Karen Lilley's Journey at Polygon UK

How long have you worked at Polygon???

It’ll be seven years in December. Time has really flown by.?

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What was it that made you apply for a job at Polygon???

I was completing a teacher training course and decided it wasn’t really for me. I saw this company called 'Polygon' did a bit of research and really liked what they did, helping people that had suffered damage to their homes, I applied for a temp role, to see if I liked it. I didn't just like it, I really enjoyed the role and the business as a whole a couple of months later I applied successfully to become a Claims Handler.?

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How did your job develop as a Claims Handler???

I received a lot of cross-training in various departments, learning a huge amount about the different business areas Polygon operate in. I really started to understand what Always By Your Side means, for our clients, their policyholders and my colleagues.

I became a trainer in the Contact Centre, helping new colleagues to learn from where I started. It's a really enjoy seeing people learn and grow into their new roles, some of the first things we talk about are our core values, Empathy, Integrity & Excellence, these run through everything to do here at Polygon.

The role involved side-by-side training, classroom training and the starter presentation to all the new colleagues that came into the Contact Centre. In October last year, I had the chance to moved to Customer Services, everybody gets the opportunity to apply for different roles across the whole organisation. I'm still training the new employees today. ??

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So, you were involved in a few different roles, how did you find that? ?

It's great to be involved in lots of different areas of the business, it has allowed me to grow as a person, learning new skills and I hope in some way helped the business grow as well. As the company grows there are always new opportunities coming up, there is a career path for people at Polygon. ??

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As a Claims Handler, what was your role during the surge? ?

We're here for the policyholders as a point of contact, it can be a really distressing for people, most have never been in this type of situation. It's a Claims Handlers job to help them feel safe in the hands of Polygon and that they have control of what's happening but not having to organise everything themselves.

A surge is a very busy time, the team really come together to support one another, making sure everybody is supported and nobody gets left behind, especially if they've never experienced a surge before.?

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Was there any case that was particularly memorable???

There are many over the years, every claim we handle is different. For me it's about helping vulnerable customers, imagine a cold-water tank bursting in your loft, it causes a lot of damage. When the claim has finished and their property is returned to their home, that is real job satisfaction. When we've worked with the folks in the field and help the customer come through the other side, I can reflect on a job well done. ?

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Did you enjoy working during the surge?

Yes, it's the time when all the training Polygon offer really starts to show, it's about the team around you and the policyholders. The Always By Your Side motto comes to life.

The most recent surge in December and January wasn't in one area it was spread into different regions, which can be a challenge. Making sure we have a plan and keeping the policyholder up to date is really important, that is the focus during these events. ?

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What do you prefer – Customer Services, or working as a Claims Handler during a surge? ?

It makes no difference, we're a team and we work together to help each other. There are different stages to a surge event, when it starts everybody is on the telephones taking calls, logging new claims and monitoring the emails, working to get the field teams to policyholders as quickly as possible.

Once where though that initial stage, which can be 4, 5 or even 6 times more claims than we would normally receive, then focus can turn to those customers that feel they haven't received the best service, we're not perfect, so then I can put my Customer Service skills to good use.

The aim now is to make sure the policyholder receives the best solution for them and they remain faithful to their insurance company and our reputation with the insurer grows. ?

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Are there any other departments you’d like to work in???

All of them, I’ve experienced most roles, apart from sales and finance. There are more business units being added all the time with lots of new a different roles where I could use the skills I have or develop new ones. ?

Polygon is a really exciting business, I would encourage everybody to apply for new roles and gain new skills and knowledge.

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When there is another surge, will you go back???

There's only one answer to that 'Yes', we are a strong team at Polygon. We use as phrase 'Don't Walk By'. If you can help somebody or do something to improve the experience of a customer then do it. If my skills can be put to good use then I'm happy about that.?

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Can you predict when the next surge will be??

No, what we can do is to be prepared, surges are usually caused by flooding - you know as well as I do that the British weather is unpredictable. One week, we could have a complete deluge and next, there'll be nothing. They’re generally in winter, but you just can’t tell. With changing weather patterns, we get a long dry spell in the summer, then some heavy rain this has created surge situations in recent years.

What I can say is that when a surge arrives, or in business as usual, Team Polygon will be Always By Your Side. ?