Christchurch mum-of-one, Shanna, has been in the insurance industry for two decades. After a short career as a fitness trainer, she joined State Insurance in 2000 and has been with NZI since 2010. This November marks an impressive 23 years within the insurance industry – a milestone that doesn’t surprise her.
“I’ve always worked in claims and I love it! Working with customers’ claims can be challenging, but also extremely rewarding, especially when customers walk away happy,” she says.
“NZI has proved a fast-paced and interesting place to work. There’s never a dull moment in the claims department, that’s for sure.”
Here to help in times of need
It was just after Cyclone Gabrielle hit Aotearoa in mid-February that Shanna put her hand up to help local brokers in Gisborne with urgent requests from their customers. She also took the opportunity to assist with insurance claims at the Community Hub in Wairoa. It was here that Shanna met one customer whose experience of the cyclone really struck a chord.
“She was a lady in her seventies who had part of her home badly flooded. She was completely overwhelmed – her husband couldn’t deal with the insurance side of things – so I went to her home with her, and basically got stuck in, boots and all.
“The Wairoa River had breached along one side, flowing as high as some deer fencing in areas. It was shocking to see the damage the floods had left behind. My elderly customer had never seen anything like this in her lifetime – not to mention go through an insurance claim like this.”
Shanna explains how the lady’s bedroom was badly affected by flood waters. It had already been stripped and cleared out by the time she arrived, but there was still a lot of silt under the floorboards.
“She needed help with her contents’ loss, so I made a draft list of contents that needed replacing, and gave her some help on how to make a claim. She had some bags of personal items that were completely ruined, so I put them outside for the Council to collect. It was just a simple act, but she was so appreciative as her husband was not at home that day.”
Like many weather-related claims this year, Shanna was able to give this customer an initial lump sum to cover costs already incurred, and replace contents as needed. Shanna said the customer appreciated this payment and was relieved for the assistance during such a stressful time.
“I also kept her Australian-based daughter updated with progress. That helped take some of the stress away from her, and no doubt her daughter too,” Shanna explains.
A community coming together
Throughout Hawke’s Bay, like other parts of Aotearoa, communities came together to help those in need. With mud and silt ceiling-high in some homes and businesses, power disconnected for weeks, and no running water, Shanna says she was more than happy to play a part in bringing a sense of normality to Gisborne’s grief-stricken community.
“Customers visiting us at the Community Hub were so grateful to discuss their claims face to face. I think it made their experience more personal. You could see people calm down as soon as they got to speak to us. It’s that human touch, which is so important during a disaster of this scale.”
The future and being prepared
Shanna says after a natural disaster like an earthquake, or a weather event such as we’ve seen this year, it puts things into perspective.
“It makes us realise that, unfortunately, we will continue to have these weather events, and how important it is to be as prepared as possible.
“I’ve been in this insurance game a long time, but the devastation Gabrielle left was a real eye-opener and a shock. I didn’t expect to see the carnage that was left behind in the Hawke’s Bay region.”
Taking time to enjoy the good things in life
Fast-forward to June, 2023 already feels like a whirlwind for Shanna. She says she’s still working as hard as ever on customers’ claims, but making time to enjoy some of her favourite hobbies such as tramping and playing the ukulele with her son.
Another hobby of Shanna’s is American muscle cars: “I’m really into my muscle cars. I loved going to the Rangiora show in January where I got to see many different classics from around New Zealand. I especially enjoyed seeing the Charger (an American sports car).
“My favourite muscle cars are the classic Fords and Dodges, and one day I would like an old 60’s pickup truck and Charger in my collection.”
Shanna says it’s a passion that has been passed down from her grandfather. In fact, this car enthusiast has his English cream-coloured Wolseley (pictured) in the garage: “It hasn’t been driven since the 1990s, so my goal is to get it up and running again, which is a work in progress,” she says with a laugh.
“It’s so special to me because my grandfather picked me and my mum up in it from Greymouth hospital after I was born.”
Shanna says she has a positive outlook for the rest of this year: “It’s been very busy at work, but I always try and put myself in my customers’ shoes and do the best I can. And, to do a good job for my customers, I know I need to look after my own wellbeing, so spending quality time with my son and enjoying our favourite hobbies together is equally important.”
Shanna's grandfather's English cream-coloured Wolsley.
