Putting aside the motivation of money, why do you do what you do every day? Is what you do your passion in life? Are you looking to leave a legacy? Do you want to help or support your community and those who are less fortunate? I urge you to ponder the bigger reasons behind why you do what you do. You may not have one off the top of your head, but if you think about it, I bet something will come to the fore.
I know I’ve been thinking more about why I do what I do recently. When I set up The Claims Desk almost 12 years ago, I can recall a number of the reasons why. First of all, I was sick and tired of the corporate rat race, climbing up the slippery pole of management and being made redundant on several occasions. I also was done dealing with endless complaints about the poor service that we were delivering, whether those complaints were against me personally or with the team.
But worst of all, I was witnessing a lot of injustices, such as valid insurance claims being kicked out, devastating people who couldn’t fight back. I felt I could make a difference to the people I’d been serving while working as an Insurance Loss Adjuster — and 12 years later, I’ve proven time and again that I really do make a difference in people’s lives.
Just recently, I served a client who’d had a fire in her flat in London. The insurance company treated her appallingly — considering she could have died in the fire along with her young son — but they didn’t seem too bothered by that. They also didn’t seem to care that she’s a single mum and that she’s physically unwell, even before the fire happened.
They accused her of possibly starting the fire and were very heavy handed with her. This lady didn’t come from a well-off background, and she was receiving benefits when the fire happened. Obviously, from a technical point of view, I was helping her because it’s my job, but this particular case really got to me from an emotional perspective. I could see how badly she was being taken advantage of,
probably because the insurer thought they could get away with it. She had no one looking after her interests at all, and had no idea how to deal with loss adjusters. When I met with her, I wasn’t even sure she could afford my fees at the end of the day, but I felt compelled to help anyway. Thankfully, I helped her get a £25,000 settlement, and she paid the fees instantly. The best part was, she was really chuffed about the whole thing. Cases like hers are one of the big reasons I do what I do, because I can get results that make an astounding difference in the lives of good people who need the help! It’s what it’s all about, really. Take a look at her testimonial on page 3.
Along those lines, I’ve been thinking of aligning my business, The Claims Desk, with another cause or charity. So the same day I wrote this newsletter article, I went to see a small charity called Children’s Burns Trust (CBT). I wanted a degree of synergy between the charity I chose and what we do at The Claims Desk.
CBT are dedicated to providing rehabilitation and support for burned or scalded injured children, as well as prevention and awareness campaigns. We have a lot of different hospitals with burn units in the UK, but not a lot of ongoing support for young children after plastic surgery, or support for their families after tragedy strikes.
So I’ve decided to contribute a percentage of every fee The Claims Desk earns to the CBT. This new initiative goes back to the bigger ‘why’. We’ll be helping people in the same circumstances as our own clients (like the lady who had a fire in her home), but our clients will know that when they work with us, they’re supporting a wonderful charity that doesn’t get a lot of funding. It’s a way of giving back something to the community, particularly for children and families who need the support.
I hope this inspires you to think about your ‘why’ too. It’s more important than you think.
Best Wishes,
Steve Lazarus
