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Posted By catadj2367 on 08 May 2011 10:19 PM
I know All Cat deals with USAA, and they contact people from all over the country to come to the San Antonio area to take the test. The problem is, USAA has a ridiculously complex test one has to take to get on their CAT team. You are required to sketch/estimate 3 very complex roofs. Roofs that are are so complex, you see a roof this complex perhaps once every 20 claims, if that. If you don't pass the test, you go home, so if you travelled from far away to Texas for the test and fail, you are out a lot of travel money.

The failure rate on the USAA CAT certification test is high.

If All Cat calls you to come to Texas USAA CAT Certification, and you don't reside in Texas, INSIST that they provide you with a USAA sample test BEFORE you go down there, and take the sample test FROM HOME before you go all the way down there. If they are not willing to provide you with a sample test, don't bother with them.

If you don't pass the sample test, I advise that you do NOT go all the way to San Antonio for the USAA certification.

catasj2367,

First things first, AllCat is a solid top shelf organization. They have recently deployed a handful of my newer members and from speaking with them have found no issues with pay and support .

I find your comments ridiculous !! Sadly, you're words go a long way in describing the skill level amongst the majority of "licensed" adjusters in the industry today.

Before I go any further with this post,

understand that this is NOT an attack on newly licensed adjusters in my industry. Not in the least as I created and implimented the first functional  Apprentice Project through which rookie adjusters are taught NOT in a classroom,but out in the field working real claims. I also created a mentor site specifically for rookie adjusters to guide them through breaking into my industry.

USAA rocks in my opine, as most know USAA caters almost exclusively with active military,retired military  veterans, disabled veterans,military families.

You state that the USAA certification exam is ridiculously difficult. It's supposed to be difficult friend! USAA only wants adjusters who actually know something about adjusting. They know that being a licensed adjuster does NOT make that person an adjuster.

Unfortunately friend, you are used to the sit through the 8 hour class and pick up your cert on the way out the door kind of certifications. Gone are the days that someone holding a certification in a specific discipline meant that person was an EXPERT of said discipline.

catasj2367, you have just stated with your post for all carriers, IA firms, claims managers and fellow adjusters to read that you do NOT have a clue nor the skill level required to provide the insured with a competent, accurate scope of damages and RECOMMEND said carrier pay a dollar amount sufficient to bring that insured to a pre-event condition.

In closing, you state that the USAA CAT certification test is high ! Yes indeed that is high failure rate!! The only thing higher is the failure rate of .................................................................................................rookie adjusters on their first storm!

Robby Robinson

Robbie,

I have read your posts before. You tend to miss the point in your responses.

You missed the point in my previous post.

Yes, USAA is a fine company, and is made up of fine people, both Insureds and staff.

Yes, the USAA certification test is needlessly difficult, and therefore passing/failing it does not reflect an adjuster's abililty to excel at handling USAA claims.

Yes, the USAA certification failure rate is needlessly high. 

Yes, All Cat Claims will call adjusters from all over the USAA to come to their location (San Antonio area, in a remote part of the country for most folks outside of Texas to commute to) to take the USAA certification.

So therefore, given the high failure rate on the USAA certfication,and the remote location of San Antonio, TX in relation to most of the rest of the USA, one needs PREPARE for the test, BEFORE one decides to travel there for the testing, or he/she may end up being out of a lot of travel money.

In my opinion, All Cat should paint a realistic portrait of how difficult the test is, and provide sample test questions to enable one to be prepare for the testing from home before making the trip down there.

My advice to anyone outside Texas is, don't go all they way down there to All Cat to take the USAA certification if sample test questions are not provided beforehand.

Posted By catadj2367 on 14 May 2011 03:22 PM

Robbie,

I have read your posts before. You tend to miss the point in your responses.

You missed the point in my previous post.

Yes, USAA is a fine company, and is made up of fine people, both Insureds and staff.

Yes, the USAA certification test is needlessly difficult, and therefore passing/failing it does not reflect an adjuster's abililty to excel at handling USAA claims.

Yes, the USAA certification failure rate is needlessly high. 

Yes, All Cat Claims will call adjusters from all over the USAA to come to their location (San Antonio area, in a remote part of the country for most folks outside of Texas to commute to) to take the USAA certification.

So therefore, given the high failure rate on the USAA certfication,and the remote location of San Antonio, TX in relation to most of the rest of the USA, one needs PREPARE for the test, BEFORE one decides to travel there for the testing, or he/she may end up being out of a lot of travel money.

In my opinion, All Cat should paint a realistic portrait of how difficult the test is, and provide sample test questions to enable one to be prepare for the testing from home before making the trip down there.

My advice to anyone outside Texas is, don't go all they way down there to All Cat to take the USAA certification if sample test questions are not provided beforehand.

 

 

catadj2367,

Thank you for the response. I will agree that there have been some instances where I have been wrong and I can accept that. I have no problem with apologizing if I was wrong about something and in fact I have written an apology or two right here on CADO

 My responses can be harsh but I do not believe that I tend to miss the points that have generated a response from me. I am very passionate about my industry and am not afraid to voice my opinion

( I even got thrown off the debating team in college. They said I talked to much !!)

In my opine, someone who holds a "certification" is supposed to be an expert in that discipline. That is often NOT the case in today's adjusting industry.

The USAA certification is tough without a doubt. There are many tough questions about coverage and proper inspection techniques and the XM8 portion of the certification is very complex. However, the insured is entitled to receive an accurate inspection and an accurate scope of damages prepared by a professional claims adjuster.

If an adjuster takes an exam to be certified on any subject and those who hold that certification are viewed by the industry as an EXPERT and that same adjuster FAILS the exam because he is in fact NOT an expert, what do you think should happen ?

Should the adjuster who failed the exam study harder and learn more about the subject before taking the test again?

Or should the carrier that requires the certification dumb down the exam so anyone can pass it? 

 

My personal opine is I wish no certifications would be necessary  AT ALL to work in my industry because having an adjusters license should be all that is needed to show that we are in fact experts in the field of claims adjusting. Unfortunately that is NOT the case because WE ALL KNOW anyone with a pulse can receive an adjusters license these days.

60%

pushy, demanding, and will  call you at midnight asking you to get onto the computer

for 30  minutes  when you're suppose to travel the next day. 

Posted By KittyPower on 16 May 2011 12:25 PM

60%

pushy, demanding, and will  call you at midnight asking you to get onto the computer

for 30  minutes  when you're suppose to travel the next day. 

???????????????????????

Posted By CatLossMan on 23 May 2011 08:53 PM
I just got back from Knoxville working AllCat/Hartford hail loss claims last week so maybe I can address the AllCat side of this discussion. I personally had a very rough time but my failures are totally on ME for lack of my training and certifications. The files I completed are fine and were reviewed by members of the AllCat staff so I'm not concerned about this being a public forum for all to see. I sat across the desk from the owner, James Wolfenbarger, and found him to be a straight up, no nonsense, guy that truly wants and encourages his adjusters to succeed. He set up a help center in Alcoa with a half dozen of his staff for the sole purpose of supporting their adjusters. My main contact was Jay Stewart, the Claims Director, who would drop everything he was doing when I showed up with a problem or for help and would work with me until i was back on track. Numerous times I would call or E-mail to get a simple question answered (which made me feel stupid for even asking) and I was never talked down to. I put in long hours, the computer would go on at 6 AM and often I wouldn't shut it down till 12 or 1 AM. On the rare occasion I didn't get an answer when I called or E-mailed them with a question I would get a return phone call within 5 minutes, day or night. I cannot speak highly enough of the entire AllCat staff and if I had the opportunity I would work solely for them but I still have work to be done. As recommended by Jay I am immediately pursuing my certification for USAA and my Level 3 in Xactimate which takes me to New Orleans the first week of June in hopes of being able to work with AllCat in the future.
In summary I cannot think of one thing I could suggest that would improve their operation nor do I know of any company I would rather work with if given the opportunity.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................

CatLossMan,

Bravo !! Well said ! Congrats on surviving your first storm!! I cannot think of a better way to show that AllCat is a top shelf organization than this post.

To hear that Jim and Jay did for you what they did makes AllCat a desirable firm to work with.

Robby Robinson

 

This is my first storm with ALLCAT.  I think they are super supportive and quick with answers to problems.  Their support is first rate.  They do alot of business with usaa and are their largest vendor.

about the test....it's not that hard....

yes you need to know xm8 but i differ with one point only.  the roofs on the test are not different than what you see on the job.  In 15 claims i've been on two super cuts with 30 slopes and a 10/12 to boot.  Now granted we didn't measure it and will use eagleview to scope...so from that regard it's a lil unlikely that you would need to be able to scope that kind of roof in xm8

Posted By Mark on 18 Apr 2012 09:39 PM
What IA firms handle Farmers, Hartford and The Farm Bureau?

Farmers I believe now is 100% staff

Hartford has multiple, the ones I know of are Crawford & Allcat

Not sure about FB