The way to success for public adjusters is paved with optimized claims.

But what does an optimized claim mean?

Well, first, it means you should find all the possible information about the policy and the situation before you do the investigation.

How do you do that?

You ask the desk adjuster nicely.

Simple enough, right?

What will interviewing a desk adjuster achieve in your business?

If you do it right, you will:

👉 Establish a good rapport with the insurance companies.
👉 Learn all the key information about the policy
👉 Have that information ready before you start working on the claim.

Now that you know the payoff from reading this post. 

Let us get into the thick of it and teach you the types of questions you should ask the desk adjuster to set up your claim for success.

Understanding the playing field is vital for public adjusters. And your field is the space between the insurer and the insurance company. 

In other words, you need information about the insurers and the policy itself.

Call the insurance company and have a conversation with the desk adjuster.

Mind that desk adjusters are only human as well, they are doing their job, and there is no reason to argue with them.

Be polite, friendly, and professional, and they will be more likely to share all the necessary information with you.

So what should you ask?

First, introduce yourself and ask about the letter of recommendation and if they received it.

Next, you want to get the desk adjuster’s view of the policy.

You want to understand how they view the policy because that will help you make an accurate estimate.

Ask them about the coverage. What are the coverages for:

• Dwelling coverages
• Other structures
• Contents
• Additional living expenses

The last one might be significant for public adjusters currently working in Florida because most homeowners will have additional living expenses while repairing their homes.

Next, ask about the listed names of the insurers.

You will have difficulties cashing the check if one of the insurers is out of the country or otherwise difficult to reach. You should discuss such information with your client as well!

Finally, ask the desk adjuster about the effective date and make sure there is coverage for the loss of that date.

Having all the information before starting the claim process will help you better understand what you can put into your estimate.

You will also learn if the claim is worth your and your client’s time!

Have you read our handbook for public adjusters? Because if you did, you understand collecting information is the first step of an effective claims workflow.

If you do not understand the insurance policy, you cannot estimate the damages, take pictures of the damaged property, and start drafting your claim arguments 

And again, the best person to tell you about the policy is the desk adjuster!

Ask the desk adjuster to go over the duties after the loss together with you. You will be on the same page about what your client should immediately do.

Ask them about the time limit. How soon does your client have to send the proof of loss after the damage has occurred?

You already know that proof of loss can be tricky to put together, so asking the desk adjuster for more information will make your life much easier!

What kind of specifications do they need? The desk adjuster will probably ask you for the height and width of any damaged structures. Plus, detailed repair specifications.

Your first task, as a public adjuster, is learning as much as possible about the policy and how the insurance company views it. After that, you can get to work.

What if the insurance company already estimated the repair costs even though that is not their responsibility but the clients’?

Ask the desk adjuster about it. But be polite.

Ask why they did it and write down the answer. That is it, you should not argue with the adjuster.

You will do another estimate anyway, you simply want proof that they did it and a possible explanation.

You can also ask them whether they used an independent adjuster or wrote the estimate in-house. Ask if they gave a copy of the policy before making the estimate.

Making the estimate is the client’s responsibility, not theirs.

So you want them to explain what and how they did and move on to other questions.

If you did all the steps in this post, do you understand what you have now?

First, you collected all the policy information and can now safely resume your project and accurately estimate the damages.

Second, you have a written document outlining your conversation with the desk adjuster.

Your next step is to email the said document to the insurance company and ask them for confirmation that this is exactly how your “interview” went.

If they confirm, you will have a written agreement if the situation goes legal.

And if they do not, you can ask for more clarification giving you an even better understanding of the policy.

In the end, collecting all the information about the policy should be step one of every successful claim workflow. 

The same goes for you if your goal is to succeed as a public adjuster and grow your business. 

Pick up a pen and write these tips down because you will use them throughout your career!