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In the past, I traveled to the West Coast to attend a conference of an association of restoration contractors, all who expend a great deal of effort to garner market share of insurance claims adjuster business.
From the airport, I shared a shuttle ride with one of their members. “Segments of our industry are down by 75 percent. I’ve never seen an economy like this,” he said. Nor have I.
I mentioned an earlier conversation I’d had with another vendor who told me he believed the insurance industry was “at war” with vendors. I had to agree but only in part.
There are certain insurers who want to dictate how much you’ll charge and how much profit you’ll make. There are ethical insurance companies who pay according to their promises and their policyholders don’t get caught in the middle. There are good adjusters to work with who understand business, fair pricing and profit.
What you need to do, as a restoration contractor, is be choosy about whom you work with. You are in business to make money, and you can make decisions on how you will accomplish your goals. There are plenty of players in the insurance claims business, and with the right marketing and business plan in place, you can get work from the best ones.
Just like in any industry, there are those we should work with and those we should not.
Peter Crosa has been a licensed independent adjuster for more than 35 years, handling insurance claims throughout the United States and Latin America. Since 2000, he has traveled across the country conducting seminars and speeches on the topic of marketing restoration services to the insurance claims industry. He is author of the 2013 Restoration Contractors Guide to Insurance Repair. Visit his website at www.SSHCA.net or e-mail him at Peter@SSHCA.net to ask a question.
