| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
 Posted - 03/13/2003 : 21:50:27
|
As American society becomes even more multi-cultural, it occurs that many cat adjusters sooner or later are going to encounter non English speaking insureds. Personally speaking, I have had insureds who's only language was Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, Farsi, Arabic, German, Russian, Greek and Hebrew.
Perhaps other adjusters here can share their experiences with how they dealt with these insureds. With the inspection process, communications between adjuster and insured, and agreement on the scope and estimate.
It is only going to become more and more of a growing problem for all of us as our world and country grow ever smaller.
Let's hear your ideas and techinques on claims resolution with foreign insureds. |
Edited by - JimF on 03/13/2003 21:52:06 |
|
|
canduss
USA
120 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 22:34:50
|
| OMG.....How do you handle all those languages you've mentioned??....you must definitely be a multi lingual adjuster.......my limited experience has been......depending on the Insurance company I'm working for......the opportunity to call a telephone# they provide to reach an interpreter that will help handle these kinds of situations....which is definately not to the advantage of the Independants use of time.... |
 |
|
|
Davey
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2003 : 05:54:35
|
| The few times that this did come up, the agents were savy enough to put that info on the loss report. Additionally, there's probably a good chance that the agent or someone in his office speaks their language. The only time I had to use an actual interpreter was in Miami in the early stages of Andrew. The carrier furnished a Spanish speaking agent for me to both chaufer me around and interpret all the claims I had in the Cuban neighborhoods. Started each day off with a large Cuban coffee and toast. Kept me flying all day. |
|
|
|
Dadx9
USA
143 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2003 : 08:23:20
|
Jim,
Excellent thread. All joking included. The most difficult time I have is working in rural North Carolina. I really do believe the folks are speaking English, but not really sure. Just kidding....honest.
Most of my experience has been with spanish speaking homeowners. I can do okay until I get to explaining the deductible. In most cases I have relied on bi-lingual children.
I once had a large loss fire in Des Moines, Iowa. Vietnamese was the language. I had interpeters. I was never convinced that the translations were accurate. Why? Primarily body language. I believe the homeowner understood me, but acted as if they didn't. Just by the way they reacted when I mentioned certain aspects of the claim. The contents lists and A.L.E. were a nightmare. |
Don
"To be held in the heart of a friend is to be a king."
Bruce Cockburn |
|
|
|
Catmandale
USA
67 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2003 : 10:04:21
|
Anyone know the Spanish word for subrogation? Depreciation?
The difficulty extends beyond language into cultural differences and etiquette. We are often trying to explain foreign concepts of insurance while in a fast paced mode.
It can be hard to downshift and spend the time to explain many things that are already understood as a given by the general insuring public.
I once tried to explain we don't cover for rot by using a rotten banana - I think I only convinced them that I was a nut. Or hungry.
I wish I had taken Spanish instead of French in high school....but there was this cute girl who wore short dresses and took French...what can I say?
Dale Strain |
"When we thought that we had all the answers,
suddenly all the questions changed."
Mario Benedetti (1920); Uruguayan writer.
|
|
|
|
CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2003 : 10:13:18
|
| I wish there would have been a similarly enticing Delores in my Latin classes, to help counter the beastly old matron, who kept us repeating - podum, podii, podee; it just wasn't to be. |
|
|
|
Ghostbuster
476 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2003 : 21:17:36
|
In my first year of Hiya Skool Spanish, we learned to sing,
'One ton tomata! I eata one ton tomata! One ton tomaaata, I eata one ton tomataaa!'
I got a C-. The next year a real Hispanic teacher taught Spanish II and I got a D--.
The multi cultural, politically correct, lesson of life learned was,
'You can take the boy out of the Dumba--,
But you can't the Dumba-- out of the boy.' |
|
|
|
CCarr
Canada
1200 Posts |
Posted - 03/14/2003 : 21:37:12
|
| Aren't you lucky. For my 2nd language - French in HS (is Latin considered a 'language' today, or just the 'speakize' of medical residents and botonists?) - anyway - we had to learn to sing "frere a Jacque, dormey vous". I tried hard, but Deloris was a lot better at it than I was; so I just stared and listened to her. Net result, three languages attempted, only got out of HS with one; and no Deloris. |
|
|
|
Jim_Docherty
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 03/15/2003 : 13:57:41
|
| I speak 7 different languages by hand signals, and after spending a year working Iniki,I now speak Portugee, Flip and a smattering of "Da Kine". |
|
|
|
ChuckDeaton
USA
373 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2003 : 20:51:24
|
| One morning after Hurricane Irene, I started the day in a Haitian grocery store (French), then to a Chinese home (Chinese I think), Then to a Hispanic home (spanish), then to several American homes (English, I think), then to a Cuban plant farm (Spanish, again). However, we all spoke the same sign language. |
|
|
|
CatDaddy
USA
310 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2003 : 09:31:41
|
| If you have internet access during your meeting with a non-english speaking insured, try http://babelfish.altavista.com. You can type what you want to say in english and it will translate it into the language of your choice. You could also use it to come up with some type of printed "meet & greet" sheet for field use. Do translate your message both ways to make sure what you are trying to say is what is translated. Some english words mean "entirely" different things in other languages. You dont want to create an international incident! |
Edited by - CatDaddy on 03/20/2003 09:32:18 |
|
|
|
kwsmith
10 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2003 : 09:01:37
|
there are two or three things you can try.
if you commonly have to deal with people who speak a single foreign lanuage, as with the hispanics here in texas, you can prepare in advance by having someone who speaks that language draft a short form letter for you in the language. it can indentify/introduce yourself, explain what/why you need to talk to the person, and ask them if they have a friend or relative who can act as interpreter. the one i use takes up about 1/2 page and has been very effective.
another thing is to make a few contacts in the foreign languages dept of your nearest university. the profs, especially the younger ones, are usually willing to help out, and you can use a conference call linking you, the translator, and the non-english speaker.
i'd also suggest the at&t language line service. this is a good one to use if you have a really serious issue or claim. they'll probably be more professional, do a better job, and have better documentation in the event trouble develops. those folks are not cheap but they do have translators available by phone 24/7 for almost all languages. you might be able to bill the costs back to the file as claims expense.
one other thing- some foreign languages, chinese and spanish in particular, can be almost sub-divided into separate dialects, each with it's own peculiar pronounciations and phrasing. people from madrid speak spanish that varies from that spoken in cuba, which varies from that of guatamala or of mexico, which varies from the tex-mex here at home. even some native speakers can get caught up in the differences. |
kwsmith |
|
|
|
Kelley
USA
26 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2003 : 11:05:40
|
Now you talk about speaking a foriegn language, try working assignments in the NY & NJ part of the US when you are only speak "Texan". If you can work through that you can work through anything.
|
One persons dream is another persons nightmare. |
|
|
|
jlombardo
USA
212 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2003 : 12:32:36
|
| Think about the how the New Yorkers feel trying to understand ya'll.......... |
|
|
|
JimF
USA
1014 Posts |
Posted - 05/03/2003 : 22:21:37
|
| Joe, I was just going to say...I understand what those folks in Poughkeepsie and Parsippany are saying, it is just that those folks from Paradise...... |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
How You Handle The Non-English Speaking Insured
Forum Locked
