"During the summer season, the number of people across the country who are affected by disasters and have to file home insurance claims can increase significantly. As such, it's vital for homeowners to know exactly what they need to do when going through the process - and therefore incumbent upon insurance agents to make sure those people know exactly how to go about it every step of the way, through regular communication. When it comes to cleaning up after even a minor disaster strikes a home, most people likely aren't thinking to themselves that they need to keep the insurance implications of their actions in mind, according to a report from South Bend, Indiana, television station WSBT. However, that's exactly what they should do, because if they make any missteps in the process, they might put their chances of getting their claims approved in peril. What should be done? The first thing people should do when they're affected by such an incident is make sure they contact their insurer to let them know they have a claim coming, the report said. Then they should document the damage with photos or video to show evidence of just what happened and how bad it might be. Only after all that is done should consumers get to work cleaning up whatever happened, either by themselves or by calling in professionals. Claims adjusters don't need to assess that kind of damage in person. ""Taking photos is very, very helpful. It's proof,"" Shawna Neilson, a claims manager at a local insurance company, told the station. ""We never like to talk about that you have to prove it, but it's proof of what happened on your property. You do not need have to leave [the damage] sitting. You need to start moving to get yourself back up and running."" Insurance agents who regularly talk to their clients are likely to build more of a rapport with those people, and that could lead to better business as well as an easier claims process when the need arises. These days, it seems that the inability to find lower rates isn't what keeps people from switching their insurance providers, it's the high-quality customer service their current ones can provide. Agents who can build a strong relationship with customers, therefore, might be in a better position going forward."