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Hi Mark! It has indeed been a great year. I worked the derecho in Ohio (commercial agricultural), went on paid standby for Isaac, and have since been working a hailstorm in Calgary Alberta as a team lead/reviewer. The adjusters were snowed out up here just in time for Sandy; I am in the process of wrapping things up and will then tackle Sandy, preferably with an inside gig. Then, next spring if I'm not still doing Sandy, back to Calgary to continue where we left off.

Wish I could go to Canada. I have it in writing that I was allowed [/u to leave

The Calgary wind storm and 2 major hail storms have created a huge number of claims, with very few local adjusters having the basic skills such as climbing and measuring a roof and writing XM8. Calgary is almost 1.2 million and Edmonton to the north is 1 million. We may see Canadian carriers start to use storm troopers on a regular basis.

Not a bad gig here in Jersey..Lots of wind claims with the occasional buisness interuption and unfortunately flood denials gives the back a break from packing a ladder. This is going to be a long deployment and I will be here till things dry up. Great to hear things are going good for you Lee that trip up north across the border sounds like a great callout. One of my favorite things about the biz is the places it takes you and meeting the different people and cultures are one of my favorite benefits. I have sipped the cuban coffe with the folks in Miami and a few weeks later been gulping down bitter strong brewed coffee with the Texans in Beaumont and tons of other places. What a ride these last 12 years have been....I am blessed.

"The Calgary wind storm and 2 major hail storms have created a huge number of claims, with very few local adjusters having the basic skills such as climbing and measuring a roof and writing XM8"

The Canadians on my team have not been as sophisticated in XM8 as the US guys and gals; but have been, hands down, far the better adjusters at meeting the (Canadian) carrier's customer service expectations.

There does not exist up here (at least in western Canada), as yet, a plaintiff's bar/public adjuster cadre ready to pounce on adjuster/vendor/carrier shortcomings. The claims I've been handling are generally associated with insureds who are highly-educated professionals that pay high premiums and expect (and deserve) the highest quality customer service possible (remember the old USAA?). The roof monkey/turn-and-burn mentality that some of the US adjusters apply to these claim scenarios is sorrily inappropriate.

At least here in Alberta, Canadians would rather have the feeling of a direct contact with an individual and be told that their inspection might be six months away due to inclement weather (and continue to have that direct contact whenever necessary), than an inspection scheduled without them present that generates an abbreviated estimate but no further contact with the adjuster and a run-around as to "what happens next".

Also, the Canadian adjusters on my team, on average, are more willing to learn. Only an American would, when challenged on a minimal estimate, state: "That's what supplements are for!".

OK, then. Eh?

 

which type of claims pay better. Flood or Wind? It will help me decide who to go with to the NE. Thanks for any input

Posted By patti on 08 Nov 2012 01:42 PM
which type of claims pay better. Flood or Wind? It will help me decide who to go with to the NE. Thanks for any input

I would like to point out that when posting on this forum, there is a good chance that you will be communicating with people that scour this board looking for competent adjusters. That said, posting with incomplete sentences and improper punctuation probably will not help your cause. Think about what any potential employer would see when you speak here, and their reaction to the way you chose to introduce yourself to your peers with your first post. Right now, it's: "Good God, if this is how they ask a simple question, imagine their narrative!". The reaction may be different for others.

I would recommend that you take anything you can get and not "shop around" if your resume in any way reflects the thought and effort that went in to your first post here on CADO.

Here are some suggestions concerning the amount of money to be made on this storm:

First, there is plenty of money to be made on this storm. So forget about trying to figure out ahead of time which assignment will net you a higher income. A crystal ball would be needed because there are too many intangibles. Suffice it to say that anyone who works hard, and with a modicum of efficiency, will make a profit. Instead, focus on how you can be of assistance in a difficult situation. The money will take care of itself.

Second, consider what are the ethical decisions. I have had to make a difficult decision in the past two days that resulted in turning down very lucrative work and recommending other adjusters to do that work. It was the right decision, but may not turn out to be the most profitable. Quite frankly, I have as much on my plate as I can handle right now, without taking on extra work I cannot hope to handle correctly, given that each day has only 24 hours. I recommended the two available adjusters I was absolutely certain would do a better job than I could. The karma will be sufficient reward. If I sound a little "new age-y" there, trust me that I am not. This helps me build networks that benefit down the road.

Third, concentrate on working hard, working long hours, and staying on site as long as it takes. Again, the money will take care of itself.

Finally, good luck finding a place to stay that doesn't eat up your profits. Watch the expense side as well as the income side. Housing is at a real premium here in the New York/New Jersey area. It was one of the connections I've made that allowed us to find a place to stay when three hours of internet searching could not find an available hotel room for less than $300 dollars a night within 100 miles of where we were supposed to report for work. That's an example of the karma I wrote about above.

I workded a wind storm some years ago on Long Island...........stayed in a "by the hour" motel in Jericho. The price was right, free Wi-Fi, laundry and food was close. My wife didn't believe me until I flew her up. We stayed a couple of days after the claims ended and did the "Ma and Pa Kettle do New York" thing. We still laugh about the motel.

Happy Trails

Slammed here in North Jersey with a 105 files in my que. About 60% persent residential wind 30% BI claims and the rest denials for flood. Working area of Newark to Hoboken and new claims coming daily as quick as I can close em.I can recall many years sitting and grinding out the daily claims and eating ring bologna so no complaints here.