In the wake of the severe storms that smashed large parts of Victoria in June, Suncorp’s Disaster Response team has been surveying the epic scale of the damage and has been inspired by the community morale.
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Customer Relationship Manager Tee Ngata has been meeting customers across the affected regions alongside Suncorp’s assessors and builders.
“We were first on the ground in Traralgon, which was hard hit by floods. By door knocking impacted areas we were able to quickly reassure our customers and get those that needed emergency payments into our local GIO store for assistance from our Customer Support Team.
“It’s been unreal hearing some of the stories from the night of the June storm, particularly in the Dandenong Ranges. Customers have told us they were running for their lives as 50 metre tall trees fell around them or sheltering as trees smashed through their homes with only wall frames saving them.”
Fallen trees, debris and other safety hazards have made it challenging to reach some homes for assessment, but we are now well on track to have these completed.
Customer Relationship Manager Tee Ngata
Tee explained the scale of the devastation has made it difficult to access some impacted homes, but Suncorp has been making good progress.
“Fallen trees, debris and other safety hazards have made it challenging to reach some homes for assessment, but we are now well on track to have these completed.
“We’ve been doing dual assessments with builders and assessors and brought in engineers where needed. Every customer has a dedicated client manager to steer them through the process. For some it’s a long way to recovery, but it all helps to make the experience easier and faster.
“It has been amazing to see the community camaraderie. They have welcomed us in from the rain and provided warm food, hot drinks and great conversation. Neighbours who have previously never met have bonded through the experience.
“It’s rewarding to spend time with our customers and bring valuable insights back to the team. It means we are always improving our customer experience and working out what we need to do to help rebuild as quickly as possible.”
Suncorp’s Customer Support teams and assessors continue to mobilise on the ground, and a community forum will be held in the Dandenongs in the coming weeks.
