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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
 Posted - 02/08/2003 : 08:35:04
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Newt mentioned the need for a thread to showcase the highlights of scoping a loss.
No two adjusters likely scope the exact same way, and we all develop our own way of doing this over time. There is no 'right' way as long as the adjuster sees and writes 'all' of the damages, but certainly a 'method' makes scoping more efficient and by following a method, it allows the adjuster to understand their scope notes long after they have left the loss. My personal opinion is that a regular method also reduces if not eliminates the chances of an adjuster missing visible damages.
Please share your own methods and techniques which have proved successful for you, so others here may learn.
I'll weigh in later with my own methods after I have a chance to organize my thoughts better.
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Edited by - JimF on 02/08/2003 08:38:37 |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2003 : 11:09:37
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I recall Tom Toll has some good thoughts on this that was posted a few months ago in another thread (the name of which escapes me), as well as inserting scope sheet templates he uses. Perhaps if this can be found, it can be moved to this thread.
We are starting to get some good 'reference material' threads, and with our new found lust to maintain continuity of the threads, it would / could be an interesting useful project to do some 'search / weed' and transfer of good data found in threads that bears no relationship to the title and move them appropriately. If I had the 'tools' to do it, I wouldn't mind participating. |
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CatDaddy
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2003 : 14:13:55
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Its like Jim said, everyone has his or her own system of scoping a loss. We all have ours. You do or will have yours. Take what you read in this thread and come up with what YOUR way will be.
Whether you are scoping a small or larger, complex loss, your approach will be the same for the most point, just larger is scale sometimes. Lets start small and go up.
I tell new adjusters you’ll either be a “top to bottom” or “bottom to top”, meaning you start scoping in a room starting from the ceiling (top) and move to the floor (bottom) or the other way around. I think you should let the area of most damage or point of origin in that room dictate where you start and then move in the opposite direction. For instance, you’re working in a room where a pipe froze and burst in the ceiling, damaging the ceiling, walls, and flooring. Start with the pipe and move down. The order might look something like this for that room:
Pipe/plumbing repairs
Insulation - ceiling
Electrical
Drywall - ceiling
Paint ceiling
Crown molding
Paint crown
Insulation – walls
Drywall - walls
Paint – walls
Window trim
Paint window trim
Door trim
Paint door trim
Baseboard
Paint baseboard
Remove carpet
Replace carpet
Remove/replace pad
Remove/replace underlayment
The point is to be systematic in your approach and use the same principles every time to ensure accuracy. If you jump from ceiling to floor, then back to ceiling, then to windows, then to insulation, you’ll miss something in the shuffle. Maybe not when the whole loss consists of one room but what will happen when its 10 rooms. You’ll be on overload after about the 3rd room and the rest is hiss-sto-ree.
The principal is the same whether you are in the kitchen or the storage room.
BIG losses. OOOOOOoooooooo. Everybody run!
Large losses are just a WHOLE LOT of the same thing. You just have to exercise a little more patience. You will start off so precise with the first few rooms and by the 7th or 8th one, you’re thinking ‘Crap, lets just get this over with!” Patience Young Skywalker. The Force is with you. Don’t blow a good thing by getting sloppy at the end. Stick to your plan.
On a large loss, I like to start inside. Now that is a personal preference but why I do it that way is I do not want to run around all over the roof and outside, walking in mud and doggie bombs and then trample it all over the inside of my insureds house afterwards. If you haven’t noticed yet, some folks are par-tic-ular about the insides of their houses and I just don’t want to be making things worse being that I am already there because something catastrophic has happened. If you do want to scope the outside first for whatever reason, you might want to take your shoes off before starting inside.
Starting outside, I divide that portion of my estimate by roofing and 4 elevations. Roof, front, back, right, left. Then I include the applicable repairs in the appropriate section. Don’t just label a part of your estimate “Exterior” and include all exterior repairs in that section. Sure, you can tell that the roofing goes on the roof but what about the 1 window screen or the 15 linear feet of gutter downspout? Your policyholder is going to look at your estimate even more closely after you leave his/her home. The more detailed and thorough you can be, the less questions it raises from all parties involved, from the policyholder to your manager.
You started outside. Start with the roof then move to the elevations. If there’s a garage or outbuilding, go there next, using the same approach as the main house; roof, front, back, right, left, interior. When you complete the exterior, move inside and start with the area with the most extensive damage and move outward to the other rooms. The approach is the same as I stated above. Just take if room by room.
Good luck. I am sure others will serve up their ideas. Read them all.
“Plan your work, work your plan.”
CD
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fivedaily
USA
258 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2003 : 18:56:38
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CatDaddy has really laid it out well. I follow the same philosophy to writing down the entire scope in the same order. I make my scope notes on 3-part carbon paper. 1 copy for the original file, 1 for a control copy my company requests, and the 3rd copy I hold for myself until the end of the storm in case I get a call back.
My manager always says, "Every claim you do the same thing. Figure out what is damaged and how much of it. Sometimes it just takes a little longer."
Jennifer |
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inside man
45 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2003 : 21:10:17
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Good points by CD and 5D.
I agree with the point that large losses can sometimes be simply multiple small losses. I actually find it easier to write a total loss then a repair since there is not much to argue with regarding scope at that point.
I would just add that diagraming each room helps and then if there are multiple rooms on the same level a floorplan is a good idea and possibly a requirement of the carrier. These don't have to be architectural grade diagrams and a nice tool like Accu-Line is a big help in making a nice looking product. It's also nice to indicate on the diagram where the damages are. It makes the file reviewer's job a lot easier. This sounds painfully simple but you would be surprised how many adjusters don't do this.
I also like to mount my photos in the same order as my estimate. So if the first area of my estimate is the roof then my first photo after the risk shot is of the roof and so on.
Try to keep your file as neat and simple as possible and this will help to make your storm manager's job easier and hopefully keep 'em happy !!! |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2003 : 08:09:53
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From what I gather, it seems the sketches and photos do more to enhance the report than words.
I got pretty efficient on the sketch program in xactimate and I noticed some good house planning software on the market. I got the routine outlined here and they will require reviewing as I go, this will help me figure the routine I would like to use.
I use to carry a pair of terry cloth flip-flops with me to wear inside, many homes I worked in were 300k up and had no damage so I understand muddy feet. Of course some the mud may have helped.
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Scoping 1-2-3 (How to Scope A Loss)
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