28 May Is Documentation Just for You?
You may think this is just another documentation article, and hopefully, you are saying, “I get it; I know how important documentation is.” That’s good, and you are right; a commitment to documentation is one of the best things to be known for, especially in the world of E&O. But please read on….
Often, I will ask agency staff why they document, and the response typically includes the perspective that with so many clients and so much going on with those clients, it would be difficult to remember all of those conversations. This is a good response and definitely true—agency staff seem to be as busy as they have ever been, and I am sure that is not going to end any time soon. But I will give you a different perspective that is equally important.
What if you are away from the office when one of your clients calls in based on a conversation you previously had with them? Let’s assume the initial conversation dealt with the addition the client just put on their home, and you asked for the square footage (and maybe some other details) to be able to update the valuation. One of your colleagues will take that call. Ideally, the documentation in your system reads something like, “Mrs. Jones notified me that they just put an addition on the home, and they are going to call with the square footage of the addition.“ When your colleague takes the call, they can reference the documentation and the conversation with Mrs. Jones and show the agency’s professionalism by stating, “I see the notes that Alice spoke with you last week, and you were going to advise the square footage of the addition.“ If I were the customer, I would be impressed, which reflects the agency’s professionalism. But what if the documentation reads, “I spoke with the insured about their homeowners – they are going to call next week.“ That doesn’t tell you anything, does it? You may know what it references since you put the notes in the system, but it is doubtful your colleague will know.
The bottom line is that this addresses several issues. The main one is that the documentation you put in the system is for more than just you. It is also for any of your fellow staff members who may need to handle that client. How would you feel if you had to deal with a client whose file documentation was less than ideal? So, always provide quality documentation in case someone else handles the matter moving forward.
What does quality documentation look like?
- It should be handled promptly and accurately.
- It must be detailed (who, what, when, where, why, and any open issues).
- It should be generated by the person that had the discussion.
- It should be void of emotion (just the facts – no negative comments about the client).
- There should be no admission of fault.
- The documentation should be in the proper system naming convention so it is easy to find for whoever needs to locate it quickly.
So consider your colleagues when you document – at the end of the day, it is not just about you.