| Author |
Message |
Horace Smith
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 11:27 pm: | |
The telephone should remain the initial method to contact the Insured (if it works). Hasn't the time come, however, for the agents and carriers to include the Insured's e-mail address on the loss notice?
When a telephone is blocked, or the Insured out of town or staying with relatives, or when there is a severe language barrier, e-mail may be the preferred choice.
True, perhaps only 40 to 50% of Insureds are on line with e-mail but the percentage will be increasing. For those already on line it is a great tool, as we speak. |
rwm
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 10:15 pm: | |
In regards to the customer service discussion, USE the agents. Document the file. There is alot of merit to blocked #S ect. I don't like to have unsolicited calls to my home why shouldn't insureds feel the same way. Good documnetation of contacts with agents and insured is the best way I have found to take care of this problem. Never have had a problem if I cleared it with the agent in regards to tough contact or settlement. The majority of agents are glad to help. |
Randi
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 9:26 pm: | |
I think that Storm Pro introduced a topic that does merit our discussion. Moving beyond the particulars he/she described, it is not unusual to be in a position where you are the adjuster who comes in behind either real or perceived customer service blunders. We have probably all been put on the "hot spot" by a confused or irate insured, wanting to know our spin on their situation.
If, for example, you have been sent out to determine if a supplement is warranted, and find that it truly is, what are some stock phrases that you use to show agreement with the insured while refraining from "trashing" the initial adjuster? I think we can all use a pocketfull of them!
I don't think there are "right" or "wrong" answers to this question. I just find it helpful to hear a variety of approaches. |
Gale Hawkins (Gale)
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 5:07 pm: | |
Last time it was called "Soap Box" was not it? |
R.D. Hood (Dave)
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 5:04 pm: | |
Good Idea Jim,
Maybe Roy can have a pseudo "Jerry S." type, Whatever floats your boat page.
I heartily agree with you on the commentaries overheard, as having heard similar comments from MANY people in a National Seminar in Texas this past week.
As you stated, we are in the boat together and we all must participate in the bailing and rowing together,...........................................................................................
or sink. |
Jim Flynt (Jim)
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 2:26 pm: | |
Tom Joyce, Thanks for your comments about adjusters trashing each other on this site. The same holds true for trashing carriers as well.
Down in Columbia on Monday at the Carolina Claims Service seminar, I heard over and over from adjusters who say they come to this site but never post for fear of being "attacked."
I am going to ask Roy if we can't set up a separate "Bitch Forum" for those who choose to trash, whine, and complain. It should be totally apart from this particular Forum so only those who want to accentuate the negatives and perhaps those inclined to want to read such, can do so.
Tom, I'm with you. Let's get back to using this Forum and Bulletin Board as a source for information exchange, education, and training. By doing that, which is what this site was originally designed for, we can all get back to becoming the best and doing the best that we are capable of doing and being.
I welcome all of you who share education, training, and information exchange to that mutually shared goal and task. |
Tom Joyce (Tomj)
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 12:24 pm: | |
Nice response Randi, the best referral would be back to the agent. Getting involved with an insured , agent, and company with one that is not your claim will open all kinds of doors you don't want to go through, unless you have a huge E&O,
As a sidebar, just a bit tired of adjusters trashing each other. Purpose of the site it to advance and educate. |
Randi K. Meyer
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 11:03 am: | |
StormPro,
I think your response was well-intentioned but perhaps not the best reaction. There are always two sides to every story. When working clean-up, I have heard similar complaints from insureds. Often, when reviewing the adjuster's diary, a different picture emerges. (A good reason to keep a well-documented diary!)
We all hope that the "weak links" in the adjuster chain will be weeded out - and they usually are. But let's endeavor to think the best of our co-workers until all the facts are in. Perhaps a more positive response would have been "I regret there is some confusion here, but am sure your agent will be able to assist you in straightening out this matter."
Your heart's in the right place. Just let it expand to include your cowokers, who hopefully will also be willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. |
LEWIS
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 9:08 am: | |
StormPro:
I agree with you. Expose these so called adjusters for who they really are. Any adjuster that doesn't do his job all the way does not earn his money and gives the rest of us a bad name. There is still a thing called the mail or the adjuster can work with the insured's agent. NEVER JUST CLOSE A FILE if you expect to get paid for it. You haven't done what the carrier has ask you to do. You have not ADJUSTED the claim. In fact, don't even call yourself an adjuster! Let the bum starve or go back to pumping gasoline. |
TTexMex
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 7:19 am: | |
STORMPRO
Where are you working? I want to avoid the neighborhood just in case I have a insured that does not like "exactly" what,when,or how I conclude their claim,which is "based on its merits"
Don/t you think we all should do this? |
SES71842
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 7:15 am: | |
Storm Pro.
you did not give the lady good advise. you should have refered her to her agent or back to the carriers "cat site". I think any of us that have been in this business for any lenght of time, DO find that "most" of the time the adjuster does do his job.
This lady may have wanted to just talk, was unhappy with settlement, or basically just wanted to do what you did for her and "slam" the adjuster.
we all have met the neighbor of an insured and they are full of questions after their adjuster has left. why this why that and why wasn't my adjuster as nice as you.etc,etc,
I think I would have said to the lady that if communication was the problem,to call agent and request estimates or a call back from someone at the vendor or the original cat adjuster. We dont know what "his" story was. But we do know,now, that after your advise the adjuster is going to get the call and have to justify his actions on the claim and maybe the carrier will reassign it to "YOU" and the original adjuster will loose his billing. Sound like what might happen |
Tom Joyce (Tomj)
| | Posted on Friday, May 12, 2000 - 12:40 am: | |
Generally leave a cell phone number and email. It is worth the extra expense. Alan, its agrivating, but ??? Internet is working great for me as far a transmittal of information with insureds. |
MKDCO
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 11:09 pm: | |
Allen, look at it this way. You got their attention on the first call and they are now trying to get in touch with you so they can get their claim looked at FIRST. Sometimes is just works out that way. Had plenty of that in Miami back in Oct. and Nov. Made the call and got the call. Sort of like works both ways, not saying it's right but sometimes just happens that way. |
alanjackson
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 8:21 pm: | |
Does anyone else have a hard time getting in touch with the insured. They all have caller ID. They see a hotel or a OUT OF AREA, we all have out of state cell phones, that show ID BLOCKED or out of area. It never fails, leave a message, start calling the next one and the first two, three etc.. start to call back in a panic. It would be real nice if they would outlaw caller ID in cat areas.
I hate to call people back and back and back when you know they are there and screening no ID calls.
Am I wrong in thinking this? |
storm pro
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 5:43 pm: | |
Dear ghost-
The woman never heard from anyone about the claim after she called it in.
-no phone messages
-no business cards
-no contact - period
No effort on the part of the adjuster to make contact with her after she specificly asked to be present when the adjuster inspected her loss.
How can you maked excused for this adjuster? |
paladin
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 12:15 pm: | |
Wish I had basic file fee for every time I ran down an incident described by stormpro. Unfortunately most of them just wanted another opinion on the claim. Best to refer back to their agent who will have details as to past actions on claim. |
theghost
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2000 - 11:57 pm: | |
Dear storm pro I have just returned from an asignment where I tried to get in touch with an insured for a week,leaving messages on there voice mail.The loss was 100 miles from where I was staying and I had other losses in that area.I did however leave a card and explain settelment on there voice mail.How do you know that this insured wasn't treated the same way. |
Santa
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 12:12 am: | |
FOUR CARDINAL RULES ON ADJUSTING!
#1 Call all insureds on arrival,Within 24 hrs.(They love a warm body to talk to)(Dont we all!)
Tell them why or why not you will not see them in the immediate future.(Make it up)(They call that adjusting dont they?)
#2 Bad losses will be seen 1st.They understand.
#3 Never ever make promises you cant keep. If you dont know leave the scene and get it right.ASK SOMEONE!
#4 Call all insureds with claim amounts on closing claims- (ACV,RCV,DEPRECIATION,HOLDBACK,
etc.)Explain to them,(most appreciate it)the process.
Follow the top 4 rules and you will be a blessing
BOTTOM LINE---- PHONE CALLS ARE KEPT AT A MINIUMUM
AND YOU HAVE DONE THE JOB. PERIOD. |
storm pro
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2000 - 8:48 pm: | |
Something happened today that I would like to share.
I pulled up to my appointment, greeted the insured and went back to the truck to pull out "Little G". It was then that I was approached by a neighbor who introduced herself and then stated that she was not insured with the company emblazen on the side of my vehicle, but would I be so kind as to answer a question for her.
It seems that contrary to her request to the CR when she called in her claim, an adjuster had inspected her house and damages when she was not at home and a few days (weeks?) later a check arrived from her insurance company with no paperwork (estimate) explaining how the figure on the check was arrived at. The adjuster had never contacted her before or after the inspection nor had he left a business card behind.
Now she had a check with no idea of what it covered and no name or phone number for her adjuster. So her question to me is what should she do now? She's a single parent and has no idea what to do now.
After I told her that her adjuster had not done his or her job (sorry, I really hate to slam a brother/sister but..) I advised her to call her carrier and demand that they send an adjuster to meet with her and go over the damages and claims procedure.
I know everyone is busy out here folks, but this is not customer service. It's not even close. It gives all of us a bad name. It makes us look like we only want to come into town look at 100 or so losses, go back to the hotel (or home) and write them up and then run to the bank. This is not how it's done out here people. This is not the mark of a true professional. Is it any wonder that adjusters get a bad rap.
Let's strive to perform like pros and make us all look good. |
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