Did we ever talk about insurance?
Travel insurance comes up in almost every booking conversation. Some clients buy through a referral or product you are authorised to offer. Many have an annual policy through their bank or employer. Some say they will sort it later. A few decline. In a busy call, the conversation is often a single sentence, and the outcome is not recorded anywhere.
Then something happens: a client falls ill before departure, or a supplier fails, or a trip is cancelled, and the client has no cover. The question that follows is whether you mentioned insurance. You are fairly sure you did. You have nothing in writing.
Why insurance conversations leave no trace
| Outcome | What usually happens | What is recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Client buys through you | Policy issued | Policy document, usually |
| Client has own cover | Mentioned on the phone | Nothing |
| Client will arrange later | Said in passing | Nothing |
| Client declines | Brief exchange | Nothing |
| Topic never raised | Busy call | Nothing |
Only one of five outcomes routinely leaves a record. What you are allowed to say about insurance depends on your authorisation and your host's arrangements, which is one more reason agents keep the conversation short, and why a written record matters.
What a missing record costs
When a client without cover has a problem, a dispute about whether insurance was discussed is stressful and hard to settle without a record. It can affect your reputation and your relationship with your host. It is also a missed opportunity to prompt clients who meant to arrange cover and simply forgot.
An insurance status on every booking
- Every booking has an insurance status: taken through us, own cover, arranging own, declined, or not yet discussed.
- The status is set during the booking process, and the booking cannot be marked complete while it says 'not yet discussed'.
- The client receives a written summary with their booking confirmation, stating the recorded status, and confirms it with a click. The wording is yours, reviewed by your adviser or host.
- For 'own cover', the client can optionally note their insurer, so you can pass on details if they need help while away.
- Bookings still marked 'arranging own' are prompted a set time before departure with a reminder to the client.
- Every status change and confirmation is recorded with date and time.
We do not advise on insurance, suggest levels of cover or compare policies. If you are authorised to offer insurance, that process stays as your authorisation requires; the system records the outcome.
A written answer on every booking
Every booking shows whether insurance was taken, arranged elsewhere or declined, confirmed by the client in writing. Clients who meant to arrange cover get a reminder in time. If a question ever arises, the record is there, dated and confirmed.
Consider a couple booking a long-haul trip. On the call, they say they have annual cover through their bank. The booking is marked 'own cover', and their confirmation email includes a line recording that, which they confirm with a click. Another client says they will arrange it later. Their booking shows 'arranging own', and a reminder goes out before the balance is due. They reply that they have now bought a policy, and the status is updated.
The record also helps if a client needs help while away. If they call you from abroad with a problem, you can see straight away whether they told you they had cover and, if they chose to share it, who their insurer is, so you can point them to the right emergency line rather than searching old emails.
Are insurance conversations recorded?
- Insurance is discussed on the phone with no written record.
- You could not say which clients declined cover.
- Clients who planned to arrange their own cover are not reminded.
- You have been asked whether you mentioned insurance and had no evidence.
- Your booking process does not require an insurance status.