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Last Post 05/29/2009 1:08 AM by  joelgendelman
Securing Recorded Statements with your Cell Phone?
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Angus99
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04/07/2009 2:29 PM
    Of coarse after i trash both my old land line phone and phone service, i am receiving requests to complete recorded statements.  I have both the tape recorder thing and a digital recording device.  How do any of these connect to a cell phone allowing for a recorded statement?  I have called ebery company and it appears i am the first person that has ever requested this.  Has anybody done this successfully?
     
    Thanks for any help/guidance.
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    BobH
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    04/07/2009 3:16 PM
    If you go to Amazon and do a search for "phone recording adapter" you will find a $17 thing made by Olympus that will do what you need.
     
    I use an Olympus digital recorder, and was looking to upgrade my recorder last year and saw a lot of favorable reviews for this thing (on multiple sites). 

    I don't use one personally, but the concept is simple enough.  it's "microphone" is listening to the audio coming out of your cell phone's earpiece, so when the other person speaks it is hearing it.  It also picks up your voice because you are speaking about 8" from the same microphone.  some reviewers said your voice will sound louder than the other person, so it obviously will pick up your voice OK.

    If you need it quickly, you may want to see if your local Radio Shack has it in stock.  I saw one of these for sale at my local Radio Shack a while back.  They had Olympus products. 

    Or else put your cell on "speakerphone" and be prepared for mediocre sound quality on the recording.
     
    Bob H
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    host
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    04/07/2009 6:23 PM
    We sure have made some advancements in the technology department when it comes to claim handling. I remember when we first started CADO there was a question in the first forum about using email to communicate with the insured. I think that question was posted sometime in 96 and at that time I think it was determined that paper was still better than email.
    Roy
    Contact Us - Search CADO - Storm Page - The Career Page - CADO Channels
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    Angus99
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    04/07/2009 10:04 PM
    Thanks-Yeah i went to Radio Shack and of coarse they didnt have anything.  I did speak to a cell phone rep who suggested the exact same thing you did in putting on speaker.  Im going to play around with that.  Thanks again for the link to Amazon. Im going to check that out tonight. 
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    HuskerCat
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    04/08/2009 2:31 AM
    You bring up a curiosity...the carrier asking an IA to just take a phone RS.  When I was staff and also branch IA, the carriers always requested RS's on a face-to-face basis.  Otherwise, they were doing the RS's themselves and just asking us to do the scene investigations, pick up the police report, photo the damage, write the est, etc.  I believe that if the IA is doing all of that, they should also be taking the RS...because there are visual facts that can lead your RS line of questioning.  But why over the phone, unless no other alternative, as long as you are inspecting damage anyway?  Maybe I'm just old school...maybe I'm just old...maybe that's why over the course of at least a dozen fatality claims and uncountable other injury claims, few went to suit.  Personal contact was and should be key to claim cost control.  The bean counters now prefer to pay the outside legal expense instead of providing staff & settlement authority to the staff like they used to.
     
    Sorry, Angus...this doesn't answer your question at all.  But I got to rant a lil'.  And I hope they are giving you complete coverage info if you are expected to take a meaningful RS (if it's other than auto liability/injury, etc.).
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    Ray Hall
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    04/08/2009 5:18 AM
    Not many around any more, but some carriers who write a lot of retail or apartments still want to pay a very good IA to do a full blown job on a slip and fall case. I can do a job ready for trial for about 12 to 20 hours work and get most ready for trial or settlement. I insist on face to face in the attorneys office for a RC.
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    BobH
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    04/08/2009 12:27 PM
    Posted By HuskerCat on 08 Apr 2009 02:31 AM
    ... When I was staff and also branch IA, the carriers always requested RS's on a face-to-face basis.  
    ... But why over the phone, unless no other alternative, as long as you are inspecting damage anyway? 
    1.) It always depends on the Exposure*.  Small claims can be done over the phone.  Last year I had a 4-Fatal and you better believe those statements were in person (to establish witness potential on the stand, etc.)

    2.) As staff, you are marching to ONE drum.  As an independent adjuster, you get it from all sides.  I would get assignments from Third Party Administrators who were not set up to take statements themselves, so basically you do what is needed (based on exposure).  Some large carriers would assign out directly and ask the adjuster to get phone statements, and only in-person if you were going to meet the person anyway to look at their Property Damage (as you mention) but with a witness or Insd vehicle that is already in the shop and the carrier having in-house person doing the 1st party collision claim, you may get the Insd version over-the-phone if it's just a matter of "he-said, she-said" dispute on a minor accident.
     
    3.) Some carriers are just cheap.  They SHOULD do in-person, but its a miracle they even established a claim and are considering both sides before simply closing their file and going back to sleep.  Doing the phone statement was a huge sign of "good faith" on their part. 

    * for those who haven't done much Casualty / Liability work, there is a specialized definition for exposure.  It doesn't mean walking out to get the morning paper and fogetting to get dressed.

    Exposure - Measure of vulnerability to loss, usually expressed in dollars or units. http://www.ambest.com/resource/glossary.html#E
     
    Posted by Ray
    I insist on face to face in the attorneys office for a RC
     
    If the claimant is represented by an attorney, that statement almost ALWAYS is done in-person.  (so the paralegal can "object" to most of the questions)

    Bob H
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    Tim_Johnson
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    04/08/2009 7:06 PM
     Something else to consider when taking R/S on a cell phone;
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCyKcoDaofg 
     



    You COULD be giving up someone's entire identity. These days I don't ever ask for the SS#. It used to be SOP but I don't ask any longer.
    I had not heard of the above link until yesterday. I used to listen to ananlog cell conversations on my police scanner, absolutely hours of entertainment when you live in a small town.



    Tim Johnson
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    Betrock
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    04/14/2009 11:54 AM
    A nifty device is a Radio Shack Wireless Phone Recording Controller RS 17-855.  I don't know if Radio Shack carries them anymore, but they can be obtained on eBay for about $25.  It requires a cell phone that accepts a sub-mini (2.5mm) plug (jack usually labeled for headset), a recording device that accepts a mini plug (3.5mm), usually jack labeled for Mic input, and a hands free headset w/mic with a sub-mini plug.  Quality is excellent, or as good as your cell phone reception.
    The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes... but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust
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    Angus99
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    04/17/2009 10:59 AM
    Thanks folks again for all of your responces.  I forgot that i posted this question.
     
    The carrier requested the R/S after my inspection the previous week.  They originally only wanted an estimate.  After i completed the inspection and estimate they requested a R/S as it appeared they couldnt determine a C&O from the home owner and some other policy stuff.   Ended up using a land line from my parents to complete the R/S.  Lastly, i asked the carrier if they wanted the R/S in person or over the phone.  They requested an over the phone as i had already been at the property the previous week.
     
    Thanks again for your responces and some interesting comments.
     
     
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    HuskerCat
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    04/20/2009 12:41 AM
    Posted By Angus99 on 17 Apr 2009 10:59 AM
    Thanks folks again for all of your responces.  I forgot that i posted this question.
     
    The carrier requested the R/S after my inspection the previous week.  They originally only wanted an estimate.  After i completed the inspection and estimate they requested a R/S as it appeared they couldnt determine a C&O from the home owner and some other policy stuff.   Ended up using a land line from my parents to complete the R/S.  Lastly, i asked the carrier if they wanted the R/S in person or over the phone.  They requested an over the phone as i had already been at the property the previous week.
     
    Thanks again for your responces and some interesting comments.
     
    What you ran into is a young/new desk adjuster who has never adjusted a claim in the field. They failed to obtain background info before assigning the loss to you, and then When your report & estimate showed up, had to backpeddle in order to obtain payment authorization because there was some minor file requirement.  It had to be a minor one...because instead of just having you take a phone statement,there would have been a C&O expert hired.  Sounds like you did just fine, and found a way around your problem.  Hope they paid you some T&E on top of the fee schedule, or T&E all the way.     
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    joelgendelman
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    05/29/2009 1:08 AM
    Our Digital Statement Service (www.n2uitive.com) allows you to record, securely store and send for transcription with any telephone or upload from any digitial recorder.  
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