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olderthendirt
USA
370 Posts |
 Posted - 01/26/2003 : 20:39:59
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| This brings up an interesting topic. It used to be (before the industry decided that all insureds are intent on fraud) that the adjuster was to keep the insured's feet on the ground, and prevent fraud. When we fail in that, I believe that people will take advantage of us, and if the stories I have heard from neighbors of those handled by call centers) few pay their deducible and many are over paid. AND, we are teaching a whole generation of Insured's that it is easy to make a few extra $s out of the insurer. We will again reap what we sow. |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2003 : 21:13:04
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Paint is for walls CatDaddy, and the cat adjuster of 'yesterday' is facing that wall; and it is painted with 'tomorrows' colors.
Historically the claims will be 'there'.
Historically, the claims were 'here'.
The sand is shifting.
Kile suggested, "the bottom line is there are only 'x' amount of claims a year ....", that meshes with your 'history', and the rest of Kile's sentence is going to become a fact of life.
Four, five years ago, there were 'x' amount of claims, they were 'here'.
Last two years or so, there was 'x' minus (emerging cat claims call centers) = less field claims available.
This year likely, there may be 'x' minus (ecccc), minus a decrease count per adjuster = even less field claims available.
Who cares what Sally and Jane are doing concerning their data entry of zip codes? That pile they finish will get divided into more piles than it was two years ago.
I see LarryW's "it" as being the result that will come from the poor quality of the new and junior adjusters who will swell the field ranks, due to the decreased individual claim counts. If I have misinterpreted Larry's phrase, I hope he will correct me.
You ask, "who exactly are the 'inexperienced warm bodies' ...."? Come on CatDaddy, your pulling our leg to suggest that you don't recognize that if this trend develops, it will result in inexperienced warm bodies filling the ranks of the vendor; who may have to supply 80 adjusters instead of 50. |
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CatDaddy
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 01/26/2003 : 23:26:40
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CCarr - I do not know if it is fair to call this a trend yet. As recently as November/December 2002, I was involved in operations that that I thought were overstaffed and certainly one that was understaffed. I saw no mandate from the powers that be as to claim counts or staffing. We shut down one office due to claim count and those IAs were redirected to our location cause we had no where else to send them. I guess we could have sent them packing, but we didnt. So we ended up with 14 IAs and 3 staffers working 500 claims. Another site had 500 claims, 70 were severity ones, with 7 people. Sounds like business as usual.
For personal reasons, I only worked 6 cats last year. One was the operation in New Orleans for Lili and Isadore. There I did see the very situation was are discussing....you couldnt swing a dead cat without hitting an adjuster. Team after team, more IAs than a CADO convention. We had more management their than a cat usually has adjusters. Why? I would say mostly because of the policy exposure and that the storm was such high profile. Remember, we sell service and we aimed to give it.
Is this type of response the new trend? Dont know. Do we have the resources to do it at every site. I would say no. Will we sacrifice a current operation to, their words, "overstaff" a new operation. No. Are you going to see this type of response is some situations, staffing permitted. Yes. I wouldn't call it anyone's policy at this point.
Concerning inexperienced warm bodies, I see no increase in the number of staffers out there. The numbers are the same as they have been. Where's the inexperience. The tactics may be changing alittle as how to attack certain weather events but the cast of characters is the same. Now I know I am speaking from my side of the fence but I do not see a shortage of experience. If is goes as you describe, claim reps galore at every site, I agree with you, some areas will suffer.
Concerning claim count, "X" minus ecccc and a "decrease in number of claims assigned to each adjuster" does not equal less field claims available. It means MORE people working the same number of total claims. It means more adjusters working period. The problem for the group of individuals is that everyone wants to be the adjuster with 150 claims in their basket, even if it means several of his bestest 'ole buddies are sitting at home eating beanie weenies and washing their clothes on a rock. If we only send a few people, "that's a good system, as long as I'm one of them". But if I dont make it in the first wave, "don't ya'll think you need a few more folks." Then you make it but your best buddy doesn't, "we might bring in a few more people. No man, we dont need anymore folks. I only have 70 claims yet and they'll take some of those if they bring someone else in."
Its the circle of life. |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 04:48:56
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CatDaddy, I think it is fair to call 'this' a trend at this point. There were signs of it during 02Q4, and I have heard its concept come up in general ops discussions in 12/02 and 01/03. It all boiled down to reducing and minimizing that 'last handful' I spoke about in a previous post.
Your company issued blinkers only allow you to see the red paint from your own pail. That's fair and understandable, I was no different many years ago.
However, your brush strokes wander in and out of the past, present and future, with the same brush dip into that pail; making it difficult to draw any conclusions from your thoughts. Perhaps that is why, as you describe it - it is a circle. |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 06:30:17
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I have no idea why I chose this field of endeavor. First off, I am too old for any one in their right mind to hire me except for President or Congress and I wouldn't want to stoop so low.
I remind myself of the joke about the optimist, digging in a pile of horse manure, looking for a pony. I don't see problems, never did, I just see opportunities. Thats my problem, when you are far from being the sharpest knife in the drawer it is hard to see the pitfalls of life.
How I did so well so far has baffled me, I guess being ones own critic helps. I think all CAT adjusters remind me of me. If we knew what lay ahead we might go hide until the heat was off. |
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LarryW
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 08:13:53
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CATDADDY: The warm bodies reference is from Clayton's post above:
"Maybe the 500 or so new 'members' to this site in the last 5 or 6 months, saw the future better than most, or at least recognized the 'wave' coming. However, it is unfortunate that the result of throwing new and warm bodies at the problem by vendors, to decrease individual claims counts, will cause carriers to strengthen their resolve to grasp that key ingredient of the claims process even tighter - control; which will fasten the fundamental traditional system's demise."
The It referred to is the topic of this thread: overstafing cat assignments |
Larry Wright |
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CatDaddy
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 08:59:46
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I have 400 members at my country club but they seldom all play golf at the same time. And I doubt those 500 or so new members ALREADY have the insight as to possible trends that might be going on in our business. Any trends they have heard of they got from posts on this site and since no one wants to give "new adjusters" any credit for having brains, I doubt they understood what they read.
Overstaffing is an opinion of an adjuster. And it is only their opinion if that adjuster didnt get the call to be in that group.
Don't ever think that your carriers are not going to maintain control. Control is not a new concept. Everyone wants to be turned loose "cuz I'm an experienced adjuster and I know what I'm doing." "I should be able to do whatever I want on these claims." "Do you know how much I made last year?" Its the same whether you're staff or IA. Soon as an adjuster can work a simple wind/hail claim, they're an expert and they never make mistakes.
With money comes responsibility. With responsibility comes control.
I know plenty of successful IAs that are laughing all the way to the bank every year. The same ones every time. A good topic for thread might be "How am I different from THOSE guys?" |
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Justin
USA
137 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 11:08:00
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CATDADDY, maybe you can enlighten us all as to why the 500 have no insight and YOU DO. Do you have a crystal ball? I think you are treading on self-serving ground. I sure wish I could be SURE that the new adjusters have no brains and do not understand what they read. Please, enlighten us.
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CatDaddy
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 13:00:13
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Justin - I am actually paraphrasing some earlier comments made by others. Not myself.
There is a concern that a trend is developing concerning the number of adjusters being brought in at the beginning of a storm. Some of the others are calling it "overstaffing". I call it customer service. Anyway, a reference was made that if this type of response is going to be typical, more adjusters will have to be recruited by vendors and THEY will not be as experienced as some others who believe they are more deserving to work the same claims. The first paragraph in the post you are referring to was meant to be sarcastic. And it was. The people making these statements cant have it both ways. The "new adjusters" they are referring to cant be incompetent AND have all this industry insight. Its an oxymoron. Or part of that word anyway.
Im stirring the pot Justin. Relax and enjoy the show. |
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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 14:15:17
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CatDaddy, I have been browsing this thread, and understand the points of view and feelings of what appear to be two separate camps on whether overstaffing is or is not yet a trend.
Underlying some of the 'tension' is the fact that Mother Nature has not really provided the storm frequency and damage severity the past couple of years, and many adjusters both new and old, have had to find other methods and resources to survive until the next 'big one' hits.
I am more curious as to what trends you do see out there which are just becoming apparent or which in your view, are just over the horizon? You are in a different and unique position to see things through a differing lens, and I sincerely think the IA's here could benefit from that differing viewpoint, even if they don't agree.
Do you see 'cat adjusting' as we have known it as dying or as merely changing? Please feel free to share your thoughts without the constraints of any topical limit by way of this thread.
Thanks. |
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CatDaddy
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 01/27/2003 : 16:32:52
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JimF - I cut and pasted from a 1/23/03 post of mine from the "Is it Covered" thread.
"Independents are an intregal part of our operation and we DEPEND on them. We could not provide the service we do without them and we are very serious about providing that high level of service. We surround ourselves with staffers and independents that give that to our insureds."
I see 'cat adjusting' changing, not dying. Staffers and Independents have a common concern and that is "are we still going to have a job in a few years, or next year for that matter?" I believe answer is yes.
The biggest change that I have seen initiated in the last few years is what most are calling "cat call centers." The smaller claims that dont involve replacement of whole roofs and just some interior water damage and possibly other exterior losses, are handled by CCCs. These operations handle a large number of losses that we never see. On the flip side, they can only handle claims that fall within a certain framework and some of them eventually end up in the field. There's still alot out there for us to do.
You guys know more about how differently some carriers handle their claims than I do. I can only speak from one viewpoint and from there I see alot of business as usual. Some of posts in recent threads have kicked around the subject of "higher responses" to cat events. I think you may see that is certain situations. Is that bad news? I dont think so. Its more people working. "We" are all still looking at the same faces we did a year ago, or more accurately, number of faces. Some folks on this site have called this higher response a new mandate. I think its more situational and coincidental but if they are looking for higher numbers of people, they will have to come from you guys. More good news.
There seems to be thought that a larger number of qualified reps are going to be needed to staff storms under this new idea. I think the number of people available at the time of a loss and the type of event has more to do with how an operation is staffed. I think carriers have what they need from their standpoint and yours.
The weather has certainly not provided us with very many opportunities to work either. This fuels alot of folks imaginations also. You start thinking everyone else is working and you are not when in fact, no one is. Its a sad part the profession. Then, the big one hits and all of the posts will be about which broker has the lowest transaction fees.
I say keep the faith and a positive attitude. This business can only change so much. We cannot be replaced with computers or with people sitting in front of them at some remote location. Try to be flexible and accept whatever changes come your way and when you get the call, be prepared to go out and give it your best.
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VISON
Forum Locked
