On this episode of ADJUSTED, we welcome Carl Van, President & CEO of International Insurance Institute and author of The 8 Characteristics of the Awesome Adjuster. Carl gives deeper insight into the 8 characteristics and offers advice for those entering the industry.
Carl Van graduated from California State University, Sacramento where he received his bachelor’s degree in Insurance. He has been in the insurance claims industry since 1980 and has held the positions of Claims Adjuster, Claims Supervisor, Claims Manager, Division Claims Manager, and Regional Manager over Claims, Loss Control, and Premium Audit.
Mr. Van has set up 5 in-house claims training programs for various insurance companies throughout the United States, and has written articles for Claims magazine, Claims Education Magazine, Claims Advisor, Claims People magazine, The Subrogator, The National Underwriter, California Insurance Journal, and over 100 other national magazines. He is the author of over 75 technical and soft skill workshops being taught throughout the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Mr. Van is the Dean of the School of Claims Performance and has served as both board member and Regional Vice President of the Society of Insurance Trainers and Educators. He is the owner and publisher of Claims Education Magazine and board president of the Claims Education Conference.
Mr. Van is owner and publisher of Claims Professional Books On Line and is the author of the highly acclaimed book The 8 Characteristics of the Awesome Adjuster, which has sold internationally throughout the United States, Canada, Guam, Singapore, France, Australia, England, Chile, Ireland, and 25 other countries. Other books by Carl Van include Gaining Cooperation, Gaining Cooperation for the Workers’ Comp. Professional, The Claims Cookbook, Attitude, Ability, and the 80/20 Rule, The Eight Characteristics of the Awesome Employee, Negotiations Skills for the Claims Professional, and Awesome Claims Customer Service.
He writes all materials for his Carl Van Claims Expert blog and provides claims tips on his Carl Van Professional Speaker YouTube channel. Just for fun, he writes all lyrics to the songs performed by Carl Van and the Awesome Adjuster Band.
The 8 Characteristics of the Awesome Adjuster
WHAT MAKES INTERNATIONAL INSURANCE INSTITUTE TRAININGS UNIQUE? All material is written by “claims people for claims people.” Their mission is to provide real-life training to help claim professionals do their job better. They recognized that traditional claims trainings were not applying to real-life claims adjusting scenarios. They have produced a successful formula that meets the needs of claims adjusters while teaching them great customer service.
EVERYONE IS YOUR CUSTOMER: Customers are not just policyholders; they are injured workers, providers, coworkers, attorneys, and vendors. The core of the claims industry is that we are in the business of helping people. People want to be treated with respect, acknowledgment, and empathy. While having strong technical skills is important, the most vital component is your customer service skills.
YOUR ATTITUDE DRIVES YOUR PERFORMANCE: If you believe you are here to help your customers, you will say things that are consistent with helping them. Instead of telling an injured worker “I am here to handle your claim,” use the words “I am here to help you with your claim.” Instead of “You will be paid what you are owed,” say “Let me help you find out what you are entitled to.” It can be a very daunting experience for an injured worker trying to navigate all of the paperwork, appointments, and loss of income. If your words and attitude convey that you want to help them, you will gain their trust.
YOU ARE WORKING ON A TASK, AND THE PHONE RINGS- DO YOU ANSWER IT? The answer is yes because for every phone call you don’t answer, you have generated on average 3-4 more phone calls. This will cause more work in the long run. There is a way to answer the phone, and give the customer a realistic time frame that you will call them back to address their issue. That way you can finish what you are working on while providing great customer service. You don’t have to be fast to provide great customer service; you just have to be faster than the customer expects. It is important to give yourself some room to complete your tasks before you call them back. For instance, if you tell your customer you will call them back in 4 hours, but you call them back in 3 hours, you have exceeded their expectations.
THE GREATEST ADJUSTERS ARE NOT AFRAID OF FAILURE; THEY ARE AFRAID OF MEDIOCRITY: People who continuously want to improve themselves usually make the best claims professionals. They are fearless, and they view mistakes as the indispensable step to ultimately improving. They are not afraid of making decisions; they are afraid of not improving. They respond well to feedback and have a desire to do an excellent job. When they make mistakes, they will recover much quicker than an adjuster who is preoccupied with being perfect. It is important to have management support in order to achieve this mindset. Managers who support them when they succeed, as well as when they fail, foster an environment for success.
ALL COURSES ARE NOW BEING OFFERED VIA WEBINAR: Since the onset of Covid-19, virtual training is being offered weekly. Every course that is in the training catalog, can be taught in person, or via webinar. If you would like to view a catalog, or sign up for a training course, visit https://www.insuranceinstitute.com. or contact Carl Van at [email protected]. It is a great way to learn time management skills, how to set priorities, and most importantly, how to deliver the best customer service!