The service will be established by Shaun Mulvey, who joins the SD Group as Head of Insurance after 15 years in the claims handling industry, formerly working with The Be Group and Magic Man.
On launching SD Claims, Shaun said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to build something new for SD that will have such an enormous benefit both to the SD Group itself and to the insurance market.
“For insurers, being able to repair fittings and fixtures rather than replacing them can have a massive impact on the cost of handling claims, as well as the time taken to resolve them. I really believe there is no team more trusted to provide this service – and to the high standards that are required – than the hard surface repair technicians at SD.”
Insurers will be able to arrange for hard surface repairs to be carried out on a range of household and commercial claims, including window, tile and brick repairs as well as kitchen fittings, bathrooms, flooring and metalwork to name but a few.
The service will be available UK-wide and will include a two-year warranty rather than the industry-standard one-year guarantee.
Shaun added: “We wanted to create a service that benefits the end-customer who is making the claim as much as the insurer, and that really comes down to the time taken to repair or replace. For example, replacing a damaged bathroom, ordering a suite and fitting can take two weeks to complete, in comparison to as little as five days when you’re talking about a hard surface repair. Add to that the environmental impact of repairing goods rather than sending them to landfill, and the benefits of a service like this are clearly evident.”
In preparation for its launch, SD has built a dedicated claims system that allows the team to tailor each project to the specific needs and customers of any insurer. It has also developed a network of qualified repairs experts, based across the UK, to assist with claims at short notice.
Nick Jones, Managing Director of SD teams, said: “We are incredibly proud to be launching SD Claims this August, particularly with Shaun’s expertise at the helm. He brings with him former colleague Zara Weller, who between them have over 25 years in the business so we have every faith that our newest branch of SD is in the right hands.
“What we initially thought would be a service that sees a gradual increase in interest has exceeded all of our expectations already. We have really hit the ground running with claims already coming in three months ahead of schedule.
“SD’s technicians are known for their work ethic and an unrivalled level of skill when it comes to repairs, and so it’s fantastic to see that our services are in such demand from an industry in which we are relative newcomers. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how things progress.”
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