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Wellington’s Allan Henderson, Leader – Business Development and Sales/Senior Commercial Broker and Kim Gillbanks, Domestic Broker working together.

Corporate Services Manager Christine Varcoe said becoming a finalist was a significant achievement and recognised hard work by Rothbury behind the scenes in a range of areas. She said a happy and high performing workplace was vital for delivering friendly, helpful customer service.

“One initiative we launched this year and are very proud of is staff training and development webinars. These are great for our regional offices because they can now take just an hour or two away from their desks instead of two days away from home to attend training courses in Auckland. The webinars are a collaboration with our industry body IBANZ.

“Another employee group we have paid special attention to in the last 12 months is our domestic brokers who have had to cope with growing workloads as a result of the change from ‘square metres’ to ‘sum insured’ cover for houses. We have put in place systems and resources to help them to manage this extra work. Our bi-annual conference also clearly has a very positive effect on staff morale and sense of purpose.”

Now in its 14th year, the Kenexa Best Workplaces Awards are based on the largest survey of employment engagement in New Zealand with 243 participating organisations and almost 39,000 employee responses.

christine Varcoe Corporate Services Manager

The awards survey comprises 60 core questions that ask employees to rate their organisation and give comments under 13 themes: common purpose, quality and performance focus, communication and co-operation, well-being, their manager, their team, their job, learning and development, performance and feedback, reward and recognition, overall perceptions, taking action and final thoughts.

Christine says the responses to the questions highlight particular aspects of the business that require attention. “We don’t do this just to try to win an award. We do a lot of analysis and then work on changes that will improve our performance both as an employer and as an insurance brokerage. The results from this year’s award show we have improved in every area covered by the survey.”

Rothbury was eighth in the Kenexa Best Workplaces Medium-Large category. The overall winner was Overland Footwear.

Rothbury among New Zealand’s best workplaces RothbuRY is officiallY one of new Zealand’s best woRkplaces – being named a finalist in the 2013 kenexa best woRkplaces awaRds, which weRe pResented at a dinneR at the langham in auckland on 31 octobeR.

summeR 2013

FullCoverLooking at current issues affecting the insurance industry in new ZeaLand.

A change of mood in Canterbury as rebuild gathers pace

”People are more upbeat about what is happening,” says Greg. “The aftershocks have settled and people are moving on, especially in the western and northern parts of the city, although in the city centre there are still issues to be resolved between the council and property owners.”

Claims are being settled and insurers are more willing to talk about cash settlements. Rothbury has 1,440 clients in Christchurch, of which two thirds are commercial – including businesses, sports organisations and churches – and the remainder are domestic. Rothbury received 2,650 earthquake-related claims, of which about 2,000 have been closed.

Rothbury has been able to secure some excellent settlements for clients including:

moRe than thRee YeaRs, two majoR eaRthquakes and 15,000 afteRshocks afteR canteRbuRY was Rocked bY the septembeR 2010 shake theRe is a change of mood in the Region saYs RothbuRY chRistchuRch bRanch manageR gReg gReenwood.

• A wedding venue that received a total sum insured settlement to replace one building destroyed by earthquake with two new ones

• A prominent restaurant that was unable to settle with the insurer received a full pay out for material damage and business interruption

• A manufacturing business in the central city whose building was written off received more than the policy sum insured

Greg says unfortunately there are still issues to be resolved between EQC and domestic clients. The commercial claims which have not yet been settled are complicated and some will go to litigation.

He says Rothbury has picked up a lot of new business from organisations and individuals who have seen the value Rothbury can bring to insurance. “Many of the problems have been with people who have direct insurance but we have also gained business from other brokers because of the service provided by our dedicated claims team and our quality resolution processes.

“Nearly all our new business has been the result of word of mouth referrals from existing clients who are happy with what we have been able to do for them.”

Nearly everyone knows they now need to get their house and property improvements valued to be properly insured. But most people have put that job in the too hard basket says Rothbury National Domestic Manager Stu Cooper.

“Now is the time to act to ensure your home is well protected. We will help you with this,” he says.

As a result of the Canterbury earthquakes insurers have changed the way they insure homes from a replacement based on ‘square metres’ to replacement based on the ‘sum insured’ to rebuild your home.

About 90% of home-owners have not gone through a valuation exercise to calculate their appropriate ‘sum insured’ and therefore are given a default sum insured by their insurers based on the average cost per square metre to rebuild a New Zealand home.

Without a valuation there is a very real risk that you will be underinsured if disaster strikes or that you may be paying more for your insurance than you need to.

Stu says the earthquakes have pushed up reinsurance costs for the insurance companies, which they have to recover. “Home insurance premiums for Aucklanders are typically at least 25 per cent up on last year while premium increases in places like Wellington, Christchurch,

Northland and Hawke’s Bay are mostly 50% or more higher than last year. Insurance companies are doing their best to limit the increases.”

He says talking to a broker is a catalyst for action. “We find that most of our clients will take action and work towards a solution once they have spoken to us.”

time to act on home insurance

GReG GReeNwood Leader – Business Development and Sales / Senior Commercial Broker, Canterbury /

South Island Operations Manager

RothbuRY fullcoveR decembeR 2011

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options to get a sum insured valuationThere are two main options to get the sum insured valuation for your home.

1. do-it-yourself for free: Use the online tools available at either www.need2know.org.nz or www.cost2build.co.nz which have been created specifically to give an estimated rebuild cost for New Zealand homes.

2. Professional valuation: Engage a registered valuer (typical fees are $400-500+) or quantity surveyor (typical fees are $700-800+) to prepare a home valuation for insurance purposes.

We have also developed a quick checklist of some of the things you are now going to take into account when calculating the sum insured of your home. You can change your default ‘sum insured’ at any stage and we encourage you to use one of the methods above to itemise the costs to rebuild your home in the event of a total loss. This will ensure you have the right level of cover. Check list available on our website www.rothbury.co.nz.

Professional indemnity for home valuers Registered valuers and quantity surveyors who are preparing home valuations for insurance purposes should have professional indemnity insurance in place in case their figures are ever legally challenged.

Professional indemnity insurance will meet the cost of defending claims and any damages payable.

With litigation becoming an increasingly common means of settling disputes, professionals are being held to account for their advice and actions and any losses suffered as a consequence.

Our professional indemnity team have specialist knowledge and experience in this area and can advise on appropriate insurance cover.

If you are builder who is being asked for advice on house rebuild costs for insurance purposes we advise against this for two main reasons:

1. You expose yourself to considerable risk should the rebuild value be incorrect.

2. Professional indemnity cover is difficult to obtain for builders.

What do you need to do? In order to be properly insured you need to tell us how much it will cost to build your home as if it was brand new. This includes any other additions, such as a pool, driveway, or tennis court plus demolition costs and associated fees should you suffer a total loss to your home.

This will be a different figure to the purchase price of your house, as it will not include the value of the land your home is built on. Stu says understanding the difference between ‘rebuild value’ and ‘real estate value’ can be challenging.

“A house in Auckland may cost about $1 million but the cost to replace the house and improvements may be around

$600,000. Conversely you may buy a house outside the main centres for just a few hundred thousand but it

could cost $400-500,000 to rebuild.”

That was the dilemma facing Rothbury Wellington branch claims administrator Richelle Everson and 80-year-old Wellington client Mrs Dick after a tree was blown onto her fence in the huge storm that hit the Wellington region on 20 June. Without help Mrs Dick, a widow and pensioner, would have had to find about $600 for a contractor to cut up and remove the tree.

For Richelle, leaving Mrs Dick with a half broken tree with branches all over her section and her neighbour’s wasn’t good enough – especially as the neighbour wanted action. So Richelle called around a number of volunteer groups including Grey Power and Rimutaka Prison to ask if they could help – but to no avail. She then asked her father-in-law Rolfe Everson, who agreed to do it, with help from Richelle.

“So I took a Friday off work – Rolfe cut the tree up with the chain saw and I hauled the logs and branches and put them in a pile for Mrs Dick’s son to take away on a trailer. It was all done in an afternoon.”

Richelle insists her charitable work was “no big deal” but Mrs Dick was happy and grateful – and the neighbour was quietened.

Richelle branches out to tree clearingwhat do You do when an eldeRlY ladY’s insuRance policY will paY foR the damage to a fence but not to cut up and Remove the tRee that cRashed down on it?

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rachelle everson Claims Administrator, Wellington branch

You can now get in touch with RothbuRY via twitteR.

If you’re already a Twitter user then you’ll know why it is growing as a way to get in touch with businesses.

• Often it’s easier than calling or emailing• Responses are prompt • It’s with you on your smart phone• It’s easy to use on the go

On Twitter users are limited to 140 characters per message. The short, to the point format is what makes Twitter unique. It’s appeal is growing for clients and customers as a way of getting quick queries resolved.

We’re on Twitter 8am-5pm Mon-Fri .

For any queries about insurance, your cover or claims – tweet us @RothburyNZ.

Tweet us!Simon takes the helm in Tauranga

Developing relationships, growing the book and growing the team. Those are the mantras for Tauranga branch manager Simon Helm who took over the role in April this year.

The office has a team of five people and is just about to appoint a new claims manager. Clients are mainly small to medium enterprises in all business sectors, retail, professional services, primary industry and tourism. “We’re flat tack,” says Simon. “There are no major issues, we’re just full on meeting client needs, developing relationships and building the team.”

Simon and his wife Helen are an English couple who have lived in New Zealand for 10 years now and have embraced the Kiwi seaside lifestyle with a house at Papamoa and two Kiwi-born daughters – Ruby (8) and Jemima (5) – not to mention a dog and two cats to round out the household.

Simon is a keen sportsman who played cricket for Warwick in England (town not county he points out) and spent six months in South Africa as a coach for Western Districts. In Tauranga cricket

has taken a back seat to weekend soccer (“with a team of old Poms”) and short triathlons around the Mount Maunganui area

(“a tough place to swim and run” he says with irony).

While he calls Coventry and Warwickshire in the Midlands home, family, school and business commitments meant

Simon also lived in many other places in England. Born in the north he also lived in Brighton, Cornwall, Devon

and Somerset before moving to New Zealand.

Happy Holidays from the Rothbury team!

Stay safe on the roads and water this holiday season. If you do need to contact us, we are operating right through. We are only closed on the public holidays: Christmas Day, Boxing Day (25, 26 December 2013) and New Years (1, 2 January 2014).

RothbuRY fullcoveR summeR 2013

Feedback we hope You enjoYed this issue. please tell us what You would like to Read moRe

about in fullcoveR.Email: claire.lysaght@rothbury.co.nz

with your suggestions.

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Our locations

Rothbury Otago

T: 03 477 8217

Peter McAuliffe Branch Manager

Rothbury Ashburton

T: 03 308 9612

Kelvin Holmes Branch Manager

Rothbury Group

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Roger Abel Managing Director

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Invercargill T: 03 211 0360

Nathan Haywood Branch Manager

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T: 04 472 9373

Allan Henderson Leader Business Development and Sales

Rothbury Hawkes Bay

T: 06 835 2770

Kim Matthews Branch Manager

Rothbury Tauranga

T: 07 579 0755

Simon Helm Broker

Rothbury Waikato

Hamilton T: 07 834 6180Te Awamutu T: 07 834 6185

Mark Sloman Branch Manager

Rothbury Auckland

T: 09 579 9551

Chris Hughes Leader Business Development and Sales

Rothbury North Shore

T: 09 914 9800

Garry Stewart Branch Manager

Rothbury Northland

T: 09 438 5457

Lisa Williamson Branch Manager

Rothbury Central Otago

Wanaka T: 03 443 9505 Queenstown T: 03 442 6705

Phil Thompson Branch Manager

Rothbury Group

Auckland T: 09 526 8381

stu cooper National Domestic Manager

Rothbury Group

Auckland T: 09 579 9551

Liz Laird National Claims Manager

Rothbury Canterbury

T: 03 366 7588

Greg Greenwood Branch Manager