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Posted By Olegred on 16 Jan 2010 12:13 AM
Medulus

Why did you switch back to staff? You sound like you were doing pretty well as IA?


And to everybody

Forgive me if i sound a little arrogant, really, it is not my intention. Those who know me in real life find me pretty likable.

You do not sound a little bit arrogant, you sound alot arrogant.  Your quote below is just an example.  If you would like to not come off this way type your posts then read them as if you were reading someone elses post.  (Just a suggestion)

And to Ray

In April of 2009 there was a quick little hail storm in Tifton, GA. I made 28k (gross) in 30 days, my personal record so far, but I swear the top guy in my company was making 25-30k CONSISTENTLY over months. So, computers may slowed YOU down, me the opposite.

Would someone please lock this thread! 

Posted By claims_ray on 15 Jan 2010 06:46 PM
There is more to this field than how much you or I can make in a season or how much can I make as a staff vs. IA. As many will point out one of the main areas of concern is the insured and how well you handle their claim. This does not seem to be among your concerns based on any of your posts. I am not saying that money is not a concern however it appears to be your only concern. 

Claims_ray hit the nail on the head with this post.  I don't seem to be able to average more than three claims per day because I spend a lot of time helping the insureds through the claims process.  That's what my primary carrier and I both want.  I've followed 'turn & burn' adjusters (not saying Olegred is one) while working clean-up.  The insured tells me how the previous adjuster showed up, zipped around the house and left without explaining anything.  The insured gets a check for part of the damage and an estimate they don't know how to read.  

Five or six claims a day?  I did six claims one day just to see if I could.   It was dawn to dusk in the heat of Orlando after Charley.  Six new roofs and five with interior damage.  I was exhausted, but when I got back to the hotel I still had hours of work to finish the claims plus phone calls to make and new claims to set up.  So I didn't really do six claims that day. 

By ddreisbach 16 Jan 2010
I don't seem to be able to average more than three claims per day because I spend a lot of time helping the insureds through the claims process. That's what my primary carrier and I both want. I've followed 'turn & burn' adjusters (not saying Olegred is one) while working clean-up. The insured tells me how the previous adjuster showed up, zipped around the house and left without explaining anything.

Some of us are working "full assignment" type claims, where we handle everything including getting a check in the Insureds hands with printed estimate (if not done during first inspection then it has to be mailed, and we are the ones creating the letter, printing the estimate, sending the payment).

Olegred is currently working for Crawford, and his assignments could be defined as "Limited".
He is the eyes & ears for the carrier, makes his recommendation. Someone else reviews his work, passes it up the food chain, and it is out of his hair. There is noting "right" or "wrong" about that, it's just a different work-flow (and I have done both, most of us have). He couldn't write an estimate on-site and explain it line-by-line if he wanted to, because another set of eyes have to review it before the Insured gets to see it.

That limits the number of hoops he has to jump through before looking at another roof before the sun sets. We really can't compare that to those of us working full assignments, and typically the pay per claim is going to reflect the reduced involvement of the field adjuster. You have to compare apples to apples.

Corollary: There are adjusters working "full" assignments that only do "limited" work (turn & burn).

I deal only with lender placed, and have done 6-7 a day when geographically positioned right. On other days i can only get to 2 due to drive time in between. All of my inspections are as Bob states above, scope, document, measurements and confirm covg. If their is an occupant i will explain to them if coverage applies, or is excluded conditions/damage. I go back home and knock out the photosheet, estimate, final report and email it off for an examiner to review and make final payment/covg decisions.  Alot of the work involves foreclosed properties reported by TPA's or Realtors. No contents, additional living covg. applies. So yes, if you can squeeze 6 a day in it can be done.

Posted By BobH on 16 Jan 2010 02:21 PM

 

By ddreisbach 16 Jan 2010
I don't seem to be able to average more than three claims per day because I spend a lot of time helping the insureds through the claims process. That's what my primary carrier and I both want. I've followed 'turn & burn' adjusters (not saying Olegred is one) while working clean-up. The insured tells me how the previous adjuster showed up, zipped around the house and left without explaining anything.

Some of us are working "full assignment" type claims, where we handle everything including getting a check in the Insureds hands with printed estimate (if not done during first inspection then it has to be mailed, and we are the ones creating the letter, printing the estimate, sending the payment).

Olegred is currently working for Crawford, and his assignments could be defined as "Limited".
He is the eyes & ears for the carrier, makes his recommendation. Someone else reviews his work, passes it up the food chain, and it is out of his hair. There is noting "right" or "wrong" about that, it's just a different work-flow (and I have done both, most of us have). He couldn't write an estimate on-site and explain it line-by-line if he wanted to, because another set of eyes have to review it before the Insured gets to see it.

That limits the number of hoops he has to jump through before looking at another roof before the sun sets. We really can't compare that to those of us working full assignments, and typically the pay per claim is going to reflect the reduced involvement of the field adjuster. You have to compare apples to apples.

Corollary: There are adjusters working "full" assignments that only do "limited" work (turn & burn).

 

 

Thank you very much for hitting the hail right on the head, all that you said is very accurate. I used to schedule, inspect and close 8!!!!!!!!!! claims per day on hail, in part because all I was required to do was, getting pictures, writing estimate and that was it.

I had a bad dream last week. I have finally booted up xactimate as most carriers require it to work their "profile" losses. My dream was xmate has a feature in 27 that figures the sevice bill in time it takes the adjuster to measure a walk on 5 1/2 on 12 gable roof and estimare. This is for all roofs, as steep as they come and cut up with 23 slopes all kind of material etc. The interior is the same for all types of rooms material etc. The contents total and clean are also in the data base.

The program requires the adjuster to put his address in each morning and when he stops for the day.

This is not the nightmare. The adjuster with 5 years experience get $45.00 per hour  working direct for the carrier, plus milage and $100.00 per day per deim. First year adjusters get $25.00 per hour and $5.00 per hour raises per hour each year.

I did not really have a nightmare-just made this up, but this is possible. Read all the post on this post only and you have the meat of how this catastrophe job is being done AND can be done. I think its just around the corner. Don,t accuse me of giving the carriers something to think about. I think the software has showed them the light.

The good part of the dream was the old farts would set at the desk's to check the puter and make $40.00 per hour and no per deim.

Ray, let us hope this dream does not come true. I don't think an adjuster with a brain would work in those conditions. A bunch of newbies could be used and then they would delete their dream. You can make more being an auto mechanic now or many other trades. With all we have to know and putting our lives at risk, the vendors and carriers need to wake up an smell the onions.

Tom why would an insurance company pay 5-6 hundred dollars for a simple roof claim when they can get it done of 1/2 of the amount and as you are aware the cost of claim is not a part of the loss experience which is what makes the rate structure.

Adjusters work for less than $45.00 per hour now chasing down on the scene truck accidents in the middle of the night  driving through a rain storm in metro areas. Some make $42.00 per hour, .55 per mile and $1.00 per photo and have to take the driver in for a drug screen if needed. Must have a cell phone and check in with the dispatch in another state, take recorded statments from all, except the driver. Must give all info within an hour or so. And do any additional work that is requested. Now a complex truck accident with injuries, police, ambulance, property damage, cargo damage is a little more than a Tx license required. Give all this info to the inside people and they work out the settlements. I agree its simple but hard and 95% of all storm claims are not complex. And carriers will not pay complex cost, they will pay what the market will bear and T & E is what it will bear. IF the line item estimate has a time element(flat rate) this is what it will be.I do not want to dash cold water on cat adjusting, but the big old tree is rotten and will be cut down.

Olegard, what I was refering to was is there any interaction between the adjuster and the insured as to what the findings are (scope) after the inspection is completed?  I'm aware that a lot of carriers don't give the IA authority to come up with an agreed settlement with the insured subject to company approval, but the way I understood the prior posts the inspection is done, photos taken and info sent to the carrier/file closed.  I couldn't tell by the posts if the adjuster even told the insured what findings they came up with (ie "your roof is totalled out by hail").  A carrier can send out a contractor to take photos and write an estimate for a lot less then they pay us.

I have worked claims in all ways discussed and I'm not fond of doing it with no interaction with the insured after the scope,  I would always let the insured know what the scope of the damages were, and depending on what authority I had, from there would either provide an estimate of the damages, tell the insured that the carrier has to review the estimate before a copy is given to the insured or give estimate and chack to the insured. The insured is told in every case that the entire process is subject to review and approval by the carrier.

Posted By Olegred on 17 Jan 2010 02:10 PM
...only 1 or 2 require agreed pricing, the others want just pics, estimate and damage report. 

Like Steve said, insurance companies can use a contractor for that task - and as a matter of fact the vendor you are working for is a large player in that arena.  "Contractor Connection" by Crawford has eliminated lots of assignments to adjusters.  It is a "network of contractors" who agree to various things including submitting photos of the loss (eliminating the adjuster).

There are some very large carriers that participate with that - but then again sometimes the Insured doesn't want to use that contractor or the carrier is willing to pay for an unbiased inspection from someone who does not stand to benefit from the repair contract

This thread started on the concept of "joining staff".  If most of your work has been limited assignments, you may find you have to "downshift" a few times to keep the engine from stalling when you join staff at an Insurance company (or take on Full Assignments & General Liability claims at a large IA).

Anyway Olegred, in answer to the original question I am too far out of the loop of staff at the entry level to give an indication on the starting salary levels. To make the 6 figure amount you would have to be a GA or claim manager, which won't happen in the 1st 5 years at least in a staff job.  I don't know your experience level in claims adjusting, but I got the impression from one of your posts that you haven't been doing it for a real long time.  Going to a staff job for you may be almost the same as them hiring an unexperienced person as you would most likely have to go through the same training that they would put new hires through.  Although you know how to scope and write estimates on exactimate, do you know auto, GL, WC claims work?  A lot of staff jobs require a multiline claims knowledge, although I can't speak for a staff cat job.

I've spend about 17 years as a staffy and about 13-14 as IA and there are huge +'s and -"s for both.  Based on what you have written, I'd stay an independent if I were you as I don't think you will see the $$ you want on the staff side in the near future.  I've been wrong before, and will be wrong again though, so who knows.

Posted By sbeau4014 on 17 Jan 2010 03:12 PM

Olegard, what I was refering to was is there any interaction between the adjuster and the insured as to what the findings are (scope) after the inspection is completed?  I'm aware that a lot of carriers don't give the IA authority to come up with an agreed settlement with the insured subject to company approval, but the way I understood the prior posts the inspection is done, photos taken and info sent to the carrier/file closed.  I couldn't tell by the posts if the adjuster even told the insured what findings they came up with (ie "your roof is totalled out by hail").  A carrier can send out a contractor to take photos and write an estimate for a lot less then they pay us.

I have worked claims in all ways discussed and I'm not fond of doing it with no interaction with the insured after the scope,  I would always let the insured know what the scope of the damages were, and depending on what authority I had, from there would either provide an estimate of the damages, tell the insured that the carrier has to review the estimate before a copy is given to the insured or give estimate and chack to the insured. The insured is told in every case that the entire process is subject to review and approval by the carrier.

Well, it's one of those gray areas, where the carriers kinda have to  play this little game of giving you the authority to scope the damage but not comitting to the coverage. That's why there's an "escape" clause in my every estimate. (Not valid until approved by ins. company) . De facto, though, to be honest I can't even remember when my estimate was overturned by staff adjusters, usually they trust our expertise. If anything, they would get back to me with the contractor's supplement, which usually means, adding something to the estimate.

So, I do explain the scope to the homeowner, before I leave.

Posted By BobH on 17 Jan 2010 03:21 PM

 

 

 

This thread started on the concept of "joining staff".  If most of your work has been limited assignments, you may find you have to "downshift" a few times to keep the engine from stalling when you join staff at an Insurance company (or take on Full Assignments & General Liability claims at a large IA).

What to you mean? Like take it easy? I am so used to being  as "claim closed" oriented as possble, that I may find it difficult. :)