Lulu’s 13 years: 15 questions, 15 real stories

Fresh out of university and handing out flyers on a street in Klang, Lulu met an auntie who said, “I have insurance, money gets deducted every month.” When Lulu asked what it covered, she couldn’t say; she only remembered her nephew sold it to her. That was when Lulu realised many people don’t lack insurance. They lack someone willing to explain it.

A few months into handing out flyers, Lulu helped a new friend with a hospital claim for his father. Seeing him go from panic to relief made her decide to get licensed and become a full-time insurance agent.

Lulu’s first client was a young man who had just started working, on a tight budget. Instead of a stack of plans, she suggested one basic medical card and adding more once his income was stable. Years later he came back and asked her to plan for his whole family.

On her first claim, Lulu’s biggest worry was missing a document and slowing everything down. Since then she has kept a document checklist for every type of claim, so clients can simply follow it.

One night close to midnight, a client called: her child had a high fever and needed admission, and the hospital wanted a deposit. Lulu contacted the insurer and helped the hospital with the GL so the parents could focus on their child.

After one successful claim, a client came to the office with a bag of fruit and said, “What scared me most wasn’t the money, it was having nobody to help.” Lulu says that is the most rewarding part of her work.

Lulu has seen a client’s claim rejected because an old medical condition wasn’t declared before buying. Since then she spends extra time going through every health question with each client.

A client wanted another medical card. Lulu checked and found he already had two, from work and his own, so a third would only duplicate them. She suggested putting the money into the critical illness cover he was missing.

The family Lulu remembers most is a young father’s. After he died in an accident, Lulu walked his wife through the claim step by step. The payout meant the children could stay in school. It is why she reminds every client to keep their nominees up to date.

A long-time client runs a hardware factory in Klang. When the factory had an incident one year, he discovered he only had the fire policy the bank required; his stock and lost business weren’t covered. From then on Lulu focused on full risk checks for factories and shops.

During one major flood in Selangor, Lulu took call after call. For clients with the extension, she helped compile loss lists and photos; for those without, she could only help record the damage. That helplessness is why she insists on reminding every client now.

One client was dead against insurance and called it a scam. Then his friend was hospitalised and Lulu helped with the claim. After seeing the whole process, he asked Lulu to plan his own cover.

The question Lulu hears most is, “The premium went up again, should I continue?” She usually compares a few adjustment options with the client rather than telling them to cancel.

When Lulu started, many people shook their heads at the word insurance. Now more clients come to her asking, “Is my cover enough?” or “Should my factory add flood cover?” She sees it as a very good change.

After 13 years, Lulu’s advice to clients is still one line: “Explain it clearly, and you stay protected.”