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Profession or Commodity

Roy
/ Categories: CADO Blog

Note: I moved this post and the comments from the feedback forum. It was posted to go with the current Poll at that time. I have since removed that forum.

I recently attended a meeting in which a guest speaker spoke about Cat Adjusters as a commodity instead of a profession.  Have we become a commodity? Here are the definitions from Wikipedia.org, http://en.wikipedia.org

Profession
A profession is an occupation that requires extensive training and the study and mastery of specialized knowledge, and usually has a professional association, ethical code and process of certification or licensing.

Commodity
In the world of
business, a commodity is an undifferentiated product whose value arises from the owner's right to sell rather than the right to use.

What do you think is Cat Adjusting a Commodity or a profession?

Do we as a group meet the definition of a Profesion? I believe I would rather be part of a profession and not a commodity.  Let's break this down a little.

Profession;

1) Extensive Training
2) Study and mastery of specialized knowledge
3) professional association
4) ethical code
5) process of certification and training

I would like to start with number 4, ethical code. Do we have an ethical code? If not can we create one via the CADO community?

more to come ..

Comment

host · 9/10/2006 3:10:52 PM

Comment posted Katadj on 8/13/2006 @ 6:51 PM



Roy,


The CADO website has become the premier location for the entire world to visit. This is because you have brought CADO to the forefront of the insurance adjusting world.

It is indeed unfortunate that, while we , as our own group, do vent occassionally, as any one in a high stress position might, (an EMT, trama room employee, police officer, etc.) the public at large may not perceive our bantering, retoric or chastizement as venting. Rather, they may look at us in a very unfavorable manner.

It is extremely important that any adjuster who would be involved in a claim which required an inspection be aware of the fact that they represent the carrier, (Insurance Company)

One would not drive up to a loss in a vechile that belongs on a war ridden street in Beruit, nor would they dress as if the had slept in their clothing, nor would they have an odor, or speak as would a first grade drop-out, mumbleing and not looking the insured in the eye as they announced that they were their adjuster. What kind of representation, as a professional, does that conotate?

A few years ago, at the Oklahoma City Tornados, a group of "adjusters" gathered in the basement of a church, in the evening, to receive their IA firms directives. Im looking arould, there were less than 5 that I personally would allow in my home, based on their appearance, language and demeanor.

With all of the changes being made in our industry, including the outsourcing of claims, the call center settlement operations and other such concepts that lower the costs of the carrier, as opposed to the field adjuster, it is imperative that we make the approprite adjustments to our profession, or we shall witness the total and permanent demise of the work we do.

It is up to us , to make these changs, to acquire and implement the credentials of a professional adjuster.

It is imperative that these actions be taken immediately, for the longer the public perceives us as a money hungry group of neer-do-wells, who dont know what an adjuster is, except to spell the work, (sometimes correctly), the shorter our professional lives have to live.

CADO, has the opportunity to be the answer to the problem.

It is possible to set up training programs, dress code requirements, speach, telephone manners and policy knowledge, and many of the other items which are required to affirm that we are , in fact, professionals.

There will always be the need for GA"s and EGA's in the commercial field, but 90% of all of the field work on residential and smaller commercial work falls to the presently perceived "adjuster."

A group of trainned professionals, who meet all of the requirements, and have attained the goals set by CADO, could make many of the changes presently necesary as well as change the course of our profession.

To do NOTHING, is the worst possible solution to any problem.

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Past Articles

Note: Since CADO first went online in 1995 we have had many members contribute to the site with their articles and forum posts.  But over the years many of these post were lost however, we have recently been able to recover some of the articles and forum post and will be re-posting them as time allows.   They will be posted on this page (Commuunity Blog) with a note indicating that it was a prior post. RC

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