| Author |
Message |
Longtime adjuster
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 01, 2002 - 9:41 pm: | |
Unfortunately in our business an adjuster is only worth what he generates... I happen to generate billings in the 60,000.00 -100,000.00 range per month depending on whether the cat is fee based or T and E. ... Most adjusters will generate between 5000.00-10,000.00 Their take per month... however these adjusters do not work 7 days a week or 15-17 hrs a day.... normally when you go to a cat your there for one reason... TO MAKE MONEY.... the money is there to be made being an adjuster and if your any good at what you do you will be offered a position over other adjusters at a cat where you will make a percentage of gross billings... if you want to realize your worth learn our profession from those in this industry who are good at it.... most of us at the elite level know how to make money and are more than willing to teach the new adjusters as this is how we have learned the trade.... for some reason we tend to forget where we came from...just keep in mind that if you are not prpared to work long hard hours and perfect your communication skills dont waste our time... we dont mind helping adjusters who are serious about our profession |
John McMennamy
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2001 - 3:25 pm: | |
Ghostbuster, I too work for Farmers. I've got the Contour and the wooden 4-fold ladder that will hardly fit in the trunk. I was hired about 3 months ago as a senior claims representative, it must be my age.
I like learning new things and handling different types of claims. I handle fewer claims than I did on storms, but they do take longer to close. I was hired at an attractive salary, a company car, a gas card, all equipement furnished, company paid 401, company paid profit sharing, work from home and with some really great people.
As a catastrophy adjuster I was at the murcy of mother nature (which wasn't very nice to me last year), if I did work it was away from home, I furnished all my own equipement, spent a great deal on housing, food and 40% to the vender that claimsranger works for and couldn't get them to return phone calls unless they needed something.
As a cat or staff adjuster I love my job. I meet a lot of great people and help a lot of people. I've got the best job in the world. It beats the heck out of the sprinkler trade and lifting 6&8" steel pipe in all types of weather.
I still keep in touch with my independent friends and value and respect their friendship.
What is a good salary? Maybe knowing you can pay the bills without mother nature while still doing a job you like. Maybe it's not depending on a vender that works the one that cries loudest instead of a qualified adjuster. Maybe it's just being making a living and enjoying your job. I beleave it can be any or all of these things. Hell maybe it's just having a great cousin like Linda Asberry?????????na.
Just my thoughts and oppinion.
Work safe and have a great day.
P.S. Did I mention paid sick days, holidays and weekends off. |
Ghostbuster (Ghostbuster)
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2001 - 12:47 pm: | |
Ms Linda...This topic may well be like bringing a skunk to a garden party. I would imagine more than a few of the powers that be, will cringe over this one...so here goes! Ready, Aim, Fire!
I have always contended that the worth of the Adjuster is equal to that of the Agent, in terms of earnings and prestige. A salesman is expected to only succeed with a sale at a rate of about 10%. Or, the flip side, a failure rate of 90%. For this, the sales agent is rewarded with substantial commissions and incentives to boost their morale. I have witnessed agents recieve a variety of plaques, certificates, and trophys for just showing up for work each day.
(My personal favorite was the Farmers, Order of the Blue Vase.)
Now for the poor slobs over in the claims department. Besides our pawltry salaries and insultingly pewny company cars,( with trunks so small the ladder won't fit and the back seat door panels get scarred up on both sides), do we get any special praise for just showing up to the office each day? (Uhhh, let me get back to you on that one.) How about if our successful sales of claim settlements is 10%, are we held up as a shining beacon for our peers to imulate? (Probaly not today, but maybe tomorrow.) Is our value or worth in delivering on the promise the agent made with the contract of insurance any less than the agent? (Whoa Boy! Now y'awl is treading on thin ice.)
What we, as the disbursers of corporate funds, perform is at least as, if not more, important a function than any other in this industry. For us to have allowed ourselves to become the much maligned and, therefore, underpaid and under appreciated group is a BIG NO-NO. (Now, ya went and did it. Ya upset the ol' status quo!)
It's been a couple of years since State Farm upped the rates on the fee bills. Last night, I noticed that the cost of my mexican dinner went up by .50 cents. I think we are well overdue for an adjustement to our compensation. |
Claimsranger
| | Posted on Sunday, July 29, 2001 - 5:23 am: | |
Linda, as a fellow "Claimsranger" I would love to get this thread woven into a blanket!! And you betcha britches you have finally hit on a subject I can spend hours expounding on. I have been extremely fortunate to have had some of the best mentors in this industry show me, cuss me and prod my skinny lil butt in the correct way of Adjusting a claim. Even have a plaque on my office wall that says in 1996 I was "Top New Employee" for the largest vendor in the world. Now, That being said I know I am not the best or the fastest. Went behind the fastest during Fran and had to rework 60 losses from the start. And that was only 1/2 of them. Even adjusted a smell that cost SF $7,600 for 3-2/3 yards of vinyl flooring in a bathroom. The staff youngster is now a CS! Beasley calls that type of claim, " A learning experience". What is/are we worth? 2 years ago, I thought I was worth 36K in salary/benefits and 30% billing. I billed 148K in the 6 months I worked. And I don't remember anyone calling me back to tell me I had screwed something up. Belive it or not that was to me the Dream Team job I had really wanted. I still climb for them, but that is because I am morally bound to pay back 18K in "draw against production" and because I genuinely like and respect the CEO and the VP that has been there his entire career. I even was given a two week school and put up in a suite that is larger than my duplex that cost a small fortune to send me to. I know they will see this and yall know who I am. So, what are we worth? As our profession thins out and the old school retires, as they are, I would certainly appreciate some of our other peers to chime in and give me a clue. Nuff said for the moment! |
R.D. Hood (Dave)
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2001 - 8:51 pm: | |
Well, perhaps the vendors and/or carriers could answer that very pertinent question.
The carriers and larger vendors have Adjusters, General Adjusters, Executive General Adjusters, and so on. Do they all get the same pay?????
So im thinking that we might compare those classifications to ball players, like Michael Jordan, or Scotty Pippen, or maybe Tiger Woods, Greg Norman & Jack Nicholas, perhaps Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, or a singer, musician, or any other really talented person.
I do not believe that these people all get paid the same as those that are following in the footprints They left in the sand.
Nay, we are all placed in the pool and swim and swim and swim, hoping the sharks dont get a piece of us. |
Linda Asberry (Linda)
| | Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2001 - 6:37 pm: | |
We talk about everything under the sun except our worth. I would be very interested in knowing your opinions of just how much a good adjuster is really worth and how he/she can realize that worth. We all know there will never be a consensus but let's talk about it. |
|
