Success in property restoration for insurance claims starts with Xactimate estimating mastery.If you work with insurance claims you will want to familiarize yourself with writing and reading Xactimate estimates. This is true whether you are an adjuster or a restoration professional. Xactimate has become the standard for the majority of insurance carriers and third-party administrators (TPAs). If you are new to Xactimate we have three tips that will help you master the best practices for this estimating platform. Xactimate tip number one for beginnersYou must learn from rejection. You are going to get rejected, it’s part of the process. Pay attention to what you are getting rejected for. Try to not repeat the same mistakes with the same carriers. Every carrier has their general rules as well as their idiosyncrasies. For example one carrier will want contents as CON LAB and another will want to see it as CON ROOM. It should only take one rejection for you to understand and remember which carrier prefers the line item one way or the other. Xactimate tip number two for beginnersYou must learn from repetition. Xactimate is designed for the straight forward losses. While we may disagree on the percentage of claims that are “typical”, there are going to be losses that break with the norm. For the majority of your losses, once you have a loss format that has been accepted you can either create a macro or just cut and paste that format. In my opinion macros can be more work than they are worth but there are plenty of Youtube videos on how to construct these. Memorize the codes and line items that you utilize most frequently and utilize prior approved estimates as standards for future claims. Xactimate tip number three for beginnersYou must learn from relationships. Get to know your local adjusters. For those losses that break from the normal, in and out claim, make contact early and often with your local adjusters. You will learn what they see as simple approvals and what their idiosyncrasies are for the carrier they work for. Once you know the adjuster, make their job easier. Don’t contact them for every little change but rather have your items in order so that you can discuss the claim and make a reasonable request that serves the client as well as meets the guidelines of the carrier. Xactimate best practices for success in claims estimatingIt is helpful to have a consultant or mentor, whether this is an internal resource or someone you pursue from outside your company. There are helpful Youtube videos, independent training programs as well as courses that you can take. (If you are learning to sketch in Xactimate you may find this video helpful) Don’t let fear prevent you from reaching out to someone through email, LinkedIn or for coffee. For most professionals in the industry mastery has come through trial and error. If you want to survive and succeed in the insurance property claims industry, you must learn from rejection, repetition and relationships. Contact us for coaching and consultation with estimating, project management and process improvement.
1 Comment
What core elements make for a good book review?It has often been said that those who can't create will critique. Perhaps there is some truth to this but since the dawn of time we have sought the silky words of those who can paraphrase those who produce. Whether it's recommendations from our friends, the yellow paperback Cliff's Notes or the likes of Yelp, we place some value on the perspectives of others. Key number one to a good book reviewA good book review does not require a good book, but it does require a book to review. One can compose a good review of a bad book. Any effort to review should start with the goal of extrapolating any nuggets of beauty, wisdom or functionality that can be gathered from the composition of the author. Benjamin Franklin said, "Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." A review therefore should seek to bring out those values. Key number two to a good book reviewIf you are going to write a book review you must first review a book. In essence we are all reviewers, unless we never read. Yet, some of those who review and help to bring light to a book worth reading or further draw out those concepts that add value to our experiences. Stephen King states it this way, "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." Key number three to a good book reviewAs a good book should be informative, inspiring and/or helpful, so should a good book review be. If the purpose is to summarize, do it well. If the purpose is to criticize, do it with clarity. If the purpose is to glamorize, do it with perspective. Erica Jong wrote about the anxiety of writing, "I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged." Writing and review should also be composed with charity. Sample book review of Insuring Tomorrow by Tony Canas and Carly Burnham. Contact us today if you would like to have your work reviewed.
|
AuthorThoughts on personal and professional development. Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is a contractor, author, and host of The DYOJO Podcast. The goal of The DYOJO is to help growth-minded restoration professionals shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. You can watch The DYOJO Podcast on YouTube on Thursdays or listen on your favorite podcast platform.
Archives
March 2023
Categories
All
<script type="text/javascript" src="//downloads.mailchimp.com/js/signup-forms/popup/unique-methods/embed.js" data-dojo-config="usePlainJson: true, isDebug: false"></script><script type="text/javascript">window.dojoRequire(["mojo/signup-forms/Loader"], function(L) { L.start({"baseUrl":"mc.us5.list-manage.com","uuid":"b9016446bd3c6a9f0bd835d4e","lid":"83282ffb9e","uniqueMethods":true}) })</script>
|