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Admin

547 Posts

Posted - 01/27/2004 :  18:54:46  Show Profile
Posted by Trader 1/27/2004.

Fellow Adjusters: If an estimating program was available, very good and would pass your vendors/carriers requirements AND you could prepay for 50-100 or more estimates AS NEEDED/NO TIME LIMIT for less than $3.00 per claim. Any market out there?

okclarryd

USA
106 Posts

Posted - 01/28/2004 :  09:20:08  Show Profile
You betcha there's a market out there. There's a market right here!!

The issue is getting it approved by the vendor/carrier. If you can do this in property, can you do this in auto?

LARRY D HARDIN
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katadj

USA
315 Posts

Posted - 01/28/2004 :  13:09:34  Show Profile
This would be totally dependent on the quality of the estimating/reporting program.

It would have to be, at the very least, equal to the programs we are presently using, including correct up-dated data bases for pricing, photograph posting, forms for NFIP and other carriers required reporting. The ability to transfer information electronically among them.

We would have a fixed price for the initial estimate, say $3.00, but what would be the cost of a continual updating of a commercial loss that requires a 30-day report, several estimates, and numerous inspections?

Also the $3.00 per file fee may be excessive if applied to a cat situation, where we are doing 10 per day 70 per week, 301 per month for a $903.00 cost, when we presently have an unlimited amount of files for a cost of less than $200.00 per month, or less.

There is always the potential for a new way to work, as product development increases, but we all know what we pay now and would have t be assured that we do not incur additional expenses before we opt to change horses.
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trader

USA
236 Posts

Posted - 01/28/2004 :  18:30:00  Show Profile
If present vendors of soft ware would allow 30 days @ X $$$ and no lease this would be moot. But some like me will 100-200 claims this year at 14.00 to 7.00 each on a years lease. Plus E&O & GCL of $1800. Plus rent. My travel may be over.
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Gale

USA
231 Posts

Posted - 01/30/2004 :  21:44:51  Show Profile
What happened to the “you get what you pay for” line? I have been told adjusters make so much money they don’t mind supporting fat margins. In fact one vendor jumped me last week about undercharging adjusters. The saying “time changes all things” must apply to the minds of adjusters as well.

I agree that adjusters can greatly benefit from estimating software but our present research shows adjusters still feel the $500 annual price range is more in line with their expectation as was true in 1996 when we started developing estimating software.

It is not only the IA’s that look for better values in estimating software today. This week we have been meeting with and providing training for a branch of our largest carrier account, which is a Fortune 500 company and they made it clear that value is a key factor in their purchasing decisions. Noticed I said “Value” and not “Price”.

If estimating software does not work or requires too many man-hours to learn it is not viewed as a good value even if it is FREE. Great software that is not affordable is worthless as well. Price is one factor in Value.

As the US standard of living continues to slip lower we all will see our incomes under pressure. Fat margins are leaving US businesses so fast they are creating a great sucking sound. There are still many ways to earn a great living but it is getting much harder for a young guy with a 5th grade education to make enough money in 12 months as a general laborer to pay for a new house and 40 acre farm as my dad did 52 years ago.

By the way what triggered the per use discussion? What would be the gross income of a CAT adjuster that hit the 301 closed files in one month in the example on this thread? One recently told about grossing $50K in 5 weeks on a storm.
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