IF YOUR A WORKING CAT ADJUSTER AND WOULD BE ALOT FASTER IF YOU HAD AN ASSISTANT WORKING (THE CLAIMS YOU SCOPE ) ON XACTIMATE ... THEN IM PERFECT FOR YOU! IM AN ADJUSTER LOOKING TO ASSIST AN ADJUSTER WHO MIGHT NOT BE AS UP TO DATE WITH THE PROGRAM XACTIMATE AS I AM. IM CERTIFIED AND I MADE A 100 ON MY WRITTEN CERTIFICATION EXAM IVE USED THE PROGRAM MANY TIMES AND HAVE BEEN WORKING CLAIMS ON XACTIMATE SINCE 2004. ILL TAKE 40% AND YOU CAN TAKE 60% i CAN WORK AT LEAST 6-10 DEPENDING ON SIZE DAILY.  IF ANYONE IS INETERESTED IN THIS OFFER THEN PLEASE EMAIL ME AT LACIED123@SBCGLOBAL.NET

Ok....vendor gives the FA 60 or 70% of total fee.  FA spends the time/expertise & gas/living expenses/etc, and you sit on your tush at home wanting 40% of the commish?  While you might have a great deal of experience to offer, you might want to reconsider the fee for your help.  No one can afford what you offering if you think about it.  Find the right people, make it a per claim deal whether flat fee or % only of the FA's fee, and everybody is a happy camper.     

I work regular losses for one vendor and the carrier requires xactimate.  The vendor takes my PowerClaim estimate and converts it to xactimate to send the carrier and pays me 50% of the fee bill. On the carriers that will take Power Claim I get 60% and I do not have the expense of xactimate which is very expensive on a per file basis for about 25 to 30 losses per year and its too cumbersome for a simple roof claim.

On occasion I work with a partner and I find that we can close about 10 - 12 files a day consistantly 7 days.  If it is busy team is a really good way way to go.  It frees up a person to talk with clients, and also to answer RCV /ACV questions from insureds.  Slows down on the burnout.

Two of the fastest adjusters(and good) worked as a team in a Chicago sewer backup event that I was on. Their conclusion was the net amount was about the same as doing it themselves. They did conclude on large cut and paste losses a helper system would increase production.

This year you will see more recorded scopes transcribed, tick sheets submitted, and photos labeled by the scoper on the recorder and all sent by email back to SOME office. The tick sheets would be done by helpers and the transcribed notes and the labeled photos, estimate by the puter person. One chief, two indians.

Some of the new indians should advertize on chat.

I would never hire anyone capable of so many typos in just one paragraph (never mind the ALL CAPS). I take more pride in my work than that...

I will have to agree with Lee, your communication needs working on. I don't quite understand what you want for pay. You take 40% and the assigned adjuster takes 60%. 60% of what. We are paid 60 to 70% on files, depending on who we work for. So how would you break that down?

Exactly the point I was making, Tom.  Now, if someone wants to ride in the passenger seat & write the estimates, and maybe help hold the ladder now and then, and do some phone work....40% of the FA's (Field Adjuster) fee might be a consideration, as long as that other person is sharing in the expenses.  Even then, though, I think it's too high unless the FA 1099's their helper to offset the tax burden.  Shipping it off to an "at-home writer" should not exceed 15% of your fee or a pre-set flat fee.....otherwise, you are just taking money out of your own pocket or trying to work too many claims.  And if that's the case, you may not realize what kind of product is going out the door with your name on it.   

I don't think I could in good conscious ship off any of my claim work ( with my name on it) to someone other than a very experienced adjuster whom I know very well. There has been times when either my wife or I run out of claims and help each other with scheduling, routing, data entry, etc but we wouldn't write each others claim

I would come closer to paying someone to take care of all the daily stuff such as getting groceries, making sure clothes are clean, cooking, washing trucks, etc. to free me up to do nothing but scope and write.

and 40% to write claims in Xactimate,,,, no way!!!!! Heck the claims practicably write themselves once you've done a proper scope.

But this thread does beg the question.

If you ask some on this forum The experienced person should be the writer, and there should be a field monkey thats capable of of swinging from ficus tree to ficus tree (      Sorry I couldn't resist) scoping loss's

and then we always gets tons of inexperienced folks that are advised to write claims for an experienced adjuster who's doing the field work.

If a claim can only have an experienced adjuster in either the field or in the office writing claims with a not so experienced assistant type person performing the other task. Where should the adjuster be?

While reading or reviewing a file, I can't begin to count the number of errors I've seen.  Spelling, grammar, the ability to convey a complete thought in a sentence, using incorrect words, making up words; the list goes on and on.  

Sometimes it’s difficult to get past the errors to concentrate on the scope of damage, and certainly makes one wonder about the ability of the author to accurately and efficiently scope the loss.   If what you're reading sounds ignorant, there may be an  assumption that the person who wrote it might be too.  I'm not saying that isn't unfair, I'm just saying that's how it is. 

Spelling has been a topic of discussion here for a long time, but one can't stress enough the importance of correct spelling , grammar and complete thoughts when conveying yourself in writing.  Imagine what the file reviewer or anyone else up the ladder thinks of the person who submits a file with simple errors in spelling, grammar, or proper word usage.  Probably very much like the thoughts you had when you read the original post in this thread. 

Meg, I have been emphasizing correct spelling for years, and it seems to fall on deaf ears. The human mind can assimilate misspelled words, however, too many and you begin to wonder if that person even graduated from High School. It is important to spell correctly, regardless of what the deaf ears wish to believe. It is so simple in today’s society of electronic media to spell correctly. MS Word can be utilized to put ones thoughts in writing and have correct grammar and spelling, yet no one seems to get it. Back in my aviation adjusting days it was not uncommon to have a 50 page report and I can assure you, Lloyds of London are fanatics about correct spelling. Fortunately I had parents that always told me how important math and spelling was, so I decided as a youngster to excel in those two areas.

I am like the others. If my name goes on an estimate, I must know the individual doing the estimate has the ability to do it correctly, or I would not send the estimate out. Scoping the loss properly is imperative. If you cannot scope a loss so the claims examiner could write the estimate from your scope sheets, then you have not taken scope notes correctly. Scoping a loss methodically is imperative and  can make your estimating life so much easier.

Tom, That's exactly why you stand head and shoulders above the crowd!  (And I don't mean because you're tall!  )  Your obvious high standards and work ethic have always shined brightly and serve as a beacon for anyone in the industry, new and experienced alike, to strive for.  I have always appreciated the bar you've set for standards in your adjusting, dealing with people ( insureds as well as colleagues) and your seemingly 'old world' standard of behavior and ethics. 

I agree with you that it takes so little time and effort now days to proofread and check your work.  Spell check is a great tool, but like any tool, useless unless someone uses it.  In our disposable society these days, it seems that most are in a rush to get through things and don't take the time to realize that our  work product reflects who we are. 

And Tom, thank you for  your high standards and for being the gentleman you are, and your willingness to always share your knowledge with those of us who walk in your shadow! 

~M~

This is hilarious that someone thinks that writing the estimate is 40% of the work . I worked recently with my son who is also an experienced adjuster , and it is rare that someones estimate is not completed and uploaded before we arrive at the next loss.  The estimate writing takes only about 30% of the time required for the scope and interaction with the insured.  If such a  sub contract operation were to be possible and it is not ,for any real adjuster , I would think about paying someone 5% max  but this would require more of my time than if I did it myself just to make sure it is done right. So this idea is really funny to me. I have seen new adjusters who are on their first storm and struggling who could fall victim to such a scam as this, but they would get what they deserve, they would never learn to be an adjuster.

I m sorry to get so far off subject but I have this on my mind ,It is also funny to me why any self respecting insuranse carrier would require the use of xactimate, and contact with the people who operate this company 5 days a week. I recently worked 3 storms with this program ,after not using this software for about 8 years. On each of the 3 purchases I made of this software my profiles were set up improperly and each time the staff of xactimate were absent for the weekend and not avaliable to correct the problem. when I needed to start working  These people want to sell ( at a rediculious price ) their software to the catastrophie community but only give a minimum amount of service during the week. I also purchased a dual liscence for an extra $50 a month , xactimate could never get this set up for  me yet they did still charge my card for the service (that they couldnt deliver). Oh and by the way each time my profile was set up incorectly I had to call to get it fixed , I talked to 5 or 6 people there and I never never heard any one say i'm sorry, tough luck, go to hell, or thanks for your money. These arrogant sobs should not be a part of the cat community. Luckily I am in a position where I can refuse to work for any carrier that requires the use of this software. And  thats what ill do in the future.

Richard, I certainly agree with you. If these software folks charge us an arm and a leg, why can they not service what they sell. The best on out there is Simsol. They are very conscious  about their product and service it properly with an excellent IT staff. If the vendor I work for most would switch to Simsol, instead of Intergaclaim, I would be most joyful. Exactimate was designed for the General Contractor years ago. The adjusting industry decided that if the contractors use it, it should be good. I beg to disagree with this philosophy. I have to admit that Exactimate does have an excellent datebase, but has an extreme learning curve. Their sketch program is supposed to be the answer to all ills, but I disagree with that too. I never got good service while attempting to use Exactimate, but Integraclaim and Simsol are good.

Integraclaim was an excellent product before Ron sold it. Now IC is interested primarily in large companies and not the independent adjuster. Something needs to give and soon. MS/B is supposed to be coming out with the end all program late this year. I am anxious to see what the program is going to offer. IC is more adjuster friendly ie, reports are integrated into the system, which I like. We can even make up our own reports with their system. I can't say I blame you for being disgruntled with Exactimate.

Some one mentioned FICUS TREE and I will throw this in the fray for the professional catastrophe adjusters. Only work for the best vendors who will allow you to work their files like this. Have a helper route 15 locations per day and make 2-3 hr window apointments for double or triple the amount you usally scope.

Go in have a camera with sound and use both to do the scope, which direction you are looking , what you are looking at, etc, etc. Send the whole scope back to the office. Let the $20.00 per hr. temps do the first draft with each area as 12x12x8. Then send the lazer man out to climb the roof and send all the Tick sheets back as soon as he/she is finished. The estimated is revised with the correct measurements and photos printed out. The ASSIGNED ADJUSTER checks all work. Makes any revisions and has someone send out. Now , lets critique this and make improvments.

I got my first computer program in 1989, that was an old DOS program that cost $350.00 for a lifetime. I would set up flood claims before I ever inspected the house, by asking questions on the phone. I would then go out and scope, take the photos, talk to the insured, then call my wife on the phone and the estimate was finished when I got home. I would drop all my photos at Walmart, go back after dinner, and paste up photos for 2-3 hours and close 7-8 structure Losses form $50 k to $150.k per day and rag the insureds for the contents list in 3 days allowed by ME, run all the tapes and  have 7-8 closed flood losses EVER day for a month. Flood is much more complex than roof claims.

If you are working hail , you know the zip codes that had total losses and the dominate type shingle, and on straight down hail you can write the loss before you inspect, then add, delete or modify in any way after you inspection and with digital photos you can label in your auto while you cool off.

When will these carriers start hiring people direct and leave the middle man out ?. They did it 40 years ago.

The word "hallucinations" comes to mind.....those happened 40 years ago too, but a sure cure has never been found.