Selecting a Public Adjuster, Part 1

Experience and results dealing with your loss type.

Perhaps the most important key to evaluating a public adjuster is to evaluate the results they have produced in dealing with a loss like yours.

How many years of experience?

How many cases?

What were the results of these cases?

Ask for References

“Trust, but verify.”  The financial result may not be the only measure of success in retaining a public adjuster.  Ask for references to ensure the clients’ experience was as it was perceived by the public adjuster.  Ask about challenges or unexpected bumps in the road that may have occurred.  References from the public adjuster are useless if they serve 100 clients and 90 of them have a negative interaction, but the adjuster offers you the testimonials of the 10 satisfied clients.

What groups are they associated with?

A good first step is to see if the adjuster is registered with the Better Business Bureau.  This is a good source of information relating to the quality of service delivered.  Next, examine industry-specific groups.  the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), the American Association of Public Insurance Adjusters AAPIA), and/or state-specific groups like the Florida Association of Insurance Public Adjusters (FAIPA) can be a great way to identify a public adjuster and offer information on their current standing.  The more local your search, the more accurate the information will be.

Examine their website and online reputation

Most good public adjusters will have a good website, complete with good testimonials.  Some other sources to check would be: the ratings on Google, Yahoo, Yelp, Angie’s List, and any other information you find online.  An unsatisfied client is 6 times more likely to voice their discontent online than a satisfied client, so negative reviews should be fairly easy to find.

Interview your public adjuster

Some questions to be considered are as follows:

Are you licensed/bonded/insured?
What does your team evaluating my loss look like?

Is there anything that differentiates you from other public adjusters?
What was your most successful result in this type of claim?

What was your least successful result?

See Selecting a Public Adjuster, Part 2 

Provided by Steven Venook at Advocate Claims Public Adjusters.  Contact him to learn more at 954-369-0573.