Hurricane season is typically the busiest time of year for key players within the insurance industry. For many new adjusters, this is the first opportunity they have to work in the field putting their recently established skills to the test while helping affected communities recover from devastating weather.
But one question that comes to mind for many is, “what can I do to make sure I’m ready for deployment and have a good chance of being called for an assignment?”
We have compiled a list of “Top 9 Tips” for those who want to ensure they are as prepared and eligible as possible for claims-handling opportunities:
- Tip #1: Keep experience up-to-date in your Eberl profile
At Eberl, we want to ensure we effectively match the qualifications of our adjusters to the needs of our partners but we’re unable to do that if we don’t know what kind of expertise you have under your belt.
If you’ve worked with other independent adjuster firms, then be sure to send an updated resume to staffing@eberls.com.
- Tip #2: Licenses, licenses, licenses!
The thing about weather is that it’s highly unpredictable – we never know exactly where, when, and to what degree it will strike. For this reason, it’s critical for adjusters to be licensed to work in as many states as possible so they can go where the storms go. The average Eberl adjuster holds about 15 licenses.
It’s good to start with the hurricane prone states in the gulf as well as the Midwest states with high wind/hail claim volume. Licensing is especially important for in-office or virtual positions where insurance carriers are wanting those that are able to handle claims from many states.
- Tip #3: Keep your availability updated
It’s important for our adjusters to keep their availability up-to-date as well as their capacity to take on assignments and see them through to completion.
Policyholders rely on an adjuster’s obligation to be there for them when they need it most and if an adjuster is unable to complete an assignment they have committed to, it can cause a major disruption in the policyholder receiving the relief they need.
Here are a few ways you can update your status of availability:
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- Change the setting via the Eberl app (available for download in iOS & Android)
- Send us an email at staffing@eberls.com
- Sign up for our text message alerts by texting SUBSCRIBE to 88979.
- Call us at 303-988-6286 to speak to a Staffing Specialist.
- Tip #4: Keep your phone close!
The minute we receive an assignment from a carrier, we immediately begin building the deployment list for it. This time-sensitive process involves directly reaching out to adjusters via phone calls to confirm them for the deployment opportunity.
The Staffing team’s call volume can be very high at this time of calls going out and coming in so be sure to keep your ringer on loud so you can be available to answer the call when it comes.
Eberl’s People Operations Team, unfortunately, does not have the luxury of waiting for a response from adjusters who do not answer the call for deployment in time. Therefore, it is highly recommended to stay alert and communicative!
- Tip #5: Be professionally impressive
As with any industry and especially when it comes to claims adjusting, it’s a very good idea to build a notable résumé of skills that makes you stand out from the rest. In other words, market yourself and be our go-to person!
Invest in and position yourself as someone who will add value to the Eberl business structure. Here are some ways to accomplish this:
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- Acquire certifications
- Gain licenses
- Participate in trainings or continuing education courses
- Take advantage of professional development opportunities
- Be open-minded to a wide variety of career-building possibilities
- Build a reputation of reliability
- Practice customer service skills
- Tip #6: Don’t gamble on the chance of emergency licensing
At times, we’ve seen adjusters wait to get state licenses until a storm large enough forces the state to issue emergency licenses. Taking this “gamble” is never advised.
In the interest of avoiding complicated circumstances, it’s best to simply follow the proper procedures for attaining licenses in states prone to severe weather activity.
- Tip #7: Equipment and transportation
Having all the tools you need to successfully inspect claims wherever your deployment takes you is a must! This includes servicing your vehicle and ensuring it’s a reliable source of transportation at all times.
Inside that well-maintained vehicle should be a complete inventory of all the gear you need to do your job such as ladders and other field equipment. Click here to view the list! (Note: This equipment list does not apply to in-office adjusters)
- Tip #8: Don’t procrastinate on courses
Complete required trainings and courses as soon as possible on your Eberl dashboard. This can include California Fair Claims, NICTA, and more.
- Tip #9: Reading our communications is key
Our People Operations team is committed to keeping an open line of communication when it comes to relaying pertinent information to our adjusters. We try our best to send out weather and deployment updates as soon as we receive them so that everyone is kept in the loop.
Thanks for reading! We hope this list provides everyone the beneficial insight into the processes of our deployment operations at Eberl and guidance regarding how you can positively position yourself as a stand-out adjuster on our roster!
