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I know this is long, but please read, at the end there is a twist and I hope that my experience will help you or someone else. Thank you for reading. Adjusters should be owed the right to share their experience's with 3rd party companies & carriers alike because we are the heart of the claims process. The worse the economy gets, the harder it becomes to be an adjuster and/or manage a 3rd party claims handling firm. As the adjusters fees go down, the demands go up. The carriers are hiring more & more green adjusters with little experience, imposing strict estimating guidelines which are geared to underpay claims "and adjusters alike" while they adjust and settle the claim from the desk. This allows the carrier to pay very little to the adjuster or 3rd party firm, while allowing them to acquire all of the information they need to settle a claim from the examiners desk. We are being used for measurements, photos, and investigation while being prevented from settling a claim fairly. These claims nearly always are supplemented after the Insured hires a contractor to see the claim was underpaid and they don't have enough money to repair damages. The examiner takes our hard work and investigations and most of the time will add all of the items your told can not be included in your estimate, although you know they need to be included to properly estimate damages. Now they can add $10k, $20k, whatever it takes to settle and pay someone an hourly or daily rate to settle the claim. Yet we are the ones with all of the long hours, late nights, enormous expense bill, and most of all spending extended time away from our families. There was a day when an adjuster was a professional and was compensated for the hard work it takes to settle a claim from the field, properly and timely. It takes a large nest egg of expense money to chase any opportunity in our field & we are no longer paid to endure these struggles. They are using green guys that done know any better, hungry guys that will do the work for nothing just to have work, and this effects everyone from the 3rd party claims firm that hired you, all the way to the Insured that is nearly always frustrated fighting for the money they were owed from day one of the adjustment. More and more 3rd party companies are fighting for contracts to get the claims, and they have to do them for nothing to over time hopefully turn a profit if they luck out with a busy year. So more and more the 3rd party guys are taking advantage of the adjuster, underpaying the adjuster, and more & more, not paying the adjuster for work they performed as contractually agreed. So not only are we getting beat up by the carrier, but now the 3rd party employers, and don't forget, the Insured. We are the first line of contact when an Insured is forced into fighting for their money and although you know you underpaid them, and forced by estimating guidelines to do so, you still have to keep it professional without the urge to just tell them "yes you got screwed by the Carrier & now you have to fight for your money just like I do." The Carrier saves millions employing this strategy I call the triple D's. Deny, Delay, and Defend. First they will deny payable claims until arriving at a place where they have to pay. Then they delay the claim, because most people don't know their rights and don't want to fight so they get tired and give up. Then defend the claim. The Carrier would rather grossly underpay a large loss claim and make the Insured take it all the way to appraisal where most of the time they roll over and pay anyhow. These are all situations that are set in motion to save the Carrier millions and discredit the knowledge and professionalism of the Adjuster. We are now viewed by Insured's and contractors alike as the equivalent of a professional consultant at Best Buy. Clearly no one places any faith in what a Best Buy representative is claiming, as a customer you are forced to listen or not, and gather your own facts to ensure you make the right decision. These changes although slow and steady all circle back to ruining a once lustrous career that you could be proud of, to one that uses and abuses the Adjuster and the adjusters family that he always seems to be away from. Of course I some of you are thinking, "Daily Claims" Well if you are, you will know already that these lucky bunch of adjusters even though they are usually home with their families, are having to deal with even more time crunches, more documentation, and even more reporting all to get paid even far less than the storm chaser. Something needs to be done to make the Carriers act more responsibly and make federal standard in claims handling procedures and estimating guidelines. The more they are allowed to hide behind the fact that they cant be found contractually negligent if they pay something and make you fight for the rest through appraisal. If we have a standard in claims handling this will force them to pay the adjuster to be an adjuster again, knowing the only financial benefit is to settle fairly & settle quickly. Let me know how you feel about this. Attached is an experience of mine with US Cat Adjusters after being a professional for 17 years, and still doing my job passionately for the responsibility I have to have good ethics and working ethically. I owe to the Insured and my family as well. This a detailed account of where this industry is headed for a hard working career adjuster that's on a lot of a lists and done it all from simple one liner adjustment to being an Umpire or expert witness. This is the treatment we get to look forward to for committing your life & career to being an adjuster. We need to share our experiences to prevent getting screwed over. We owe it to each other to look out for each other. http://www.image-share.com/ijpg-3098-300.html
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