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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
 Posted - 02/07/2003 : 11:22:33
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(NOTE: The author of this thread has 'renamed' the thread in order for the thread to comply with the responses posted rather than the orginal purpose and topic of the thread, which was intended to be a thread for agent's (only) to provide their perspective of catastrophe adjusters and the experience of those agents in having dealt with catastrophe adjusters in catastrophes past)
(At some point in the future, I will later set up again another thread for AGENT ONLY RESPONSE which was the original question and purpose of the original thread as intended).
So, to provide some direction for this thread now revised to try and stay on topic with the responses, I suppose the new topic of this thread is: what is the agent's role in the insurance process from the adjuster's perspective or how do you as an adjuster work with an agent.
The bottom line: since every single response to date is and has been 'off topic' to this thread's subject, I have changed the topic so that the thread subject is not 'off topic' to the responses posted. |
Edited by - JimF on 02/16/2003 10:40:03 |
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Dadx9
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 12:10:34
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First of all, I try to eliminate any adversarial(sp?) positioning.
I generally try to contact (in person if possible) any agent I start seeing a lot of claims for. I include them in any letters I send out.
I always stop and see local agents if I am working a rural area. I think the common courtesy and the fact that they can't yell as much to a face they have met. (They have alot on the line here).
Whatever you do, never imply to the Insured that under another policy there may or would have been coverage (sewer backup). Even if you are right. (Did that, innocently, in Louisville 1997). |
Don
"To be held in the heart of a friend is to be a king."
Bruce Cockburn |
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canduss
USA
120 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2003 : 23:44:26
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| A friendly Agent would assist an Adjuster in need of documentation for commercial losses and during CATs try to address the issues/concerns of insureds re:Adjusters on a as needed basis as there is never enough time in the day during a CAT. |
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olderthendirt
USA
370 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 09:29:14
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| When you are working small towns the local agent sohuld be your best friend, he knows his clients when and where to reach them and can give you driving directions you can undersatnd. I always try to talk to the agent on a denial, give him a heads up, and I hear way to often, your the first adjuster to call. This can be a great resouce, use it. |
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rugg
Canada
14 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 10:53:50
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Older I would have to agree, that the local agent should be your best friend and that if there is a denial that they be one of the first to know about it. I have always found this to be a great way to make sure things don't get to messy. Of course this was learned the hard way.
Great way to learn sometimes.
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Cheryl Joyce
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 11:12:56
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Without Agents (exception to direct written policies with associations like AARP, GEICO Direct and few others etc..) we adjusters would have no job. The entire process of an insuring agreement (besides the creation of the underwriting guidelines) starts with an agent. Some things change over the years but much of what we know as an insuring agreement starts with a face to face vist with a licensed insurance agent and a need to "share risk" of protection, purchase of an insuring agreement-someone to buy it.
The agent, in all of this process, has the most at stake. The agent receives their compensation in the form of a percent of the premium of the policy and only collects their commission 'if the premium is paid'. Their commission is then distributed in a variety of way through different avenues but the end result is that if the insured does not pay for the policy in full there is eventually a 'charge back' and any advanced monies are deducted from future compensation to the agent.
So in essence when the insured does not pay the premium the agent does not get paid.
As adjusters, they are paid from the reserve stockpile of the premium which is charged by the parent company and usually collected by the agent, but the adjuster has no consequence if the insured fails to pay the premium. By the time the claim process gets to the point to involve and adjuster, almost 100% of the time, a determination has been made that a policy is in force and therefore would require the remaining participation of the claims process and involves the adjuster for determination of benefits which may or may not be due.
In short, every adjuster should make a diligent effort to acknowledge the agent, when possible. Without the agent, there would be no need for an adjuster. The adjuster is going to get their compensation from the insurance carrier (even through several hands must it pass) but there is rare, if any, reason why an adjuster would not get paid for their work.
This is a cycle that if interrupted no longer works. That also means that we no longer work.
The moral is "don't slap the hand that feeds you".
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katadj
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 13:43:02
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Recalling "Opal" in Rural Georgia, some years back, I was assigned to a captive Agent in a small town. He was older than I and wanted to ride along with me every day, giving directions, (so he said). Leave at 9, back at 12 for lunch, out again at 1 , back at 5.
He would visit with the insured while I did the scope and photos and advised the insured of the process, (saved me a lot of time).
After a few days, I asked why he wanted to work this hard, and he just smiled. The light bulb clicked, and then I gave him my thoughts, which he acknowledged.
He would visit, take some tea, explain to the insured that HE personally brought the Adjuster to the loss, HE was making sure that they were going to be treated fairly, and HE would make sure that the claim would be paid promptly.
What a sly old codger he was: that few weeks of riding with me, gave him a 100% renewal and increased his business about 20/25% from the local word of mouth, regarding how HE serviced his clients.
I stopped by to visit the office a few months ago, only to learn that he has since pased, but the business is thriving, what a legacy.................
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Dadx9
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 18:39:43
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| I have for some time now included the Agents on all letters associated with the claim. Contact, Final, Denial whatever. I can do so beciuse I am not in the midle of a CAT. In a CAT, I would at least attempt to make a drive by visit or phone call. |
Don
"To be held in the heart of a friend is to be a king."
Bruce Cockburn |
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Ghostbuster
476 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 22:08:29
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Uhhh...let's have a little balance here. Please recal the old adage about the three legged milk stool. In the insurance transaction there are only three important people. The customer who buys the promise. the agent who sells the promise. And the adjuster who makes the promise happen. Everyone else is of minor consequence. Without any of these three legs, the stool falls over.
Yes, the agent is vital. But so are we, and so is the Insured. Let's keep some perspective here lest we go ga-ga over the agent. Also, yes I do curry the agents as they are a vital leg holding up the milk stool seat that the rest of the world is sitting on.
(By the way, all of a sudden it seems everyone here is being nice and polite. It's like everyone has been turned into a Stepford wife/husband! Are all these new hall/bathroom monitors going to turn me into a 'pleasant mannered robot'?) |
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KileAnderson
USA
875 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2003 : 22:27:21
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Agents, like all other people, run the gamut from your best friend and ally to your worst enemy. I've had agents call me and tell me that the insured is trying to get over on the carrier and has all kinds of outrageous estimates and I've had agents take the insured's side of everything even when I showed him that they were being unreasonable. As a whole agents are a blessing, but the few that are a curse are the ones you always remember. I try to keep in mind that the reason the agent is calling me is because the insured is calling him. He is just the middle man most of the time.
Don't worry Ghost, we aren't turning into robots, there just hasn't been any real controversy the past couple of days. Why don't you start something. |
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catmanager
USA
102 Posts |
Posted - 02/16/2003 : 20:06:49
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I had a similar experience to katadj's back in Fran. I had an agent assigned to me to ride with me ON EVERY CLAIM!!! I resisted/resented that, but only for the first few days. Katadj is right, it shaved hours off of my day. After a brief introduction, the agent kept the insured busy while I got down to business. Plus, it never hurt to have someone else there to address coverage issues on the spot...vitually eliminating those calls from insured to agent to carrier back to the adjuster. Since the area was so rural, and had recently been re-addressed to fit the new 911 format, my assigned agent actually made all of my contacts and mapped out the best route for me before I picked him up each day....That would be very rare nowadays, but overall, it was one of my best experiences in the field.
Keeping the agent in the loop is definitely worth the effort. If you make every effort to take care of his clients, he is more likely to trust your judgement when that inevitable problem claim/insured rolls around. I have even heard, as I'm sure all of you have, of adjusters being requested by the agents to be assigned to particular claims after the relationship has been established...although then you get the occasional side jokes or strange looks from colleagues wondering if you are being Santa....
All in all, the effort you put in is what you get out....Sure it takes more time to have the agent in your ear, while other adjusters hit town and are gone before the insureds or agents even know they were there....
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canduss
USA
120 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2003 : 00:16:40
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| JimF..make a stand on your original thread and don't concede to opinion....what was your original topic?.......... |
Edited by - TomToll on 03/09/2003 22:13:45 |
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TomToll
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2003 : 09:01:30
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| This, (swaying away from the original thread), is a problem throughout CADO. When we see a thread or topic and start tub-thumping on a completely new topic, is only counter productive. I had no problem understanding JF's change of the thread. It was initially intended for agent response and there was no response, so adjusters jumped in to fill in the agent void. Lets be ladies and gentlemen with no labeling or name calling. Positive attitude creates a positive result. |
Tom Toll |
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How To Work With Agents
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