has launched a new insurance programme created specifically for Masonic associations. US agency Thompkins & Company will underwrite the coverage for property, inland marine, crime, general liability, automobile and excess liability.

penny.black@incisivemedia.com