Steering through the unexpected

An accident or event that takes your car off the road can turn an ordinary day upside down, and navigating the claims process can sometimes feel overwhelming. But knowing what the best next steps are—and having someone to guide you—makes all the difference. 

From our frontline team members to everyone behind the scenes, our Motor Vehicle Claims team at Suncorp works to smooth the way for every driver and get them safely back on the road.  

Guiding with care 

Motor Vehicle Claims Specialist Dace loves working directly with customers. In her nearly two decades with Suncorp, she’s held advisory and coaching positions but finds fulfillment from customer-facing roles.  

For Dace, every interaction is more than responding to an enquiry—it’s a chance to understand customer needs and help shape the tools, resources and training that improve the claims experience.  

While her days are structured, no two calls are ever the same. She says issues most often arise because customers aren’t familiar with the insurance process or are unsure how to respond to requests from other parties.  

“I recently spoke with a gentleman in a vehicle collision. He was upset after receiving a letter of demand for a large sum and didn’t know where to begin,” she said. 

“We worked through his situation together. I kept asking questions and breaking things down and listening. When I told him we would handle everything, he seemed surprised to hear that was our job.” 

From Dace's viewpoint, the case was nothing out of the ordinary. But for the customer, it was an overwhelming problem that threatened emotional and financial stress for his family. 

“I spoke with him and his wife, and they were both upset at the beginning of our call,” she said.

“I listened to their concerns, explained the process, and reassured them that we would take care of everything. By the end of the call, they were relieved and happy, like a weight had been lifted."

Breaking down complexity 

Before joining Suncorp, Samira worked as a qualified panel beater, gaining the skills and knowledge essential to her role as a Motor Vehicle Assessor. Assessors are a crucial part of the process—collaborating across teams, evaluating vehicle damage, overseeing repairs, negotiating settlements, and keeping things moving forward. 

Even straightforward accidents can be complex, especially multi-vehicle collisions. In addition to assessing damage, Samira also reviews demands from other parties and insurers, verifies market values and checks for damage inconsistencies.  

When working with customers, Samira says experiences vary—some have been through the process before and take it in stride, while others feel anxious about the disruption and uncertainty.  

Sometimes cases require an even more hands-on approach. 

“I was recently involved in a claim where a genuine part fitted to a damaged vehicle was no longer available from the manufacturer,” she said. “In those rare instances, we may offer a settlement rather than repair.”

Initially, the customer was confused by the process, as it was an unknown.

“When I initially spoke with him, he was overwhelmed by the situation,” Samira explained. "He wasn’t sure where to start with purchasing a replacement bull bar.”

“I walked him through the settlement details and provided photos of bull bar options. Once he’d made a choice, I got a quote from the supplier and passed everything along. All he had to do was arrange a time for the installation,” she said. 

“It’s satisfying to change a customer’s outlook by understanding their specific situation and coming up with a resolution. In the end, he was very happy—that’s the ideal outcome.” 

Keeping claims moving 

As a Suncorp Help Desk Support Officer, Tamara knows about delivering results. She keeps everything running smoothly, working with claims specialists, assessing coordinators and the recoveries and settlements team, while also having frontline contact with insured and third parties.

Every claim has its complexities and occasionally an exception means something unexpectedly gets in the way of our established processes and causes a disruption.

In some cases, the scale of an event can impact response timeframes.

Those high claim volumes put a strain on standard towing times. In the 2022 Brisbane floods, many of the trucks themselves were written off.

Tamara always operates from a place of absolute clarity, an approach that is essential in these types of cases, as it serves to establish expectations with our customers.

“We make sure our frontline team members clearly communicate any initial concerns with customers when they are lodging claims,” she said.

“It’s better to have those conversations up front and set clear expectations, rather than disappoint customers down the road.” 

“At the end of the day, we all have the same goal. To get our valued customers back on the road and back to normal as soon as possible. That’s the most rewarding part of my job, to know that I’ve helped a customer and made their day better."

At Suncorp, we're committed to making the claims process as smooth and straightforward for our customers as possible. Whether it's answering questions, clarifying next steps, or finding the right solutions, our team is always here to help.

Because for us, it’s about more than just processing claims, it’s being the guiding light you need when the road ahead feels uncertain.