So You Want to Be an Elite Flood Adjuster?

Being an NFIP Certified Flood Adjuster is a fantastic way to make a great living. How can you rise to the top in this industry and become that Go-To Adjuster that is assigned more and better claims? The formula for doing so is not that complicated, but many fail to strive for that elite status and hang around in the pack of average adjusters making an average living.

The following overview steps, if learned and applied, will help you quickly rise to the top and reach that elite status:

1. Training2. Soft Skills3. Attention to Detail4. Equipment5. Efficiency

Crucial Steps You Must Follow to Achieve This Status

National Flood Insurance Program

Adjuster Claims Manual

December 2000 Revised January 2002

Revised January 2004

Revised June 2010 Revised February 2013

Revised September 2013

Elite Continued on Page 2...

Flood Claims InSight Vol. 1, Issue 2 www.jacclaims.com

Aside from the annual certification course flood adjusters must take, most training for the remainder of the year comes in the form of field experience and trial and error. While it seems simple enough at the course to comprehend, the major-ity of that information is forgotten in a short period of time. Staying sharp on coverages and best FEMA practices will be a major factor for increasing both your efficiency and accuracy with your reports.

TRAINING

Since reading the Adjuster Claims Manual routinely is a task most adjusters would rather pass on,

The first impression you make will be the lasting impression the in-sured has of you. You are the face of your adjustment company and the NFIP to the policyholder.

It is very important that you repre-sent yourself and your adjustment company in a courteous and profes-sional manner.

SOFT SKILLSUpon the initial phone call, it is important to first introduce yourself in a professional manner and then allow the insured to tell you their story. Listening to their concerns intently is crucial to establishing a rapport. After giving them proper time to talk, address their concerns and reassure them you are there to represent them and their interests.

Before hanging up, gather all details you need at that time and set your appointment time with them in short windows of time. If you will be late, even just 15 minutes, make

sure to contact the insured to alert them of this change.

Upon meeting the insured at their property, it is important to dress professionally and allow them a short period of time to again tell their story and walk you through the property. Be sure to gather all answers to questions on your preliminary report checklist (it does not look good to call back for something you forgot). Before leav-ing the location, explain the claims procedure in order to manage their expectations.

Insureds who have confidence in their adjuster have far less ques-tions and are less likely to cause disruptions in the claims process.

Jackson Adjustment teamed up with industry experts to create the Flood Institute. The Flood Institute is an online certified training module for anyone in the flood insurance industry to stay sharp on all coverages and current FEMA bulletins. The course can be taken at each individual’s own time, and users can review the entire course, or any section, at any time to brush up and stay on top of their craft and write cleaner estimates.

The first impression you make will be the lasting impression

the insured has of you.

www.floodinstitute.com

Flood Claims InSight Vol. 1, Issue 2www.jacclaims.com

Nothing wastes more time and money for the adjuster, examiner and adjusting company than sense-less mistakes in your reports and estimates. It can be referred to as the “ugh” factor. In the flood adjust-ing world, speed is vital, and when you are working fast it is inevitable that mistakes will be made. Many of these mistakes are human error, rather than coverage interpretation mistakes. It is glaringly obvious to examiners when reading reports and estimates when the adjuster did not proofread their work.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL

Examiners are there to check your work for accuracy, not to fill in all the missing holes. As the mistakes mount on a closing report, so do the amount of sighs and “ughs” from the examiner. When this be-comes a pattern for an adjuster, they become less trusted.

The amount of time it takes to proofread your reports before sending them is less time than it takes to make the revisions sent back and resubmitting. Since you are going to put the time in either

Having the right equipment as you head into the field is also an import-ant factor in your efficiency, accura-cy, and ability to put together a first class report.

The camera you use, and how you use it, is vital to the claim presen-tation. Poor quality photos do not accurately illustrate the damages, water lines, and contents. Blurry

photos not only make the ex-amination process more

difficult, but they make

EQUIPMENTthe adjuster look bad, giving the impression that they don’t take the time to do their claim properly.

Measuring wheels and lasers are important items to have with you in addition to the standard measuring tape. A laser measuring device will allow you to quickly diagram and measure a property with greater accuracy. They also give a better impression to the insured as your document their damages. Using a good quality measuring wheel for

the perimeter of the property also allows for accurate footprints.

As technology evolves, so does the possibility for increased efficiency. New Windows tablets put the pow-er of a laptop into a tablet, mak-ing it very easy to use in the field. Anywhere you can find an edge is always valuable.

way, why not do it ahead of the first submission and make your reports shine to the examiners?

When it really comes down to it, speed is the name of the game, as long as accuracy is upheld. As stated earlier, each claim is a learn-ing experience, and once you have worked out the kinks in your work-flow, find a pattern that works for you and stick to it.

If you are having issues with any part of the process, whether it be speed, accuracy or quality, change your pattern immediately to ad-dress those issues. The sooner you make the positive changes the sooner they become habit and increase your efficiency.

Every claim you handle can be viewed as continuing education.

EFFICIENCY

Jackson Adjustment CompanyEditor: Steve Van Pelt svanpelt@jacclaims.comwww.jacclaims.com / 800.601.1198135 Middle StreetSuite 1021Lake Mary, FL 32746

Established in 1983, Jackson Adjustment Company is a Leading Flood Insurance Adjusting Company. Currently located in Lake Mary, Florida.

THE JACKSON PROMISE

They teach you what is working well and what isn’t. When an issue becomes chronic, it gives the impres-sion that the adjust-er does not care to improve or correct the issue and that adjuster will drop on the depth chart. Everyone makes mistakes, but striv-ing to not make the same mistake twice will set you apart from the rest and put you in that elite status.

“Train adjusters so they can work for anybody. Treat them so they only want to work for you”

In the tight-knit world of Flood In-surance, we are all here to serve. As a service provider, we always strive to provide the best possible user experience imaginable!

This applies to everyone we work with, from carriers, to our adjusters,

to our policyholders. This starts by providing the best training experi-ence in the industry to our adjust-ers, who are the face of our compa-ny in the field.

The training is followed up with the best mentorship and continued

guidance for our adjusters through-out their career. Together we form a strong team to help make our product the best in the business.

Contact us anytime and see the dif-ference Jackson Adjustment Com-pany can make for you.