Lynette and Dave Young of ClaimWizard invited me to provide a talk later today about the challenges of being a public adjuster at the ClaimWizard conference – The Founders Room: Public Adjuster Success – being held in Denver, Colorado. One of the participants, Jack Hanks of VPA Public Claims Adjusting, gave a very insightful speech at the opening event last night, worthy of comment.
Jack Hanks discussed his history of being a preferred vendor before becoming a public adjuster. He noted that his preferred contracting business grew. But, while doing tens of millions of dollars in restoration work for the insurance companies, it was not making any money in profit as it grew. The more work his company did, the more under the thumb of the insurance companies he became as a preferred contractor.
Jack left that business and went to work in Arizona with Dave Skipton of Skipton & Associates. Hanks spoke very highly of his experience working with Dave Skipton and how working with Skipton’s team helped him grow as a person and set his trajectory as a public adjuster.
Jack mentioned a number of important points that other public adjusters may want to consider:
Jack tries to surround himself with great people who have done specific public adjusting roles that he is not the best at. He focuses his efforts on what he does best—soliciting new business. He lets others run the business and tries to find those who do the other niche roles of public adjusting.
He commented that ‘public adjusters are not the garbage disposals for bad claims.’ I think this is an important point. Hanks was adamant that public adjusters should not agree to take on the representation of unworthy and non-meritorious claims. Saying ‘no’ to poor claims and claims whose demands cannot be substantiated honestly is important for public adjusting firms, the public, and the industry as a whole. I agree.
Hanks said that much of his firm’s growth has been the result of allowing people within the firm to do the adjustment specialties that they have a passion for. Some are very good at navigating the claim from the desk. Some are better at field estimating. Each aspect of public adjusting can be a specialty, and allowing people to do what they enjoy results in them being more successful and making more money.
Hanks was emphatic that there is a need to “get along with the insurance company adjusters.” He claimed that there is no reason to be a jerk with the insurance company adjuster. “Fights do not need to occur,” and being adversarial should be 10% of the time rather than 90% of the time. He emphasized that by becoming more professional in tone, they have received better results for their policyholder clients.
Hanks then stated that the public adjusting industry needs more professionalism. He claimed that the barriers to entry should be much higher for people to enter the profession of public adjusting. He noted my blog post, Public Adjusters Need To Raise The Bar For Admission If They Want To Be Seen As Professionals, about my better half, Donice Krueger, passing the Texas public adjuster license exam by studying for it only half a day. Donice has zero experience as a public adjuster. Hanks stated that if a person could pass the test to become a public adjuster so easily, it is obvious the standards need to be raised. He stated that the standards need to be raised for the benefit of public adjusters, the public, and the insurance industry.
Hanks complained that there are too many public adjusters who simply do not practice professionally. He claimed it is hurting the profession and the reputation of others who are trying to do the work at a higher level.
Finally, Jack said some nice things about me and my firm. He noted a story about how he gave a training session in Tampa with Dave Skipton and ended up taking my boat, the Chip’s Ahoy!, on a spin with some of the class. He then ended up docking at my condo early in the morning and knocking on my door with 15 public adjusters. This was at 12:30 am. I vaguely recall this motley crew drinking my whisky and wine.
I first want to applaud Dave and Lynette Young for hosting this more advanced course of public adjusting instruction for successful public adjusting firms. They are in a unique position to help public adjusters grow their businesses and have been very successful at it.
I appreciated the very generous and gracious public comments by Hanks about Dave Skipton’s role and mentorship leading to his current success. We all learn from others, and giving credit is important.
Professionalism and raising the bar and standards are key actions public adjusters should embrace. I was happy to hear Hanks so eloquently explain why, by being more professional, public adjusters obtain better and faster results for their policyholder clients.
Thought For The Day
“Professionalism is not about job titles. It’s about delivering on commitments.”
—Peter Drucker
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