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olderthendirt
USA
370 Posts |
 Posted - 12/08/2002 : 16:41:21
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| History is written by the winners by unknown |
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TomToll
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2002 : 20:45:44
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 Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
--Sam Ewig
Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.
-- Dale Carnegie
Making a success of the job at hand is the best step toward the kind you want.
-- Bernard M. Baruch
There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there.
-- Indira Gandhi
If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done.
-- Dale Carnegie
The great difference between those who succeed and those who fail does not consist in the amount of work done by each but in the amount of intelligent work. Many of those who fail most ignominiously do enough to achieve grand success but they labor haphazardly at whatever they are assigned, building up with one hand to tear down with the other. They do not grasp circumstances and change them into opportunities. They have no faculty for turning honest defeats into telling victories. With ability enough and ample time, the major ingredients of success, they are forever throwing back and forth an empty shuttle and the real web of their life is never woven.
-- Og Mandino |
Tom Toll |
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prpjr
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2002 : 00:49:37
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I hope I'm not in the wrong place here but none the less I will give it a shot. I have made several entries in the getting started section, and have had some very informative and helpful replies, however, let me run something by you folks. I have monitored much of what has been said on CACO for the past few months, especialey in regard to people showing an interest in becoming involved in this, in my opinion very neccessary business. Let me,very truthfully try to explain. Being in business, self employed most of my adult life I have learned a few time tested lessons regarding how it is absolutely [as old fashioned as it may sound] necessary to have respect and honesty to those you work for and those you work with. I think it goes hand in hand. I fully understand that competion is someting that some fear, but it seems to me that there is an animosity in this field to new commers, I sincerely hope I'm wrong, however maybe this will spark a reply, I hope so. I really am trying to learn. Let me explain a little further; I became interested in this business in somewhat of a different way than most. Living on the Mogollon Rim, last year we experienced a devistating forrest fire that destroyed many of our neighbors homes, we, by the grace of GOD, were spared, however being so close to the fire we were evacuated. We were told at the time of evacuation to inform our insurance company of this, as we may be returning to a pile of ashes. Shorly after our return to our home we were contacted by an insurance adjuster, expaining that he needed to talk, in person to us. Well the facts were we were so happy just to have our home still here I said to him"It's OK we are fine, we have no damage, but thank you very much for your call" He replied he needed to come to our home an inspect for smoke damage that we may not be aware of, and he did so, this gentleman was very polite, very professional and informed us of much information we were not aware of regarding our insurance coverage. This man, a Cat Adjuster, made an impression on my wife and I that we shall not forget. This gentleman,in our opinon [allowing that we are not in the business, at least not yet] was exemplary of an adjuster who knew his business and knew how to relate to the customer. I will not give his name, probably it would no be proper, but he knows who we are and of what we speak. In our conversations, and this gentlemam becoming aware that I was a home inspecter, and our questions to him lead to our interest in Cat Adjusting We feel so strongly {I say WE again because my wife and are a team] that we could be a success in this that we will do all that is required. We also know to that it is not going to be an instant thing. We hope we are not being to "corny" to say that we feel we have the work ethic, the desire and the intelligence to succeed. Perhaps I'm wrong but it just seems to me that these traits I speak of are equally as important as computer skills, not to mention that in our experience in business it is a given that you must have PEOPLE skills, I think this would be true as a Cat. Were Have I gone wrong? ALL replies are appreciated. THANKS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND MERRY CHRISTMAS |
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CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2002 : 12:56:31
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Hi Paul, I applaud your continuing interest in considering this endeavor.
I do think, based largely on my belief of the facts and opinions I have expressed over the months, that the "very" has left the "very necessary"; regarding the need for the traditional cat adjuster.
If I understand the context in which you insert the word "competition" into your concerns, i.e. competition among cat adjusters; I just don't believe any competition tangibly exists between cat adjusters. Odd isn't it? A large group of very independent - independent contractors - who rely solely on vendors to market 'the bodies' and not necessarily the specific skills. I believe it is one of the underlying 'ills' of the traditional cat adjuster fraternity, that they rely on others to market 'a group'. The 'marketing initiative' of sending resumes to vendors and getting on 'those lists' is a minimal marketing effort and certainly in itself is not a 'competitive' strategy. Further evidence to support this opinion is visible at any storm office orientation meeting. There in a room of 20 to 60 cat adjusters - some on their first deployment with very minimal auxillary experience, a bunch on their 2nd or 3rd deployment, and a group of veteran stormtroppers - all work for the same fee schedule, all with very few exceptions work for the same net percentage of the fee. Hardly a 'competitive' situation.
Your seeing animosity sprinkled among the forums is unfortunate. First, to get any notion of prejudice out of my posts or any notion of hostility or animosity; I am not currently dependant on nor am I seeking traditional cat work. However, I continue to stand behind my recent post to you regarding entry into this field.
This niche is changing, slowly but quite steadily, and is having a negative impact generally on those who are depenant on this niche. The newcomer to this niche has seen the opinions of others, express concern for the affect on their livelihood by the influx of newcomers. The very open nature of these forums allows the interchange of a very diverse range of opinions and attitudes.
However, look at someone like Newt, he has to be the "Poster Boy" symbolic of the newcomer who chooses to invest a tremendous amount of time and effort in his goal. No one can predict where that noble effort will lead him, but I can suggest that if every newcomer was as committed to developing a foundation of the required principals as Newt before venturing out to that 'distant kitchen table of challenge'; there would be no expressions of animosity from anyone working in this niche - only admiration and respect for the effort and dedication.
This industry niche needs an "apprenticeship program", and when Newt reaches varying points on his continuing journey, he should chronicle all the steps and processes encountered and accomplished. That in turn could be used as the basis for the framework to develop a step by step entry into this field; for those with no prior insurance claims experience.
I think if you examine where you felt the animosity, you may well find it existing where people feel they can just walk in with a licence that did nothing for their professional development, and with a few certifications that did little to train them; and have their hand out and expect the same 50 files, the same fees, and the same expectations of those that are truly professionals in this niche.
You haven't gone wrong anywhere Paul, in your exploration of this niche.
The cat adjuster that made a positive impression on you, should be identified, commended, and appreciated by our community. It is people like that who will help preserve the tradition of this niche and bring worthwhile interest to this niche.
Again, and I say it with no joy, this niche is currently over populated. However, if you have the will and determination to pursue it - that's great; and with those traits exhibited you will find myself and many others quite willing to provide any help we can through this web site. |
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Linda
USA
127 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2002 : 20:21:12
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Paul,
I also applaud you for your desire to enter this field of employment. However, everything Clayton said is true and again, very well said. This is an overpopulated field at the present, partially perhaps because of Hurricane Andrew where anyone with a pencil became a "cat adjuster". They were neither prepared nor educated in the many facets of insurance.
At this moment in time, it is now necessary for all of us to "earn beyond the storm", which is a subject I believe Clayton will be addressing later on. There haven't been enough storms in the past few years for all "active" cat adjusters to remain even semi-employed.
To stay in the game, you truly have to be a world class money manager and many of us fall short in that arena. On the other hand, we are responsible for the proper indemnification of hundreds of millions of dollars a year to the Insureds.
There are many who are more than willing to provide any assistance we can lend to someone who truly wants to learn and grow in this profession. I feel I can speak for the entire adjusting community that not one of us got here without assistance from another. It is a long and sometimes rocky road and I wish you well.
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Edited by - Linda on 12/14/2002 20:33:01 |
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TomToll
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2002 : 09:17:02
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We seem to have forgotten what this topic is, lets get back on track with this.
Love, Wealth and Success
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them.
She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No", she said. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a House together," they replied.
"Why is that?" she wanted to know.
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her
husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"
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Tom Toll |
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TomToll
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2002 : 07:21:44
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A man at work, making something which he feels will exist because he is working at it and wills it, is exercising the energies of his mind and soul as well as of his body. Memory and imagination help him as he works. Not only his own thoughts, but the thoughts of the men of past ages guide his hands; and, as part of the human race, he creates. If we work thus we shall be men, and our days will be happy and eventful.
-- William Morris
Attempt the impossible only to improve your work.
-- Bette Davis
Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.
-- Dale Carnegie
Even a mosquito doesn't get a slap on the back until it starts to work.
-- Anonymous
Working hard overcomes a whole lot of other obstacles. You can have unbelievable intelligence, you can have connections, you can have opportunities fall out of the sky. But in the end, hard work is the true, enduring characteristic of successful people.
-- Rear Admiral Marsha Evans
A successful man continues to look for work after he has found a job.
-- Source Unknown
Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
-- Theodore Roosevelt
A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B.
-- Fats Domino
The better work men do is always done under stress and at great personal cost.
--William Carlos Williams
I like work; it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours. I love to keep it by me; the idea of getting rid of it nearly breaks my heart.
-- Jerome K. Jerome
The question is not whether the system works, but whether we like the way it works. Just because something works doesn't mean it is desirable. Concentration camps work, if your purpose is to enslave people. Stealing works, if all you care about is money. Lying works, if you don't give a damn about your personal integrity. Literally anything, no matter how monstrously immoral will work, depending on your desires and how you define the term work.
-- Sy Leon |
Tom Toll |
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okclarryd
USA
106 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2002 : 09:40:58
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I DO compete on each and every storm. I compete with my peers that are there with me as to my status as an employable adjuster. We are all graded and reviewed on what we do and how we do it. And I enjoy ragging the other guy when I got 8 done and he got 6 or whatever numbers you want to plug in. He gets to buy the first round and then we're even again. I need the competition and the comraderie that comes with it. I need to be interested in how I do things. Otherwise, I oughta be flippin' meat or asking if they want fries with their order. We all compete daily in a variety of ways and it really makes life enjoyable. It does for me anyway.
You guys and gals have a Merry Christmas. |
LARRY D HARDIN |
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TomToll
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2003 : 10:16:18
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There are three kinds of people: those who watch things happen, those who make things happen and those who wonder, "What happened?" Which one are you?
Allow no one to dissuade you from your goals in life. No one has the right to tell or suggest that you seek that which you do not wish to seek. Make a plan for your life and pursue it with dignity, integrity ad knowledge. |
Tom Toll |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2003 : 12:10:03
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We make many friends when we try, and more enemies if we don't.
You have to cultivate trust in a friend, but with the enemy you know where you stand.
Never give to the needy that which you would be ashamed to wear or eat yourself.
A pastor told this in church. He had a garage sale and sold almost every thing and the rest of the stuff he gave to the Hannah Homes for children. This gave me a whole new out look on what I give, I hope the rest of you will consider this, its not what but how. The people in real need don't need their dignity deminished.
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Gale
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2003 : 21:06:29
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| Tom, your post is so on target and needs to be taken to heart less we derail a child early in live. PBS had a nice story on Ed Link that invented the flight stimulator that saved thousands of pilot lives in WWII and since. After the war he became interested in living/working under the ocean and developed the deep diving small subs and safety equipment for that industry. |
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JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2003 : 12:45:32
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On this day (January 7) in 1901, notorious cannibal Alfred Packer was paroled. Packer, a prospector, served as a guide to a party of 21 men who set out to find gold in Breckenridge, Colorado in November 1873. Five months later, Packer arrived alone back in civilization, claiming that the severe winter cold and starvation had claimed the others. After an investigation which contradicted his story, he admitted that the men died one by one and the survivors ate the dead, until he was the only one left. Initially convicted of murder, the judge who sentenced him to hang indignantly pointed out that "There was only six Democrats in all of Hinsdale County and you ate five of them." The conviction was overturned and he was eventually convicted of manslaughter. In 1977, the Department of Agriculture startled the official community by dedicating the cafeteria in its Washington building to Alfred Packer. The General Services Administration then removed the dedicatory plaque, accusing the Department of Agriculture of "bad taste."
(Compliments of Larry Rogak of The Rogak Report) |
Edited by - JimF on 01/07/2003 12:46:52 |
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TomToll
USA
87 Posts |
Posted - 01/09/2003 : 14:27:30
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Here are some ways we can all spread a little hope and optimism:
Delight in the success of others. Surround yourself with supportive individuals who think positively. Chances are, these people enjoy life and experience success. Appreciate the achievements of those around you. Sincere compliments will give your friends and family a boost, and brighten your day as well.
Approach each day with a sense of fun. Laugh at yourself and enjoy the humor in others. It may sound silly, but an honest smile can reduce your own stress while putting others at ease.
Tell a good news story each day. Seek out the highlights in your day. Initiate positive conversations. Share with others your interests and hobbies. Relay success stories, such as an honor a colleague received for exceptional work. Send a note of encouragement or an inspirational quote to a friend.
Above all, choose how you live your day.  |
Tom Toll |
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Newt
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2003 : 07:14:08
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People with wisdom tend to share their thoughts, listen.
Those without wisdom will also share their thoughts with you, listen with caution.
The expression,"YOU CAN'T SOAR WITH EAGLES WHEN YOU HANG OUT WITH TURKEYS " is true.
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ChuckDeaton
USA
373 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2003 : 18:46:30
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| GOOD, BETTER, BEST, may we never rest until our GOOD is BETTER and our BETTER is BEST. |
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