z31maniac said:Hoppps said:In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
This is not wholly true. The insurance companies job is to protect their insured first. If you work in the office taking the call, or in the field as the adjuster, you are always looking to protect the person who pays you (that's what they taught us). That means mitigating damages (physical and monetary) in line with what the law allows. If their research shows cars average around $10k, they can look for differences and offer a lower price. It's truly a negotiation, and if they can get someone to accept the lowest price they will. They always have a range they can negotiate up to, but they won't tell you that and you'll have to fight to get top dollar.
This is ABSOLUTELY not how they trained us at State Farm. We were encouraged to pay as much as we could as quickly as we could. We often bent the rules to get people paid more and more quickly. I was the king of "1st contact closes" and my manager loved it.
Sure, it's $4K theft claim, but they have docs/police report, etc. Am I going to dick them around on ACV over an 18 month old TV they gave me a receipt for? Nope. Bang, RCV or I'll have my processor call you and order you the TV direct. They broke a window, so now that needs to be replaced (we also would replace the carpet in the room because of how difficult it is to get glass out of carpet), here is our preferred contractor. I've already taken the deductible from your property, so you won't owe them anything.
Even when I worked there in 06-07, handling claims cost the company something like $225/hr.
The main reason I left was how quickly they built up your salary and then I knew I wouldn't be able to. Although looking back, 401k AND a pension, along with other things, may have been a good idea to stay.
I worked for the lizard 16-20. I will never forget, my client is behind the other person in a left turn lane. Light turns green, both people go, and then stop cause traffic is backed up. My insured said he stopped and the other person backed into them, but his story had holes in it. Other person says they stopped and we rear ended them. I was instructed to fight for my insured, and go with his story even though I knew from the interview he was lying as he couldn't give any other definitive details (likely because they were looking at their phone).
Maybe different companies treat people better (USAA for sure, and I remember State Farm being reasonable too) but there are definitely companies, and especially smaller ones, that want to pay as little as they can.
I tell people that my experience in auto claims taught me how get out of any accident if it's my fault. That's what you did it once you got out of training and in the real world...it's terrible and skewed my view of insurance.
