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I think that is a wonderful idea. Perhaps we can get it advertised nationally and certainly get it on the local networks. The push to professionalism can contribute to confidence of insured America toward the adjusters. Good thought, Roy.

Totally agree.  We must make it known that we are NOT a commodity to be picked at random by those that seek assistance in a catastrophic event, but rather a UNIFIED GROUP of PROFESSIONALS.

Anyone that has ever worked a cat has experienced the trauma and endured the hardships associated therewith.

Only a professional would engage in such exposure, danger and distress. Only a professional would hang in there till the need was over. Only a professional would work the untold hours, expend the funds required to accomplish the work, and work for what, in many cases, equates to less than a cab driver in NYC can make.

WE are professionals, not some group of money hungry neer-do-wells that discovered a way to make an easy buck. Lets all work toward making MAY the National Professional acknowledgement month.

 

 

One thing I would like to do during that month is acknowledge some of the outstanding professionals in our industry.  This would be adjusters and we could even consider adding other categories, like vendors. I could create a form that would allow visitors to nominate an adjuster or company and a five member panel of our peers could review the submitted nominations to come up with the best nominations.  This smaller group of nominations could then be voted on.  The form would capture the name of the person and the reason for the nomination; I was thinking that anyone could make a nomination including the insured, vendors and carriers and so on. We could give out awards to the top five or so of each category. 

 

Roy,

Great Idea! I'll post the info about this plan on www.ClaimSmentor.com and recommend our group(now at 508 and growing!) support your program on this! May is a perfect month like you said just prior to the hurricane season! Let us know what we can do to support the project!

Debbie

While we have no governing body with authority to discipine WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS, but there are many out there who act professionally or do their work in a professional maner. While companies and vendors send out 3 day (or less) wonders to adjust WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS. At least thats my opinion.

  Stormcrow et al:

You certainly are entitled to your opinion and no one can take that away.

However, there are those of us with degrees from many learning institutions, some are lawyers, accountants, religious leaders, business majors and various others with PROFESSIONAL accreditations who have chosen to make this our profession in lieu of what we thought initially was our calling.

For many years "older" you were a staunch supporter of CADO and offered some really sage opinions and advice. Why you have elected to demean, chastise and downplay the concept of professionalism, is completely beyond my comprehension.

But, your opinion is solely yours, do with it what you will, there are others that disagree but will defend your right to the death to voice that opinion. Ces't la Vie..........

Your comments (Why you have elected to demean, chastise and downplay the concept of professionalism, is completely beyond my comprehension) are not understood. There is a signifivant difference between professionalism and being a "Profession". 

Doctors are professionals, yet specialize in a given field. Lawyers are professionals, yet specialize in different areas of expertise. Adjusting is a profession, yet not all are professional acting.

Roy is trying to bring up those who have display professionalism in this convoluted group, known as adjusters. Each has his/her idea of what this work is called. I have always considered it a profession.

In my opinion, what makes this a profession is how you aproach it. If you got a call from a buddy who said "come on down to the hurricane, their hiring anyone", and you left your old job behind to go be an "adjuster" for a while, then its just another job. If on the other hand you got the training, and continue learn your craft, get certified, learn new skills, just so you can be better prepared with each assignment, then you can call your self a professional. We all know those who came to this carreer for the short term, no they sit back and wait for the next big one. They do not take away from those of us who try every day to be better than yesterday, who scan the websites looking for training we might feel we need , or retaking some class just to keep from loosing what we may not be using right now.

In short this is my professional! And I will alway aproach it in a professional manner.

JWG

The concept isn't bad, Roy.  But reality tells me it will be a tough thing to sell, since there are way too many professions that have their own agendas on too many other websites.  While there are a lot of observers/posters to this site, the numbers are probably too low on a consistent basis to have any impact for the purposes intended.  Maybe I will be proved wrong....maybe this post will move some folks to proving me wrong.

Professional Catastrophe Adjusters. NACA the oldest group is having its convention today. Lets start with ever adjuster who attended the convention is "a pro. cat", then each adjuster who has worked 10 hurricane and 20 hail storms are "procat, then ever adjuster who has both wind certs from State Farm, Allstate, Am Cat, USAA, Liberty Mutual, AIG and flood from NFIP. is a procat. Leave room for the staff adjusters who retired after 20 years and hit the road. This will tell you who the real pros are.

Ray (Trader)

 

My “Trader Decoder” reveals you would not consider me a Professional Catastrophe Adjuster.  Let’s look at my work history -

 

I have worked 14 hurricanes, beginning in 1991 and going through 2005.

I have worked 11 hail storms, beginning in 1995 and going through 2006.

I have worked 11 tornado/wind storms, during the period between 1991 and 2006.

I have worked 4 ice storms between 1996 and 2006.

I have worked daily claims, including fires, water damage, theft of property, etc. for over 10 years, doing vendor branch assist and through my own company.

I am NFIP Flood Certified and have worked flood claims for 8 years.

I have received several written positive comments from claims examiners, agents, and the insured regarding my professionalism and work product.

 

“Decoding” your post on the subject, you would not consider me a “Pro” because I have not worked 20 hail storms, did not attend the NACA convention, am not State Farm, etc. certified, nor do I have 20 years experience as a staff adjuster. 

 

I have one question.  Do you think your method of determining true professionalism is flawless?

Sorry Janice you are a procat. I recommend we also allow CPCU, AIC, RPA, GA, EGA, AIS, FCLA, CPA 's MBA's, PHD's and last but not least JD's and staff adjuster with 5 years exp.

I never hear any mention of NACA on this site. This group has been around since the middle 70's. I am not a member now, but have been one in past years. I have worked storms for years by carriers who hired direct from the NACA roster. They have standards for membership, an ethics program in place. Most important I have never met a person that belonged to this orginazation that was not highly qualified.

If its time for me meet the fate of Jim Flynt, Kevin Hromas, John Durham and other very good adjusters, so be it. After giving away several hundred hours of my time to several hundred new adjusters this year that I met at Claimsmentor I can find something to do.

Ray,

Thank you for your comments.  I have learned many valuable lessons from your posts on CADO and look forward to more.  No disrespect was intended in my post, I just wondered if there might be some "wriggle" room in your assessment of what makes one a professional cat adjuster.

I'm looking forward to more of your insightful posts.

Janice

We are getting off the course Roy set for this particular thread. This thread is and should be devoted to what he would like to see done. It should not be about whether you're a cracker jack speller, it should be about you, the adjuster, and whether you're proud of being what and who you are.

(quote) "I would like to suggest that we make May the National Professionalism Awareness Month". Pretty good idea, in my mind. Now, do any of you have any constructive ideas as how this might be accomplished on a national basis. Anyone here friends with Oprah, a Senator, Governor, or newspaper owner. Let's get this done and not concern ourselves as to whether this is a profession or commodity. I happen to think that it is a profession, and I am glad to be a part of it.

Jump in now. Let's get this started.

My apostrophe key is stuck on the pc. That's my story and I am sticking with it. I should have said, yor gonna, after all I am a true southerner.

Okay Husker, thanks for bringing the spelling to my attention. I took the PC to the shop, spent $300.00 and got the apostrophe fixed and made the corrections. Now, what is your mailing address so I can send you the bill.You're the man.