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J G Cournoyer
USA
19 Posts |
 Posted - 12/26/2003 : 23:24:15
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Ever been to a risk where the elderly insured had a claim partially "settled" by SF Cat Claims Central, only to find that scope & estimate way off the mark from the real scope of the claim.
Contractor has insured convinced that SF is doing them wrong, & he is probably right in these cases. They use trainees to "settle" these claims, yet I can't imagine doing this without seeing the damage, ( & I haven't been a trainee for years).We are being replaced by beginners on the phone & beginners in the field. No big deal, SF saves a few hundred dollars on each claim. I once had an insured that was paid over $6000.00 by Cat Claims Central, for carpet that SF had paid for 3 years earlier, but had never been replaced. There is no better replacement for a qualified adjuster, than a qualified adjuster. This, no doubt will sit poorly with staffers that migrated through the Cat Claims Central program, but you have to admit, you were clueless when you were there. |
Edited by - J G Cournoyer on 12/27/2003 00:02:34 |
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MRichardson1952
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 03:12:27
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J G Cournoyer, I agree, I was a manager for several years in a SF office, had many meetings regarding what had to be done to CUT expenses.
The bigger $$$ will win out over anything else, it always has, and always will!!!!
I enjoy this site and the people herein, but they're going to be made extinct.........becasue that's what the dollar says.......can't argue with the bottom line.
Adjusters are being replaced with items from Sim-Sol and DDS, and they have you guys buying it, only to perfect it so that it can be managed from the HO and have all cat people be forced out of business.
It's already started, so don't write back in dis-agreement, you know I'm right. If there's a question, they'll just hire a Texas roofer to do the leg work that any 1st year rookie could do, than they'll punch some numbers in the computer and pay the claim, even if they over pay a few, the bottom line is, they'll save money at the end of the year for the share-holders, which is what it is all about....make no mis-take.
Be a good adjuster, but don't forget the bottom line which the stock holders have an interest in!!!!
12/27 Edit made by Admin
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stevendemars
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 03:33:24
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The way the rest of the professions are going in this country, it would not surprise me in the least. What I do have a problem with is, I can not imagine an insurance company paying a penny for anything until a set of eyes they own or rent has looked at the claim. Although they do buy windshields sight unseen everyday without hesitation. I really believe that as soon as the public gets wind that no adjuster is going to come by, the size of claims will grow.
Just incase your prediction is correct, how long before this will happen, in your estimation?
Steve
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MRichardson1952
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 03:43:28
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Steve, it already is happening, yes it started with windshields, now some insures have builders doing all the work that we do, then they take a proof and a contract and begin the work, all the company does is subtract the deductible.
They're doing now on the run of the mill claims, if they think it works out ok, then they'll do it on a large scale cat situation, they already have regarding cars, next is homes...... |
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dano009
46 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 11:48:55
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The word "adjuster" was devrived in England some hundred or so years ago. Back in those days, the insurer would just send a proof to the insured to execute and then pay the fire or cargo claim. Someone at the insurer, came up with the bright idea that maybe their insureds were ripping them off. So, they hired a guy to go out and polk around to verify the loss. The insureds begin to call this guy the guy that is going to "adjust" their claim downward. Today, an insurer can use the claim central method, but their indemnity dollars will simply increase. There is a little larceny in all of us. Most insureds hate insurance companies. They'll at a minimum will make sure their deductible are covered.
All the mold claims that Farmers is dealing with in Texas all started with a moron adjuster and supervisor who couln't find the bathroom that is located down the hall. You simply get what you pay for. |
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C Bond
32 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 12:57:27
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| Bullseye dano009, Those who do not study history are destined to repeat it. Indemnity dollars will rise if a physical inspection of the loss is eliminated. |
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trader
USA
236 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 13:02:47
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| In the last 30 or so years the "Insurance Service Insustry" has cost the consumers more in premium $$$ than they saved the Underwriters. Who devised unit prices to remediate clean water damage to floor coverings? Who started itemizing each article and worker in the house on a smoke claim? Who started the first mold seminar for adjusters? Who started the turn-key concept? Did the Insurance Companys allow this to happen? Yes. Why? More premium $$$ |
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dano009
46 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 16:43:46
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| What gets me all worked up is this: I've been adjusting for twenty years now and I'm a general adjuster. For whatever reason(s), the bean counters always look for ways to adjust claims for the lowest buck possible. They use telephone adjuster, cleaning companies, preferred contractors, approved body shops and on and on. Then after doing this program for six or eights years, the bean counters decided they need field adjusters again to control indemnity dollars. If the bean counters would just have stuck to using the field adjusters to begin with, then there would have never been a problem. I can't begin to say how frustrated I get when I'm finally called in on a claim after a company like Belfor has screwed everything up. Their estimate includes the stars and the moon and they have convinced the claimaint only they can do the job. If the insurer would have got me involved from the get go, I could have controlled the situation. Oh no, insurer tried to "save a buck." Never made any sense to me after all these years. |
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MRichardson1952
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 18:04:06
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| Wonder how much is spent on the "bean counters"? Maybe they a un-spoken interest in how the claim dollars flow!!!!! |
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Ghostbuster
476 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 20:18:54
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The pendulum swings this way, the pendulum swings that way. Ain't it the pits?
Yuk! Yuk! Get it? Pit & the Pendulum? Edgar Allen Poe? Famous Gothic-type American writer? High school English class?
I give up...try and bring a little culture in here and all I get is rude belch... |
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dano009
46 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 21:53:00
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| you must be getting a little tipsy, ghostbuster :) |
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J G Cournoyer
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 22:18:39
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| The sad thing is that we can complain about all of this, but I can't seem to think of a solution, except to suffer with things as they are & hope for change, or become a brain surgeon or a short order cook or sumpthin'. |
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J G Cournoyer
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - 12/27/2003 : 22:30:47
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| As an after thought, has anyone else noticed that atleast 2 of the SF vendors are paying monthly salaries to brand, spankin' new adjusters? They get a salary when they don't work & a reduced percentage when they do. Is experience & proven integrity worth nothing anymore? |
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Gale
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2003 : 00:40:33
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JG our research indicates as few as 50% of staff adjusters in the US are even are using an estimating software package but are working off of contractor estimates. How can that be much different than using Direct Repair Programs when it comes to saving cost on payout? Maybe that is why I heard SF was closing one 14 adjuster claims center and going to get the work done through a DRP.
I think you answered your own question as to do carriers value experience. |
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J G Cournoyer
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2003 : 16:31:09
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| I Have nothing against stock holders. I think it is very short sighted to sacrafice the quality of claims adjusting, just to save the cost of a qualified adjuster. Many insureds are honest, as are many contractors. But not nearly all of them. I believe I save insurance companies more in a year than they pay me. Not to mention the fact that I have prevented MANY of their insureds from getting the shaft by less than honest contractors. |
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dano009
46 Posts |
Posted - 12/28/2003 : 22:28:18
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| "Not to mention the fact that I have prevented MANY of their insureds from getting the shaft by less than honest contractors" is the most profound statement I've heard all year! |
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CAT CLAIMS CENTRAL
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