insurance adjusterIf you’re dealing with an insurance adjuster, it is likely that you are already having some sort of issue with your home, some damage that you cannot fix easily on your own or out of your pocket. You might need to window repair, roof replacement, or some other type of work. Dealing with an insurance adjuster can be, for some, a trying experience, but it is necessary to close out your claim successfully. Here are some tips to help you get through this trying time, and to help move you another step toward getting your home repaired.

BE HONEST

The most important thing when dealing with an insurance agent is to be completely honest with them. Answer their questions truthfully, and fully. If they ask you for information that you do not have, though, there is nothing wrong with telling that you don’t know. If they were to ask you for the loss date, the date on which the damage occurred, for example, and you don’t know it, there is nothing wrong with saying you’re not quite sure. Lying to an adjuster can have very real consequences, especially if you cross the line into insurance fraud. When dealing with your adjuster, it is in your best interest to be completely honest. This will help you to move your claim along swiftly and to your satisfaction. A good rule for dealing with an adjuster’s questions is to give only information you know for sure. Don’t speculate, don’t provide them with guesses, give them only answers that you’re sure of.

BE NICE

It’s understandable that an insurance adjuster might not be the top of your list of people you’d like to spend time with, but you have to remember that they are still a person. Dealing with a person, they’re more likely to be more pleasant to work with if you are pleasant to them first. They are there to be fair, and if you treat them well, the whole process will go much more smoothly. There is nothing to be gained in being rude to your adjuster; they are there to help you.

KEEP RECORDS

The adjuster is going to ask you for information. Your adjuster might ask for images of whatever damage is sustained. As with any interaction concerning money or property, it is in your best interest to keep records. Any paper given to you concerning your claim, you should keep in a folder. This will make it easy to keep track of the process and to keep all your information regarding your claim in one centralized location. The best thing for you to do is to remember that they’re going to help you to advance your claim and to treat them well. Being rude to them is going to get you nowhere, and as the old adage goes, ‘you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar’. Being kind to your adjuster will make the process that much smoother.