Claims at Branch: “It really is real. They really do value you.”

Read more from this series:

Read Brad's story
Read Travis' story
Read Dragana's story

Megan Murphy had been working as a claims adjuster at Progressive for five years; she was in a department that handled all incoming claims, and would regularly work on 50–60 claims per week. Then she received an invitation to apply at Branch.

“Okay, this seems like a little too good to be true,” she thought, “I definitely wasn't making that much at Progressive—and then the benefits, with the medical coverage, and flexible PTO.” Naturally, she was interested. She interviewed, and joined the Branch claims team.

She reflected on her previous role, and what ultimately compelled her to join Branch, “With that stressful amount of work, I didn't think that the pay equaled that… it just wasn’t good for my mental health,” Megan explained, “so coming to Branch felt like a breath of fresh air.”

Seen, heard, and valued

“I do feel valued way more, and differently, than my previous job, because [before] I felt like I was just part of the corporation, like a cog in the machine… [my job was] taken for granted, the amount of work I was doing there. And so coming to Branch, it's been a different experience in regards to the amount of work, but also actually being valued. And people know who I am and know my work and know what I can bring to Branch, as well as being compensated for the work that I do.”

Feeling valued—both in compensation as well as part of the team—has been a crucial difference for Megan. At Branch she feels as though she has been seen and heard, in a way she hadn’t been before, and that level of connection has been important to her, not just as an employee, but as someone serving members.

Member-driven service

Previously, “it was hard to make those connections with customers or actually be the person that they may remember—like, ‘oh, I'm gonna refer my neighbor because I had a great experience with Megan’.” She explained that even aside from the structures of her larger carrier, member expectation was also different, and without room for connection. “[Branch] is way more member-driven, which is really nice because I do have members that I've had conversations with outside of claims… and [get to] make them feel like they're part of the Branch family.”

Megan also expressed a sense of autonomy at Branch that gives her a greater ability to engage with customers and their claims. By her description, instead of cookie-cutter automation, she can now “jump outside the box a little more and bring suggestions for growth in the company, but also help members’ experience through claims.”

Growth through trust

Ultimately, the main impact for Megan resides in knowing she is trusted, and her gifts and personality are an asset to the job and to Branch. At Progressive, she was often a top candidate with top numbers, but felt limited to advance because of a rigid interview process. However, interviewing with Branch “was more so getting to know me and my all-around personality, and what I could bring, and trusting in me… it has meant a lot, because [they] trust me as a person to make these decisions for [their] company.”

“Claims is vital,” she continued about the impact of that trust. “We make or break it, really, because it's the customers’ experience, and then also the money side of it—making sure we're doing things appropriately and spending the money correctly when you have to pay out a claim.”

With the empowerment to make the right calls in her position and a felt sense of “being valued and being recognized,” Megan has not only grown professionally, but has also moved beyond her prior stress. A friend recently told her she could definitely see a difference between when she was at Progressive and now, at Branch—she wasn’t stressed or losing sleep over work anymore.

The shift has spurred Megan to recruit a few former colleagues to join her at Branch. She emphasized to them, “It really is real, like what they're pitching to you… They really do value you. Things are going to be changing and you may not have all the answers at first, but it's definitely worthwhile because you're going to be a part of it.”