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About

AMPM alternative roadshows will be touring the FMB regions this summer. Details will be available shortly and invitations will be sent out by your Regional Director.
 

Members will be familiar with requests to prepare detailed insurance estimates for the repair of damaged building-related works only for the insurance companies (or their loss adjusters) to simply award the contract to their own preferred suppliers.

 

Even when the policyholder wanted an FMB member to carry out the works, or insisted that their contractor should be appointed, insurers frequently offered a lower settlement which rendered the job unfeasible for the contractor.

 

Recognising this problem the FMB has established a strategic alliance with the AMPM Loss Adjusting Group which makes FMB members AMPM’s Approved Network Contractors if they wish to be appointed. This will guarantee that the FMB member will be awarded the contract - subject to price and qualification for the new FMB 'Build Assure' two year warranty.
 

How insurance claims typically work

To fully understand the concept and benefits of the 'AMPM Alternative' it is important to know how an insurance claim generally works:

 

Typically a policyholder will discover a problem such as a leak, weather related damage, fire damage etc., and will contact their insurers. The standard response from insurers (depending on the estimated size/value of the claim) will be to instruct their own team of professional claim managers/loss adjusters/handlers to deal with the claim and ask the policyholder to obtain two estimates to repair the damage.

 

No assistance is usually available for the policyholder to explain what is covered on their policy. Even the contractors who the policyholder contacts to obtain an estimate may not have any real knowledge regarding the scope of works covered by a particular policy. Claims are therefore frequently submitted with insufficient details resulting in lower estimates.

 

An appointment will usually be made by the insurers for one of their representatives, (a claims management company, loss adjuster or in some cases a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance company) to visit the policyholder to assess the claim. The role of the insurer's representative is to save the insurer money, and a typical tactic is to offer a lower settlement figure to a policyholder for speedy payment. In nearly all cases this is against the policyholder’s best interests. The insurer's representative's instructions are normally to:

 

  • Repudiate (turn down) a claim if possible under the terms and conditions of the policy.

  • Adjust the claim in terms of the items which in the opinion of the insurer's representative are not covered under the claim.

  • Where possible 'adjust' the claim value.
     

The 'AMPM Alternative'

AMPM responded by introducing the 'AMPM Alternative' which is a simple reversal of what already exists relative to insurance claims handling - with one main difference - AMPM works as a Public Loss Adjusters for the policyholder NOT the insurance companies or their representatives/loss adjusters etc., ensuring the full entitlement under the terms of their policy.

 

It provides the same level of professional help and advice to the policyholder AND if they use the 'AMPM Alternative' in its entirety with the reinstatement building works carried out by AMPM's appointed contractors, which will be FMB members, AMPM provide their services free of charge to the policyholder. This single change makes all the difference to the way an insurance claim is dealt with.

 

The 'AMPM Alternative' method for domestic and commercial insurance claims handling provides FMB members with these benefits:

 

  • Guaranteed award of contract - subject to price and qualification for the new FMB ‘Build Assure’ two year warranty.

  • Working for the policyholders NOT the insurers via the AMPM Alternative resulting in satisfied customers.

  • Full payment protection to FMB members on the Policyholder's behalf via AMPM's regulated FSA Client Account from insurer settlement funds.

  • Referral scheme for introduction of insurance claim clients to first on scene trades.

  • Satisfied customers, which frequently results in referral for other building works that are not insurance claim related.

  • AMPM deal exclusively with the insurers allowing the FMB member to concentrate on the building works.

  • Full specification schedule prepared by independent national surveyor network under contract is delivered by AMPM to the two local FMB Regional Project Managers for itemised pricing – the lowest competitive bid is submitted to insurers for approval and AMPM are solely responsible for the appointment of contractors.

  • A common sense approach to a traditional area of building works with qualified and vetted contractors all working under the AMPM Alternative banner.


How an 'AMPM Alternative' claim works

 

  • A claim will be identified by a policyholder, first on scene tradesperson, a contractor, a broker or anyone else who is aware of the 'AMPM Alternative'. As a result AMPM are referred and contacted by the policyholder. AMPM will re-confirm what they are able to provide and the terms of business and the policyholder will appoint AMPM as their 'attorney' to deal with the claim.

  • The policyholder's details are entered into AMPM's claim management database system by AMPM’s claim handlers and the initial site survey documents will be sent to UK Surveying Ltd., an independent nationwide surveying group. They will send a surveyor to each claim event with an estimated claim value of £2,500 or more (below this level the claim is dealt with as a 'desk top event' usually on a direct basis with the FMB contractor as the point of contact for the policyholder).

  • The UK Surveying Ltd. qualified surveyor, who is independent of AMPM, the policyholder AND the insurer or their representative, will prepare the schedule of works required to return the premises back to the pre-loss condition. The main difference is the party who are instructing them and the instruction relative to the scope of works.

  • The standard instructions from insurers or their representatives usually given to the surveyor is to minimise all aspects of the claim and reduce the overall claim value wherever possible, with some aspects, in AMPM’s opinion, bordering on creating an ‘unfair’ clause in the policy, all leading to complaints from policyholders – usually directed at the contractor!

  • The completed site survey forms (un-priced) are returned to AMPM to check the survey is complete and they then re-transmit the documents to the two main FMB 'Build Assure' (new name for NRWB / MasterBond) Warranty approved members, who will be licensed as AMPM’s local Regional Project Managers.

  • These Regional Project Managers will be responsible for the project management contracting and/or sub-contracting to the other FMB members in their particular area who will have asked to be included in the AMPM approved contractors list.

  • The Strategic Alliance agrees that any building work(s) resulting from ALL of AMPM’s claim management appointments WILL be via the agreed procedures without exceptions (unless specialised skills and/or services are required from outside of the FMB remit).

  • Each FMB Regional Project Manager will submit a priced site survey using their own local rates, and return the priced ‘tender’ to AMPM for submission to insurers or their representatives for approval.

  • AMPM will negotiate the settlement based on the lower of the two bids submitted by the FMB Regional Project Managers, with the lowest bid winning the contract, subject to settlement agreement negotiated with the insurers or their representatives and the final instruction from the policyholder to award the contract. AMPM will appoint the FMB contractor with the winning bid and agree a start date etc., immediately the settlement is agreed with insurers. Any amendments or items not agreed will be removed from the schedule.

  • The AMPM terms of business include protection to the FMB contractor(s) relative to the settlement of the contract invoice(s), as their FSA regulated Client Account is the designated account the policyholder has instructed the insurers to pay any/all settlement amounts to. This ensures that all settlements are able to be made in a correct and proper manner and without risk.

  • The agreed settlement amount as per estimate (or as amended by agreement with insurers PRIOR to contract award) is the amount to be invoiced by the FMB Regional Project Manager and/or FMB contractor(s), at which time AMPM will cross invoice the FMB member(s) with the agreed professional fee amount which is well within the standard accepted levels for such matters.

  • Upon completion of building works, a satisfaction document is signed by the policyholder confirming the completion of works, and that together with the request for settlement is forwarded to insurers. The current AMPM system for such payment requests to insurers is running at an average settlement period of 35 days from date of request with most well within that period. All payments are received into the regulated AMPM Client Account and immediately such settlement funds are cleared, payments are made to all parties.

  • The payment to the FMB member who invoiced for the contracted building works is made net of the agreed AMPM fee. The appropriate AMPM invoice back to the FMB contractor is attached to the payment, or if such payment is sent via BACS, by 1st class mail and email. This provides a full audit trail with total transparency available to insurers should they choose to recommend AMPM to their policyholders and they use the ‘AMPM Alternative’ as well as any other authorised person.
     

How this benefits you 

There are several advantages available to FMB members, from being the 'first on scene' emergency call out tradesperson. Any FMB member who wants to be part of the AMPM approved network should simply advise their FMB Regional Director and their name will be held on a regional database by the FMB. This will be available to the 200+ Regional Project Managers which AMPM will license.

 

A specific post code territory license to appoint two Regional Project Managers per area is agreed. Any 'first on scene' tradesperson will be given the opportunity to be the particular firm relative to their trade on any successful contract being awarded by AMPM to the FMB member.

 

Any 'first on the scene' tradesperson will be given the opportunity to be the particular firm relative to their trade on any successful contract being awarded to the FMB member.

 

No longer will any requests for estimates be a waste of the FMB member's time! Subject to the normal price and availability aspects on any contract, AMPM has agreed that the works will be carried out by FMB members and will carry the two year FMB Build Assure warranty, thus guaranteeing wherever possible the work to an FMB member.

  

Full support and a professional insurance claims management team provided by AMPM allow the FMB members to concentrate on their own particular skills, and leave the insurance aspects to AMPM, resulting in a more efficient and cost saving relationship which some FMB members have already experienced including:

 

  • Lee Goodwin at Oakleafe Property Services Ltd., in Dagenham

  • Stephen Loy at Stephen Loy Construction in Edinburgh,

  • Gareth Guiver at Distinction Property Services Ltd. in Bristol

  • Phil Roach at Roach Brothers in Surrey are already Regional Project Managers are are recommending the 'AMPM Alternative' to their clients.
     

 

AMPM - 3 Month Free Trial for FMB Members
The FMB's partnership with AMPM Loss Adjusting Group enables FMB members to become part of an approved network of contractors dealing with insurance claims. AMPM will waive the licence fee for the first three months for FMB members.

If you would like to find out more about the AMPM way of dealing with insurance claims, please call 0800 043 4999.