Anyone in business knows that you don’t do it for the entertainment. You do it for the independence, for the money, for reasons that only you may know. That's why you are an entrepreneur.

If someone would come along and have a solution to solve one of your problems, you would listen to him, and feel a sense of gratitude for someone who was able to take away some of your pain.

It doesn’t matter what the problem was; a problem is a problem, and if it is solved, you can move on to more important — and perhaps more lucrative — projects.

So for the next three months, in my Cleanfax Restoration Insider lead-in editorial, I’d like to touch on three specific adjuster frustrations (one at a time) that you may be able to “fix” for some of the adjusters you work with.

I asked Peter Crosa, an independent adjuster and a Cleanfax columnist, what the three top frustrations are for adjusters. The first he gave me was this:

When a vendor or policyholder deals with my client/supervisor simultaneously during the process of my handling their claim. It is not difficult for a policyholder or vendor to “play” me and the client/supervisor against each other. Granted, this is as much the client’s fault for allowing himself to get drawn in.  As for the vendor who does this, it’s unforgivable and won’t be forgotten.

When I heard that, I was surprised this was his top frustration, but after thinking about it, it made sense to me. Thinking back to my childhood, I often did this with my parents. You did, too… if you wanted something, you knew who to ask or you played them against each other.

The advice here this month is easy. Don’t do it. Realize that although you technically work for the insured, it’s the adjuster or insurance agent who the insured often goes to and listens to. Not every time, but most of the time.

Don’t alienate yourself from the adjuster who is willing to give you work. You will have a long-term relationship with him; for the insured, it may be a one-time job. Sure, you want to treat everyone as best you can, but you also have to cultivate working relationships that you hope last for years.

The adjusters you work with need to close claims and not have them piled up on their desk or taking up space on their calendars. If you create more work, more headaches or drama for them, they will find someone else to refer work.

Jeff Cross is the senior editor of Cleanfax magazine and the creator of Totally Booked University, a resource for carpet cleaning marketing and disaster restoration marketing workshops and seminars. He can be reached at jcross@ntpmedia.com.