A lot of contractors wonder, “Is there anything I should be doing or saying differently to get more things paid for on an adjuster meeting?”  The reason why I’d like to address this question is because many contractors wonder if they need to be doing or saying something specific in order to influence the outcome of adjuster meetings as opposed to just being a silent bystander and watching things unfold. 

Meeting with the insurance adjuster is a part of every claim, and it is the most crucial element of the entire project, because this is the moment where the claim is approved or denied. While an insurance adjustment should be very objective and “black and white,” if you’ve been in this industry for any amount of time at all, you know that insurance claim assessments can be very subjective. Every adjuster is different. They all have different personalities, requirements, methods, and personal preferences that accompany the insurance carrier’s own guidelines for adjustments. Many times, your input, recommendations, reasoning, and dialogue can sway decisions on whether or not something gets approved. When items are on the fence and can go either way, you are the X factor or the variable that can sway it in the homeowner’s favor.

Put yourself in the shoes of the adjuster for a moment. They work incredibly long hours, often for days and weeks on end working up to a dozen claims a day, sweating in the heat all day and then being buried under paperwork at night. On top of it all, they meet with many contractors every day, many of which who do not understand how to work with adjusters and can be really argumentative and combative. For this reason, many adjusters are already acting defensively upon meeting a contractor at a claim site.

If they are already in the mindset that they are about to deal with another demanding, belligerent contractor who is there to make their job difficult and demand the sun, the moon, and the stars, you can surprise them by being personable, helpful, and friendly. More importantly, you can demonstrate to them that you appreciate what they do, trust them to do their job, and admire their knowledge and expertise.

The key lies in the latter. People want and need to feel competent and trusted. When you show someone that you look up to them for their opinion and guidance because you trust their judgment, it makes them feel good and more motivated and willing to help you. Understanding and applying this concept is the key to getting many items in question bought on adjuster meetings.

Now I’m going to share with you how to use it. This one phrase has been extremely effective in getting the scale tipped in my favor on so many occasions, because it embodies the above concept and puts the ball in the adjuster’s court after opening them up to feeling more compelled to lean in my favor by demonstrating I trust their assessment more than my own. When bringing an item into question that may or may not have hail damage, just say this:

“I couldn’t say with 100% certainty that this is from hail, but I couldn’t say with 100% certainty that it isn’t, either. What do you think?”

It’s so simple, and it works. The adjuster sees that you are looking to them for guidance and an opinion, and they are much more likely to lean in the “benefit of the doubt.” They may also agree that they couldn’t say for sure, and that’s exactly the point. If you cannot say for sure that it is storm damage, but you also cannot say for sure that it isn’t, a fair adjuster will always lean in the favor of the insured.

 Here’s a perfect example of a contractor who took my advice, followed mt system, and has had success with it multiple times right off the bat:

Use this phrase on your adjuster meetings and let it work its magic. Obviously it won’t work every time with every adjuster for every item you want, but it will definitely help you get more items paid for more often, especially if you are being fair and reasonable and make a good impression on the adjuster. 

Oh yes, I like that. Give me more.

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