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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
 Posted - 02/07/2003 : 11:26:42
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As most cat adjusters know, time is such a precious commodity while we are on catastrophe assignments, and it always seems like we never have enough time to get everything done that needs doing.
Over the years, I'm sure adjusters have learned a few tricks or have their own secrets for maximizing their time for optimal efficiency and production. Let's hear from you on a few of those tricks and secrets that save you time and thus make your life more comfortable and you income increase.
Thanks for sharing to allow others to learn! |
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Dadx9
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 11:56:31
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Jim,
I am a sworn disciple of Franklin Covey. Perhaps the thing I do the most is:
1. Take the first couple of days to set up my office and contact all insureds. I usually give them a toll free pager number instead of mobile or hotel numbers. Imput all data into my computer prior to inspection. (This really works well when I take one of the kids with me, or hire local typist who are always faster than me).
2. Set appointments, even on hail. Between and hour and half and two hours apart.
3. Use that scheduled time to enter as much info as possible (or complete the file) while on site. I hate calling people back and trying to explain what they can't see in front of them.
I realize this cuts down on the amount scoped in a day. I personally believe the clock starts ticking when the loss has been seen. If I scope too many, it seems like I begin overpromising and underdelivering.
Also, many times I will leave Sunday and Wednesday open for paperwork. This helps me attain my realistic goal of closing 25 claims, every week.
Lastly, "Poor planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency on my part."
This is how I best operate.
Don |
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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 12:09:17
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Don, I too set aside two days per week for paperwork exclusively, with Sundays always one of them, for various reasons not all related to adjusting.
One thing I have learned from some of the younger newer (and smarter) adjusters is the concept of '5 claims per day' (inspected and closed). That's 35 a week or 150 a month which 'ain't bad'!
It never ceases to amaze me the adjusters who zip through inspections, piling up the table back in their rooms with 75-100 unclosed claims, holding off irate insureds with those broken promises, and then turning them all in closed on what they hope is their last day. It irates the heck out of insureds, file examiners, vendors and carriers. There just isn't a time when the estimate will ever be written more accurately than at the loss or on the same day as scoped. I have done it the other way but always regretted it later and swore I would never do it that way again.
Perhaps others here have thoughts to share concerning this specific problem as well. |
Edited by - JimF on 02/07/2003 12:11:51 |
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Dadx9
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 12:14:48
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I discussed this in a different thread about a storm I did that in B'Ham, Ala. Never again.
Too many adjusters scope, scope, scope. I really believe the clock doesn't start ticking (the expectations aren't set) until you scope the loss. Then you only have 2 or 3 days to close the file and call the Insured. I would rather sit down over coffee or tea, let them see my thought process and develop a trusting relationship. If their time is short and / or too valuable, down to Mickey D's for a cup a joe. Then keep the next app't. |
Don
"To be held in the heart of a friend is to be a king."
Bruce Cockburn |
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fivedaily
USA
258 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 20:25:24
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Jim, you hit on one of my main philosophy in adjusting.
Anyone who pays attention will see that my user id is "FiveDaily." This is because I never want to look at more than I can write in any given day. I know if I wait more than 48 hours to write the sheet I am going to miss something. On some hail storms, I'll pump out 7 a day, but I am using templates for my estimates and really only have to change the quantities and delete unneeded items. This worked best for me in San Antonio last May when my losses were within blocks of each other and every roof was 1-story and a pretty much straight gables and hips.
My other time management technique comes from Dale Carnegie who said, 'Handle the hard jobs first; the easy ones will take care of themselves." I always handle the complaints first, because the longer you wait on them, the longer they take to cleanup.
Don, I do like you and use the first 2 days to document and map all of my claims. Mapping them before calling is very important so as to minimize drive time. Being behind the windshield is the least productive place to be.
Any other good ideas I can use?
Jennifer |
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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 21:03:45
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Jennifer, here's another scenario which more directly affects the IA's instead of the staff cat adjusters.
The IA arrives at a large storm, and receives a mixture of severe losses, slight losses and no claimers.
Now by the book or carrier, the adjuster would normally contact, schedule and inspect the more severe losses first. However, an experienced adjuster may also know those severe claims are going to take longer to close, hence they may also take greater time before the IA can bill the file, and receive his pay. This is sometimes particularly onerous for the adjuster having to finance the storm until that first paycheck comes in. I have seen some very experienced adjusters who make every effort to get the easy ones out of the way first, almost as if the no claimers and slight claimers are a nuisance, and also to generate that all important first cash flow to the IA adjuster.
Any thoughts or comments on this practice from anyone? |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 21:53:35
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Jim, I believe this situation is as applicable to staff as it is to IA, other than the cash flow from fees issue.
However, storm claims events - whether isolated to neighbourhoods or more regionally spread - are all logged or coded separately by a carrier, for many reasons; re-insurance being the main one. Good automated vendors, will also log and have the usual spreadsheets for storm claim assignments; for all their admin purposes.
All FNOL's have a severity code, and I know carriers have this as a column on their spreadsheets, and it would be quite likely the automated vendor would have that column in their spreadsheet data as well. Like any spreadsheet, they can be sorted by column. Rest assured, that one or more management types at a carrier, have the severity code sheet on top of their pile of sheets. That is where the bulk of the storm dollar story will be told.
Once updates, via settlements, start getting into the system, if there is a disproportionate amount of entries in the higher severity code files; bells will go off sooner than later. The stories they are told in answer to those 'bells', once it filters down and up the chain again, is another story.
However, when it is all over and done with, that is a measurement of effective storm management - how did the adjuster (whether staff or via vendors) deal with the minority of claims with the higher severity codes?
I would like to think and believe, that good and automated vendors, do recognize the visibility of this issue; and manage it aggressively. I would be surprised if that practice - that you have mentioned - is near as common in the last few years, as it was in previous years to that. If it is - drive another nail in the coffin, because the grim reaper is watching over that statistic. |
Edited by - CCarr on 02/07/2003 21:55:08 |
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KileAnderson
USA
875 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 22:16:15
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That is a very interesting thought, Jim. I try to get all my severe claims seen as soon as possible. Severe claims alot of times don't take as much time on the first inspections and the insured's understand that such a large claim will take some time to handle, so I get the initial scope done, hand them a check for ALE and they are usually off my back for a week after that and I can handle the small, quick ones for a few days to get some files closed.
I find that people with the worst damage are usually the easiest to work with. Maybe it's because they are in shock from the disruption to their lives or maybe they are just greatful that no one was injured and realize that material posssions just aren't that important when compared to the lives of their family. It is usually the people with minor damage that are the most annoying.
I remember one day I had just finished scoping a house that had a water line at 3' and everything the insured's owned was on the lawn and police were patroling the neighborhood to prevent looters. I got a call from my manager asking me to call an insured right away. He had been calling the office all day and there were 5 messages in my basket from the last 3 hours. I called him and promissed I would be at his house within the hour. I got there and before I even got out of the truck the insured was at my window explaining to me that his roof needed to be replaced and he knew how insurance worked and he wasn't going to settle for a repair because there's no way that they will ever be able to match the shingles. I got out and looked on at the roof as I put on my tool belt. There were 3 tabs missing on the front slope. The insured kept telling me how it was a 3 year old roof and I couldn't charge him depreciation on it becaue it was "like new". I got on the roof checked the back slope, no damage. The only damage on the entire roof was the 3 tabs missing on the front that I saw from the street. I got down and asked him if he had any leaks inside. Nope, just the roof. I pulled the file jacket out of my box and saw that he had a $1000 deductible. It was all I could do to keep my temper at this point. I explained to the insured that I had all the info I needed and would call him back in a few days because I had large flood losses to take care of, got in my truck and left. As you can immagine, he was none to happy when I called him back a couple of days later to explain his loss was below deductible.
But all that asside I will never inspect more claims than I can close in a day. I can't sleep when files aren't closed. If I inspect 7 in a day I will knock my self out to make sure that all seven are closed and ready to turn in before I go to sleep that night. |
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KileAnderson
USA
875 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 22:20:56
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| Clayton, I noticed in the past year especially that agents have caught on to the whole severity code system and will intentionally code their insured's losses as more severe than they really are. I had 20 severity 1 claims when I first got to North Carolina in December, by the time it all shook out there were really 5. I think the agents just thought that their insureds would be seen quicker that way. |
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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 22:23:20
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You make an excellent point Kile in showcasing for newer adjusters, that with 'difficult insureds' you are better off to 'buy some time' and give them the bad news by telephone rather than in person.
Who knows, you might have saved yourself a bloody nose?
Some of these difficult insureds can go downright berserk when you tell them the bad news, and a little distance between the adjuster and N/I never hurts in those situations.
And with experience, you can identify the difficult insureds who are going to call your supervisor or agent to complain, and give management the advantage of anticipating that phone call by showing your supervisor the photos in advance.
And you're right, the small claimers can be the most difficult. |
Edited by - JimF on 02/07/2003 22:28:14 |
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KileAnderson
USA
875 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2003 : 22:27:31
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| That is true Jim, but I have also learned the hard way, that it takes an experienced adjuster to know which claims to sandbag and break the bad news to on the phone and which ones need to be nipped in the bud right then and there, on the spot before they fester and become a tremendous headache, bloody nose or not. |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2003 : 07:31:27
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| When the customer comes on telling you how to do your job, take cover. The ones that are too nice are hiding something sometimes. Knowing people is sometimes more important than knowing what you are doing, you can correct mistakes. |
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Dadx9
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2003 : 08:57:36
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Newt,
So true. I talk aloud while I am scoping the loss. I figure they will know I know what I'm doing. Or they'll think I'm nuts....... I usually know which one when I ask if I can sit down with my computer and complete their file at the kitchen table.
The gray hair and talking about my 9 kids usually derails them!
Don |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2003 : 10:24:39
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When doing a wood infestation report,for mold,termites or other organisms, the report had to be accurate with graphs and pictures because of the liability. I seldom did the treatment because I felt there would be a conflict of interest and refer them to another company. No one else had this policy that I knew of. And although I was offered a substantual sum from other companies I refused any kick backs. This way I got the best customers, and plenty of them. When someone called they already had a price and were shopping around, and as a rule I got the job regardless of price.
I set standards for myself and the customer catches this right off. I don't know about adjusting, you take what comes along and do your best, and my best is going to be what I am told. And if what I am told goes against my principles, then I'll work for someone else. I get the impression most adjusters feel the same way, thats why I think I will like it.
Get the most for the insured in accordance with the policy. Look for coverage instead of denials. That doesn't mean over look the denials, just try at least as hard to find coverage.
I would try to make the customer aware of that. I hope someday to prove to myself that I can do it. |
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CatDaddy
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 02/08/2003 : 13:06:55
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THe most important ingredient of being any successful adjuster is what I am sure some have already said, being organized. The small amount of extra time you spend on the front end getting organized will pay 10-fold on the rear. Its hard to resist rushing right out there and starting inspecting, especially when others are already turning in numbers and billing the first day they get to a storm. Get your claims, organize them by their geography and severity, and THEN start making your appointments. Ofcourse, contact your severity 1 claims first and get them on your calender. And like stated before, some may not even turn out to be that severe, they were just marked that way. How many times have you gone to a risk and said to yourself "I was on this same street yesterday."
As Jim stated at the beginning, time is a precious commodity. Use it wisely. |
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canduss
USA
120 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2003 : 23:23:26
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| as an ICA......depending on the type of storm......should always consider your own case count, 1st use your mapping program to plot your losses in groupings to eliminate wasted time in the field.......always do 1st call settlements or 1 and dones (depending on the Insurance your working for) to eliminate endless phonecalls and unecessary settlement callbacks....it's a good thought to prioritize the severity 1's but it sure is nice to squeeze in some easy 1's at the begining to get a good closing count and get some mulla rolling in....work your files, don't let the files work you. |
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Time Management Tools and Techniques for Adjusters
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