Lack of Communication: The Cost of Silence During a Claim

July 28, 2026

In our previous blog, (which you can read here) we explored how policyholders are increasingly turning to AI to fill the gaps left by the insurance claims process but AI isn’t necessarily the problem. It’s simply stepping into a space that should not exist in the first place.  

The real issue is communication, or lack thereof.  

With just one claim, policyholders can have any number of loss adjusters, surveyors contractors and specialist experts all turning up to their home or business, none of whom are necessarily adequately explaining who they are and why they are there and what they’re there to do.  

Often when DFA attend a site, the policyholder is already sick of being passed from pillar to post, so when our consultants explain who they are and what they are there to do, it is considerably reassuring. We do this so that both the instructing party and the policyholder know what we’re going to achieve and how that will impact them. 

Weeks of poor communication leave policyholders frustrated, confused and frankly, anxious.  

This isn’t an isolated issue. While there are certainly examples of excellent claims handling, too many policyholders are left wondering what is happening, who is responsible and what comes next.  

The damage isn’t just caused by the loss itself; it’s compounded by silence.  

Communication needs to begin at first notification of loss and continue throughout every stage of the claim. Policyholders need to understand the process, the expected timescales and the phasing of works. They need confidence that someone is managing their claim, rather than feeling they have been left to manage it themselves. 

The problem is particularly evident on complex claims. During the period before liability has been accepted, policyholders are often left in limbo, especially on commercial claims. They find themselves sourcing contractors through Google, attempting to project manage significant reinstatement works and making decisions they have little experience or expertise in making just so that they can feel progress is being made. 

Even more concerning is the lack of guidance around their legal responsibilities for commercial claims. Many policyholders receive little or no advice about health and safety obligations while overseeing a project that falls under CDM regulations. That creates unnecessary risk for everyone involved. 

When communication breaks down, people naturally look elsewhere for answers. They turn to Google. They ask AI. They search forums and social media. While these tools can provide useful information, they also generate more questions, conflicting advice and growing uncertainty. As an industry, we risk losing our position as the trusted source of expertise because we haven’t been present when our customers needed us most. 

Delays only make matters worse.  

The insurance industry often works to its own timescales, but those timelines rarely match a policyholder’s expectations. Claims can take days or weeks to move between insurers, brokers, loss adjusters and contractors before meaningful action begins. 

In fact, brokers have frequently told us one of their biggest frustrations is delivering on their promise to their clients due to not being able to get the ball rolling at the FNOL stage. If communication stalls at the very beginning of the process, every subsequent stage becomes much more difficult. 

We’re also seeing this challenge more frequently within volume adjusting. High caseloads can leave adjusters with little time to provide the regular updates and the reassurance policyholders desperately need. Claims and the policyholders at the hear of them can quickly become case numbers, and communication becomes another task to complete rather than the foundation of good claims handling. Email correspondence is not the same as good communication. 

The solution isn’t complicated, but it does require commitment. 

We need to communicate earlier, communicate more often and communicate with purpose. Every party involved should understand their role, their responsibilities and what happens next. The first person on site should arrive with a clear plan for investigation and translate this to immediate action. Policyholders should feel confident that the professionals around them understand both the damage and the route to recovery. 

Closing the communication gap won’t just improve customer satisfaction. It will rebuild trust, reduce unnecessary frustration and deliver better outcomes for everyone involved. 

Because when policyholders feel they’re heard, the entire claims process improves.