Being A ‘Nice’ Adjuster Pays Off

Being a kinder, gentler adjuster can ease an adjuster’s workload and help the company’s bottom line, a training expert demonstrated to claims professionals here. Carl Van, president and chief executive officer of the Folsom, Calif.- based International Insurance Institute, delivered this coaching as part of his overall message—that handling insurance claims "is a customer service business"—at the Annual Claims Exposition & Conference. The Conference was presented by Claims magazine and The National Underwriter Company, based in Erlanger, Ky. Mr. Van said that good customer relations pay off for a company in the form of policyholder retention. Among policyholders who submitted claims and then voluntarily cancelled with an insurer, 75 percent leave "because of the way they are treated" and 25 percent because their rates are increased, he said.