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NA
USA
114 Posts |
 Posted - 09/13/2002 : 11:43:01
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| Removed Why? |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2002 : 12:49:56
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| It is with personal regret that I have made an announcement in the "Fire Investigation - Tips & Techniques" thread, that I will not be able to continue with it, at this time; due entirely to the sour attitude I have developed having reflected on the sad news today. I just can not convince myself at this time, that there is any real meaning anymore to professional development efforts. |
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olderthendirt
USA
370 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2002 : 13:07:21
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| advice of the day, phone crawford, confirm the information and ask to be removed from their list. When the big one hits and the adjusters they have left are dening mold claims, it could be lonely at the crawford claims office. imagine 10000 files at an average fee of $100 gross and a bakers dozen of adjusters. |
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RJ
32 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2002 : 22:15:33
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Jim:
We have attended several carrier & vendor sponsored training seminars & certification classes since State Farm held their first one in Mobile, Al. I can tell you that I have never attended any carrier or vendor sponsored required certification program that taught anything other that making sure an adjuster was at least familiar with their company. All in the world any of these certifications mean is that you attended their seminar. No one and I mean not one carrier teach anyone on how to become an adjuster. The schools are a little better, however, not by much. It takes years of field experience to really learn how to properly adjust claims. Book learning is only a small part of the process. That is what many carriers fail to realize. This failure then leads to situations that Jim just announced.
Some how over the years carriers have learned that having qualified competent adjusters cost them more than it is worth. You see the problem is that out of all of the expenses and costs associated with claims the only expense constant that is not allowed by state insurance commissioners in the determination of insurance policy premium rates is the adjuster service fees & staff adjuster salaries of the claims department.
If claim settlement costs go higher because the settlement amounts are higher the carriers have the option to submit a rate hike request to the state and receive it most of the time. So it does not matter if a $5,000.00 claim is settled for $50,000.00. It only matters if the service fee is $50.00 or $200.00. This is the way it is and unless state laws are changed that is the way it is going to stay.
Now for those of you with short memories Crawford & State Farm didn’t start this recent trend of cutting service fees. Everyone seems to forget what Pilot did during Hurricane Andrew. For those of you who were not adjusters at the time, Pilot introduced the day rate to Allstate & State Farm in 1992, that began reducing the worth of an adjuster. So if you want to trace this latest trend of service fee reductions then you need to begin in 1992.
As for the end of the profession, Well I have been saying for years that change is just over the horizon. Those of us that adapt to the changes will stay and the rest will change professions.
The only way anyone can financially survive at the new contract levels is to be single, living at home with their parents and only take assignments near their home. No one is taking into account that Crawford for income purposes only, will deduct all income taxes from that $31,200.00. This will eliminate most if not all the individual adjuster on the road expense deductions for income tax purposes. This will not work. Someone put the decimal point in the wrong place.
Roy, now would be a good time to resurrect my thread “So you would like to be a catastrophe adjuster”.
As for sharing my knowledge with new adjusters I have refrained because I will not teach anyone to become an adjuster due to the very dismal financial prospect of such a career. The irony is that Jim, olderthandirt and others appear to have finally come to that realization.
As for this profession being announced dead I disagree. In 1995, while on assignment for State Farm in Ft. Worth, Texas, One of the elite State Farm supervisors told me that State Farm runs the insurance industry. You will do as we say or you will be banned from the industry. That individual was wrong because even with as large as State Farm is they only have a small share of the business. I told him what he could do with his opinion & went on my way with no regrets.
Now with this announcement of yet another adjuster service fee reduction maneuver by State Farm & Crawford, I am laughing at them. If anyone thought that it was not good working for them before this then this should really convince them to change companies. I have refused to work for State Farm since 1996, after being defrauded & physically assaulted by one of their elite staff supervisors which I had to teach the flood policy to. Imagine that, State Farm may no longer have qualified adjusters to teach their supervisors policy language and the interpretation of. Isn’t that a hoot.
As for Jim’s announcement it appears that Jim’s world is totally surround by what State Farm does or does not do. I learned many years ago that if State Farm were to go out of business tomorrow it would not have any negative impact on my living as an insurance adjuster or for that matter the insurance adjusting profession as a whole.
On a different note it is sad to think that individuals that spend a long time (some a life time) to learn this profession end up being told by someone that your knowledge & ability is of no value. $31,200.00 gross a year to work & live away from home without any company benefits what so ever is telling an adjuster that he is no more qualified than a high school drop out. It is even sadder when that someone is one of the largest carriers & vendors in the business.
Still an even sadder note is the ones that really pay in the end is the policy holders who believe they are doing business with their good neighbor.
I believe that Jim is only partially right that there is no further necessity within adjusting for education, training, seminars, designations, and professional pride. Our profession is currently going through major changes. Technology is going to make major changes in how adjusting is done in the future. I know this as my family will be a major influence in some of those major changes. Only after this adjustment period will the need for education, training, seminars, designations, and professional pride return as adjuster requirements are redefined. Once every thing begins to stabilize the industry as a whole will once again see the value in the true professional adjuster. The only problem is this transition period may take Three to Five Years. |
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Shut down CADO, training, & cat adjusting
Forum Locked
