Homeowners Claims

[D_Rabbit]

I hate to sound like a jerk on this but I would like to impart a little words of wisdom so pull up a chair.... oh, your already sitting... ok here we go!

I work in the insurance industry. Been doing it for almost 3 years now and I love my job. I started in Auto helping people get their lives back to normal by getting their cars repaired. I found great satisfaction with helping people go from a stressed situation to back to normal in a week or so. I have always been in the customer service field so this was an easy switch after a little bit of learning. The auto claim industry is very fast paced but at the end of the day/week I left my phone at my desk (as it was wired to it) and went home to spend time with my wife and dogs. GREAT!

Since moving to VA I have switched over to homeowners claims. I got a company cell phone that is attached to my hip which most of the time is a non issue. I've found the transition to be pretty easy except for the part that I had no background in repairing homes in any manner. The program we use is called Xactimate and is quite user friendly and I have been able to pick it up pretty quickly.

Ok, here comes the advice....... If you ever run in to a sitauation with having to file a claim for damages please don't pester your adjuster over the weekend. I know the situation sucks, especially because most people have never been through the process, but the people on the other end have done this before and we are aware of how much it sucks. We will definitely get back to you first thing Monday morning to get things taken care of... or at least I would!

I received a claim on Thursday pm around 7pm, not uncommon. First thing friday morning I set up all my notes and make a contact attempt, no asnwer, so I leave a mesage. I get a return call at 545pm. I'm sorry but it is now my weekend and I left you a detailed message about how to contact me and what you need to do to mitigate the loss. I get another call at 730pm. I get another call at 830am saturday followed by a text message at 1pm that says I have not called him by noon. At this point I email this person with a detailed message to contact the water mitigation company to have them come out and beginning drying out the house, the same voice message I left on friday. I also state I will call him first thing Monday morning to get this taken care of. I get another phone call at 830pm sunday night followed by a text message at 930pm.

I understand his wanting to get this taken care of and his questions but please understand this as well. I have a family. And just because I have a phone for you to call me at doesn't give you the right to harass me while I spend time with my family. It just makes me not want to call you first thing on monday like I said I would.

Needless to say, I called about an hour ago and am going to inspect hte property between 11-12pm.

Again, I understand the situation usually sucks but a little bit of water damage is easily remedied and can wait until monday. Call the water mitigation company or throw some towels down. It will all be ok come monday!

STEPS DOWN FROM SOAP BOX

[Beer-lord]

You sound like a good adjuster. Having been thru many, many hurricanes and especially Katrina, I can tell you that when the shyte hits the fan, the good adjusters aren't nearly enough as people with no experience pop up everywhere. I understand that an emergency is just that and you can't always have enough experienced adjusters ready for a big emergency but I've met my share of a-holes who could care less. And, I've had to be an a-hole to deal with them and get what I deserved.
But, working together takes 2 parties who listen and follow up. Maybe next time something happens here, you can be my adjuster and make me enjoy the misery.

[teutonic terror]

Rabbit, I feel for you, BUT...

I've been trying to deal with an insurance company for over two MONTHS on a simple
car accident claim.
We have had to jump thru SO many hoops, just to get our car payed for and be able to afford a car to replace it!
After all was said and done, they FORGOT to mail the settlement check!
How Convenient!

I know, it's not you controlling the payout or the delays, but why is it such a hassle to deal with ANY insurance company?

[RickBeer]

While not the issue of the post (i.e. don't harass your adjuster...), it really DOES MATTER which insurance company you go with. Price is one thing, service is another (i.e. paying claims, fighting, etc.). If you look at ratings of insurance companies, there are 3 companies that always top the lists:

AMICA
ERIE INSURANCE
USAA (must be a military connection).

I've been with AMICA for nearly 35 years. My Grandfather was with them for over 50. Top service, no independent agents / commissions to deal with, no problems on claims, etc.

[D_Rabbit]

I can say that with auto claims, especially total losses, if the other person is at fault and your going through their policy you are right..... They don't care. I dealt with that often. The problem with vehicles is that people think they are worth more than they really are. Don't believe Kelly Blue Book either because those prices are jacked up. Most companies use NADA. Other companies use comparative sales for that area and that vehicle. If there is a huge issue with the at fault parties insurance carrier than file the claim through your own policy. Your insurance carrier will collect the money they spend on your vehicle from the other carrier. It's called subrogation. And you will typically get better service through your own carrier.

Beer lord, CAT events suck for everyone. Adjusters will get 70-80 claims a week when that happens. My normal intake is 40-50 per month. Those circumstances are terrible for everyone and those adjusters are expected to work 7 days a week. That is why they get paid extra money for working them.

I think the big issue and misunderstandings come from people signing up for insurance and not understanding what they get. This online quote and buy crap saves you money but you get what you pay for. If anyone has a chance to take a class to better understand the roles and responsibilities during a claim I would highly recommend that. Not sure if they are offered bit if they aren't they should be, not sure anyone would do it though.

[D_Rabbit]

Ps, if anyone has any questions about a claim and what to expect than let me know. I have no issues explaining the process and letting you know what to expect.

[D_Rabbit]

And now this guy is 20 minutes late for his own house to be inspected!

[Brewbirds]

And now this guy is 20 minutes late for his own house to be inspected!

He'll be an hour early the day you are delivering a check I'll bet.

Hopefully guys like that are only a small portion of your clients. One problem is that most people don't read or respond to long messages these days.
We are dealing with that with our realtors right now; we ask for information and get a one sentence response sent from a smart phone that doesn't even address the question or issue.
They are going to make thousands from our sale or purchase and can't find time to get us usable data or edit and spell check there marketing data.

OOPs did I just hijack your rant?

[D_Rabbit]

Preach on! I just went through that as well brewbirds! I feel your pain.

[FedoraDave]

Good information, Dan.

Not to hijack the thread, but as a service person, I'm very put out when someone manages to contact me at home and expects me to drop everything (after putting in a 9 or 10 hour day) and tend to their problem which could easily wait until the next day. Not only do I have a private life, but my company has protocols for scheduling services, and I can't do it instantly. Your best bet is contacting the Call Center, where it's their job to schedule these things. Chances are I'll be out the next day.

Everyone should take into account that people in the service industries are humans with their own lives, their own families, their own problems, and a fairly large customer base. Dropping everything just for you means inconveniencing them, their families, and sometimes even other customers, and frankly, you're not more important than any of them, in most cases. What seems like an emergency to you can usually wait a day or so.

[dbrowning]

I would find another insurance company,
You had time to text and email but not to return a call ALL WEEKEND?
Ive never deatlt with an insurance agent , adjuster or broker that didn't say "24/7 call me anytime"
And I had no option but to take calls "24/7" all my life
Not that I would call at night or weekend (other than actual emergency) , but if I did I would expect a return call

[D_Rabbit]

Never said I texted him. He texted me 2 times. And I'm not an agent or broker. I sent him an email as a courtesy since he called me, in my opinion at times i wouldn't call my own parents at. If your calling me for your claim, leave a message and if I deem it an emergency I'll call you back. Now if it is that imperative of an issue than you need to call someone that can make a difference.... Plumber, electrician, fire or police.

If you have those expectations for a claim than you will be disappointed every time. Not sure what you do for a living but my weekend is for my wife since we both work 60-70 hour work weeks. Am I supposed to drop what I'm doing or planned? I did say he called, probably 6-7 times, only left 1 message.

I'm just venting and understand everyone has an opinion. I can't imagine doing that to another person since I know how i feel about it. Everyone is entitled to a little "me" time, which is typically their weekends and I guess working in the field i do I give people the benefit of the doubt more now than i used to.

Let me also point out people's idea of an emergency, his sink leaked when he sprayed the hose on the counter top between the counter to and sink because the person didnt caulk it properly. Solution..... Don't spray the hose on the countertop and wait a day to do the dishes when I get out there to look at it!

Difference is that that I knew what the claim was but if it was a tree on your house I would have answered the call because THAT IS AN EMERGENCY!

[FedoraDave]

I would find another insurance company,
You had time to text and email but not to return a call ALL WEEKEND?
Ive never deatlt with an insurance agent , adjuster or broker that didn't say "24/7 call me anytime"
And I had no option but to take calls "24/7" all my life
Not that I would call at night or weekend (other than actual emergency) , but if I did I would expect a return call

Maybe Rabbit should have returned his call at 2 am?

Sorry, but I can't agree with you, dbrowning. Given Dan's explanation of what the "emergency" was, and the scenario of the texts and calls all weekend, this client had extremely unrealistic expectations. I work in the pest control industry. I'm a technician, which means I'm the guy doing the bug-killin'. I've had people contact me for fairly insignificant stuff (like wanting to buy mattress encasements) at 8 or 9 pm. This is NOT an emergency, and how can you justify such a call at such a time? Because it's convenient for you? Because it's my job to be at your beck and call 24/7? No, sorry. Unless you've got angry bees swarming around inside your house, nothing ... NOTHING is an emergency. Not a mouse (what do expect me to do, come out there and catch it with my bare hands?), not a line of ants (they'll still be there tomorrow, and they don't eat much), not a spider in your shower (man up, dammit).

The demands on our time are many, and we work long hours. Therefore, I reserve the right to set aside my own time during my off-hours. I work hard as hell when I'm on the job, but when I get home and take off my uniform, my company and my clients don't exist. I work to make a living; I don't live to work.

[Banjo-guy]

While not the issue of the post (i.e. don't harass your adjuster.
I've been with AMICA for nearly 35 years. My Grandfather was with them for over 50. Top service, no independent agents / commissions to deal with, no problems on claims, etc.

I been with Amica for at least 35 yeas and my father was with them before me. I agree with you totally. great company.
I would only expect 24/7 contact in an actual emergency but some people seem to think that an inconvenience is an emergency. The company should have a system set up for weekend and holiday customer contact. Emergencies don't always happen during the Monday- Friday work week. It doesn't have to be the same person making contact with customer.

[mtsoxfan]

Just a bit OT Dan...

I have a bit of an issue with the way car adjustments are paid out that you may be able to clarify. When damage happens to a home, you are made whole again.
You said we think cars are worth more than they are, maybe true, but each time I made a claim, I was just looking to be made whole again. What they offered in settlement could not buy me what I had. I challenged them to find me a mint 2006 Jeep Liberty sport with roughly the same miles for the offer. They were over $2k short. I had area sales numbers to back up my stance. The body shop I towed to agreed to keep my car in their lot, FREE OF CHARGE, after insurance stopped paying so I could fight the settlement. They knew it was an outragous offer. They schooled me on some of the tactics ins. companies use, and this shop had nothing to gain from any of this.



I'm not dumping on you Dan, you don't make the policies. I was wondering if you could explain why, other than huge profits...
(I hold stock in insurance companies because I know they are set up to not loose money)