When Repair Time Matters More Than Cost
In insurance, cost is easy to calculate.
Time is not.
Yet in many claims, repair time has a greater impact on the insured than the final cost of the repair itself.
This is something traditional pricing models rarely measure accurately, and operational processes often underestimate.
The Cost That Does Not Appear on the Invoice
A delayed repair is not neutral.
When a vehicle remains unusable, mobility is lost.
When a business remains partially closed, income stops.
When a property cannot be fully occupied, daily routines are disrupted.
These consequences do not always appear as direct claim costs.
But they shape the real outcome of the loss.
In practice, a slightly higher repair cost completed quickly can result in less overall disruption than a cheaper repair that takes significantly longer.
Why Repair Time Was Once Tolerated
In earlier periods, longer repair times were generally accepted.
Repairs relied on limited capacity.
Replacement was uncommon.
Expectations were aligned with slower processes.
Time was treated as an unavoidable constraint.
Cost remained the primary concern.
That balance has changed.
What Changed
Today, repair time interacts with multiple external pressures:
A delay is no longer just a delay.
It often creates secondary loss.
A vehicle waiting for parts may depreciate further.
A business waiting to reopen may lose customers permanently.
Temporary solutions may become prolonged compromises.
When Speed Becomes the Better Decision
There are situations where the fastest acceptable repair is the correct choice, even if it is not the cheapest.
This is particularly true when:
A decision based solely on repair cost can unintentionally increase total loss.
What This Means for Claims Handling
Effective claims handling is not about minimising invoices.
It is about managing outcomes.
That requires judgement.
Our claims management team does not simply open files and wait for outcomes.
Each claim is actively monitored, with continuous review of both timeframes and repair quality.
Authorised repairers are assessed not only on cost, but on speed, workmanship and consistency.
Repair timelines are tracked.
Delays are questioned.
Quality issues are addressed before they become secondary losses.
A claim is not resolved when authorisation is given, but when the insured can return to normal use.
Managing claims, therefore, is not an administrative task.
It is an ongoing process of supervision and judgement.
The Broader Principle
Insurance is often discussed in terms of price.
Less often in terms of time.
Yet for many insureds, the real question is not:
“How much will this cost?”
It is:
“How long will this take?”
When repair time matters more than cost, insurance stops being a pricing exercise and becomes a responsibility.
That distinction is easy to overlook.
And difficult to correct once delay has already set in.