Commercial lines brokers face these pain points

Claims service remains a big issue for commercial brokers, say respondents to Canadian Underwriter‘s 2025 National Broker Survey.

Claimants want to hear from their insurers about several matters: the next steps in the claims process, the level of service available to handle their claims, and how their insurance policies cover the various business consequences of any damage.

Commercial lines clients have fewer questions about claims than personal lines clients, says Mathieu Brunet, president of Insurance Brokers Association of Canada, and vice president of MP2B Assurance in Laval, Quebec. “But the complexity is on another level,” he adds.

“These claims aren’t just about fixing a car or replacing a roof, they involve business interruption, liability concerns and financial risks that can have major operational consequences. Commercial clients aren’t just asking for updates, they need clear guidance on timelines, next steps and potential financial impacts.”

All these moving parts mean commercial claims often require specialized or human involvement, Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario CEO Colin Simpson notes. That’s why brokers want to talk with claims adjusters working on the file. Or, as one broker succinctly tells CU’s survey, brokers want “more talking in difficult claim situations, less email.”

Adjuster availability

But, with so many commercial claims going on at once — during a NatCat situation, for example — adjusters’ time is at a premium, Simpson observes. Also, labour shortages affecting claims professionals can exacerbate brokers’ difficulties in speaking directly to an adjuster.

“As market pressures increase for certain insurance companies, adjusters can become very busy, limiting their availability to discuss the status of individual claims,” says Simpson. “The more time an adjuster spends providing updates, the less time they have to focus on actual claims adjustment and progressing the file.

“It’s a delicate balancing act — one that can be disrupted during periods of pressure, such as high claim volumes or when external factors like supply chain issues or staffing shortages slow down the claims process. This can result in delays and added complexity in managing claims.”

Related: What brokers need most from insurers to handle claims crises

Communication lines between commercial brokers and insurers need to be focused and structured, Brunet says.

Business clients dealing with large claims “don’t just need periodic updates,” he adds. “They need clear timelines, expectations, and direct access to decision-makers within the insurer’s claims team.”

CAIB New Edition 1.0 – a New Standard for Broker Education Image

Insights Paid Content

CAIB New Edition 1.0 – a New Standard for Broker Education

Preparing brokers to navigate an increasingly complex insurance landscape.

By 

Sponsor Image

Also, insurers should be offering brokers a claims roadmap, outlining key elements and expected resolution timelines.

Further, insurers should establish dedicated claims representatives for brokers, as some have done already, says Brunet.

“Many large claims still rely on old-fashioned processes that require back-and-forth emails and calls,” he tells CU. “There’s a huge opportunity for structured claims reporting tools that provide regular updates. Additionally, having dedicated claims contacts for brokers rather than relying on general call centers would make a significant difference in how efficiently claims are handled.”

This efficiency would help reduce a broker’s workload, which some in the survey say has become burdensome. “Too much work is being passed onto the broker,” says one survey respondent when asked about job satisfaction. “We are salespeople serving clients but are now forced to be underwriters, data processors and claims mediators.”

Back to school?

Going forward, several brokers indicate they’d like to learn more about “the claims process from start to finish,” as one broker responding to CU‘s survey put it.

Another says this sort of information is best learned through mentorship in the brokerage rather than formal education.

Related: What’s worrying Canada’s brokers now?

Brokers’ increasing role in claims advocacy, particularly in complex commercial claims, means acquiring a more specialized degree of claims knowledge, says one respondent.

“Risk assessment tools based on industry codes, mitigation strategies, loss control reports, compliance guidelines for certain operations [such as] electricians,” one broker writes of the technical expertise required of a commercial broker. “If we help [clients] with a claim, why don’t we know codes, or laws, etc.?”

Advocating for clients has always been a pillar of the broker’s value. In a world in which claims are becoming more frequent and severe, if brokers are willing to take the time and effort required to know the process inside-out, the result will be rewarding for their clients.

Or as one broker in the survey put it: “Response time from insurers during claims has become longer. Clients need to see you provide value then.”

David Gambrill

David has twice served as Canadian Underwriter’s senior editor, both from 2005 to 2012, and again from 2017 to the present.