21 Jul Fleet Response: Excellence with Non-Standard Carriers

Oscar Martinez understands the unique challenges facing non-standard insurance carriers as they try to collect payments on auto claims. He is a subrogation claims manager for a company offering minimal limit policies in California and several other Western states. Like other non-standard carriers, his company often works on claims involving uninsured motorists or high-risk drivers who often don’t want to be contacted about a claim, don’t have many assets, and may have multiple moving violations, a DUI, or an inconsistent work history.

For Martinez, partnering with Fleet Response is essential to his employer’s success with collections. He has partnered with Fleet Response throughout his 10-year history with his company. Having built a personal relationship of trust with the Fleet Response team, Martinez is excited to see even better services on the horizon as we continue to advance our capabilities.

THE FLEET RESPONSE “SECRET SAUCE”

Martinez works for a carrier that is relatively small, with an in-house subrogation team of only five employees.  They refer most of their uninsured motorist files to Fleet Response as a third-party vendor because they know Fleet Response has the manpower to go after those kinds of claims.

“Fleet Response takes an aggressive approach, which is essential with our clientele,” explains Martinez. “It is often difficult to get hold of people at the onset of a claim, so it’s important to attack early and attack often – and that is what Fleet Response does, particularly when it comes to uninsured motorist claims.”

But Martinez says there is more to the story when it comes to how Fleet Response achieves success in recovery efforts. “Fleet Response takes a creative approach. That’s so important in the non-standard carrier industry. When trying to recover funds from people who don’t have a lot of assets or bounce from job to job, Fleet Response does a really good job understanding the other party and what they go through day-to-day. They don’t just ask for a $10,000 check. They are very down to earth, saying ‘Let me help you.’ They discuss a payment plan and say things like, ‘We know you have bills, a family, car payment and rent. What can you contribute each month?’ Then they set up a realistic plan to get consistent payments. Fleet Response is able to get recovery when the chances seem slim to none.”

ADD TO THE MIX: FLEET RESPONSE’S ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

Martinez acknowledges the growing role of technology in the subrogation business. For example, the membership-driven, not-for-profit online platform Arbitration Forums Inc. has helped carriers and vendors like Fleet Response to have a one-stop-shop for more interactive sharing of file documents as well as communicating about and negotiating claims.

Martinez enjoys the tech aspect of the subrogation business and is excited to integrate the Fleet Response VISIBILITY tool, a web-based portal providing real-time access to data and analytics – including subrogation and collections efforts along with results.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS + TRUST

The relationship with Fleet Response as a subrogation partner goes far beyond email exchanges. Pre-COVID, Fleet Response’s Arbitration Manager, Lucy Avsharian, would visit Martinez and his team once or twice a year – and they keep in touch by phone or Teams meetings as well. “I like to put faces to the names. We don’t have a long list of vendors and for us, less is more,” says Martinez. “Fleet Response is important to us, as we don’t have an alternative for non-litigation claims. They’re invested in us, and us in them. They handle our files with care, and they know our process.”