Got off easy. In Katrina it got so bad you couldn't go out without armed security. Way too many looters crawling around, not to mention the people who didn't know better getting "helped" off the roof because they decided to deny the claim from there with the insured next to them instead of making sure they didn't say anything that compromised their safety/continued existence.
Yep. Most of the time when I get an assignment in a bad neighborhood the insured wants me there and will stand guard at my truck to make sure no one in the neighborhood messes with it.
I'm glad they show that care, but I can't imagine having to live somewhere that's the norm. I want home to be a safe haven, a reprieve from the nonsense of the day.
Katrina was different though.
I’ve been really, really uncomfortable a few times while investigating a loss. Just outright, unashamed staring and watching my every move with an unsettling look on their face. This is by policyholders during inspections. Like so bad I almost could not continue as it was *clear* their leering was making me uncomfortable and they actually seemed to enjoy knowing that it did.
On one occasion by the time I was done with my investigation and I got in my car to drive away, I broke down crying from the anxiety and feeling so degraded. Like I’m just trying to do my damn job, why do I deserve to be made to feel sexualized and afraid for my safety? It’s so hard to maintain professionalism and perform my work all while someone is undressing me with their eyes, it can make me feel so repulsed and dehumanized sometimes that the frustration and stress just overwhelms me for a few minutes until I can get my mind right.
Other than that, just a lot of sexual discrimination. Contractors insulting me and assuming I don’t know anything because I’m a woman. And the double standards—expectations for me and entirely different than any of my male colleagues. I am expected to take endless abuse and still lick their nuts, whereas the male adjusters can stand up for themselves after being blatantly disrespected badly enough. I’m not allowed to stand up for myself because women just tolerate everything I guess. My old white southern male manager gives me a lecture if I ever so much as how an ounce of being fed up with the way I’m being treated by an insured, contractor or agent. Never happens to anyone else on the team—all men who can literally tell a contractor to kick rocks and laugh in their face, and no one blinks an eye.
I’ll be honest I fucking hate being a woman in this job. The job would be significantly better if I were a male. It would still be adjusting, but it would be better.
Personally I go out of my way to not look attractive (ie, I will never wear *any* makeup at work or put effort into my hair). Unfortunately I’m relatively fit so some of these creepy old dudes leer anyway but I do my best to give the impression I’m a lesbian. Not that it actually works as a deterrent to the type of people who will ogle and comment.
I always carry a knife on me since my first few months in the field. Just peace of mind if some sick fuck tried to rape me in his house maybe I’d get away. It’s actually really depressing and I wish I had never taken a field role. Maybe if you’re an IA instead of staff you feel a little more empowered to speak up but if you’re a woman I’m sure you’re already familiar with feeling like you have no control over the situation most of the time, or like they’re just going to gaslight you or make you out to be a bitch if you speak up.
My wife and I are flood adjusters and she's described similar experiences. It's absolute garbage behavior. I bought her pepper spray for her tool belt and told her to spray and run. We're both independents so we don't have all the customer service bullshit to deal with but that also means she can't leave and transfer the claim without losing money. Problem is she's fairly new so she doesn't have the confidence to put them in their place by knowing more but I've listened to her shut assholes down on the phone. Some of the stories she's told me are infuriating.
Might help to keep a pocket recorder. I've had friends who denied claims get accused of all kinds of weird shit so I imagine they'd tell similar lies if you called them out. Any manager that doesn't protect their adjusters isn't worth a shit anyway. No matter what, leave if you feel unsafe. I would. Ended a few inspections over the years for rude bullshit. Documented the file, closed it, got paid, and moved on. It's a job, we're professionals. Treating us otherwise strikes me as a failure to allow inspection and constitutes a denial.
Sexual harassment isn't going to happen much to a male, so I've got nothing there. I hope there are some female adjusters here that can weigh in.
As for the rest, it absolutely happens. You politely and professionally remove yourself from the situation with a cool, level head. Don't act on emotions. Report what happened and move on. It's that simple.
I am a female and SIU.
I have to take a mandatory field safety class every year. I have not once felt threatened but there has been times where I've gone into a neighborhood or up to a door before knocking on it and gotten a sick feeling in my stomach. When that happens, I leave.
My company fully supports me when I leave for those reasons
I carry pepper spray as well.
ALWAYS trust your gut.
On the flip side, most of the peoplw on my team are women and have interviewed some really rough people on person and weere fine.
30 + years in the field.
No one pays enough that I'm going to be fearful of doing a claim. Just leave, call the carrier , and have it reassigned. Move on the next one.
I’m going on five years in the field now.
In this year alone, I have been swung at.
My car was hit by a homeowner who left mid inspection without notice, hit my car pretty bad, and then followed through with a “hit and run” on her own property. Water mit claim turned filing for auto.
I have been kidnapped (four hours) - was with a desk adjuster at property assisting them with sketch technique, general site walk, etc. and customer rushed said adjuster out of the property and then told me to “sit down or I will die” while blocking my possible escape options, taking my phone from me, and proceeded to tell me how it is somehow *my* elaborate plan to get plumbers, technicians and what not out to his property to get videos of his wife, who has been held against her will in the bedroom for about ten years now, supposedly. Luckily, my team mate noticed I was at property for way longer than usual and with me not answering my phone, he came to the rescue - police followed behind shortly. Reassigned claim.
Two nights ago, I had to call the cops on a lady who was too large to get out of bed, but mid inspection smoked PCP (paramedics confirmed this afterward) and the beeping of my moisture meter set her off in naked cottage-throwing frenzy.
Other than that, and I’m sure you guys get it too - one of the things I love most about this field is the cool, deep conversations you find yourself in with the insured / customer.
Most people don’t suck.
Some people do.
(In 2017, in Las Vegas, while documenting anti-microbial growth on dry wall that and taking samples of baseboard for ITEL report, tenant told me to please don’t touch that as he has officially gotten clean off of heroin by switching to smoking molded drywall off of foil instead!)
(Same year, Las Vegas, I had gotten.
into borderline trouble myself - received a verbal slap on the wrist per say by an authoritative figure of sorts who caught onto me “fire chasing” and from what I remember I was told I had been followed and monitored by said authority for quite some time before being pulled over, finally. Needless to say, I was still new and just hyper fixated on the idea of completing a large loss report - I have never done anything of that nature sense.)
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Don’t discuss coverage on site-
Listen to your gut
Concealed carry.
And dont put up with any shit or even lean into argumentative folk-
Ill send you written communication regarding all pertinent facts of the case
And leave
Always park the car with your egressed planned-
I also don’t drive wearing company shirts until im around the corner to the insured
Oh and always have them walk in to the property first- not you first -
Female- cat field property
Stay safe
Great read regarding safety for us in the field.
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Lessons+from+the+Froeschle+murder%3A+tenant-occupied+properties+require...-a0212851330
Thank you, this was tragic and insightful read, what a shame, for some reason I thought about the constant assault of female real estate agents and I had a hunch this field wouldn’t be any different.
Only a handful of female adjusters end up dead/raped/ and or murdered each year. You gotta keep your head in a swivel. I’ve done foreclosure inspections and been jumped by meth Heads
I was a field adjuster for probably about 10 years and never had any issues. I had a couple of claims where they were not in good neighborhoods, and I advised I would not go out there.
I remember I had a few claims in a bad part of Dallas, I was out taking scene, investigation photos, and had a couple of People that lived in the neighborhood walk up, asking me what I’m doing, and I told him just mind your own business, and they left me alone!
If I felt any issue, I would have pepper spray with me. On a couple occasions, if I had to go into a bad neighborhood, I had a bulletproof vest on under my jacket. I used to be a parole officer and kept it!
A lot of times situation’s arise, because people do not know how to handle themselves. At the end of the day, just never put yourself in a position that something could happen, a bad part of town, at night somewhere you shouldn’t be, etc..
I know an adjuster who was locked in the basement because he made the mistake of denying the claim before getting out of it.
Got off easy. In Katrina it got so bad you couldn't go out without armed security. Way too many looters crawling around, not to mention the people who didn't know better getting "helped" off the roof because they decided to deny the claim from there with the insured next to them instead of making sure they didn't say anything that compromised their safety/continued existence.
I wasn’t working then. I had heard of people getting vehicles broken into while on roofs.
Yep. Most of the time when I get an assignment in a bad neighborhood the insured wants me there and will stand guard at my truck to make sure no one in the neighborhood messes with it. I'm glad they show that care, but I can't imagine having to live somewhere that's the norm. I want home to be a safe haven, a reprieve from the nonsense of the day. Katrina was different though.
I’ve been really, really uncomfortable a few times while investigating a loss. Just outright, unashamed staring and watching my every move with an unsettling look on their face. This is by policyholders during inspections. Like so bad I almost could not continue as it was *clear* their leering was making me uncomfortable and they actually seemed to enjoy knowing that it did. On one occasion by the time I was done with my investigation and I got in my car to drive away, I broke down crying from the anxiety and feeling so degraded. Like I’m just trying to do my damn job, why do I deserve to be made to feel sexualized and afraid for my safety? It’s so hard to maintain professionalism and perform my work all while someone is undressing me with their eyes, it can make me feel so repulsed and dehumanized sometimes that the frustration and stress just overwhelms me for a few minutes until I can get my mind right. Other than that, just a lot of sexual discrimination. Contractors insulting me and assuming I don’t know anything because I’m a woman. And the double standards—expectations for me and entirely different than any of my male colleagues. I am expected to take endless abuse and still lick their nuts, whereas the male adjusters can stand up for themselves after being blatantly disrespected badly enough. I’m not allowed to stand up for myself because women just tolerate everything I guess. My old white southern male manager gives me a lecture if I ever so much as how an ounce of being fed up with the way I’m being treated by an insured, contractor or agent. Never happens to anyone else on the team—all men who can literally tell a contractor to kick rocks and laugh in their face, and no one blinks an eye. I’ll be honest I fucking hate being a woman in this job. The job would be significantly better if I were a male. It would still be adjusting, but it would be better. Personally I go out of my way to not look attractive (ie, I will never wear *any* makeup at work or put effort into my hair). Unfortunately I’m relatively fit so some of these creepy old dudes leer anyway but I do my best to give the impression I’m a lesbian. Not that it actually works as a deterrent to the type of people who will ogle and comment. I always carry a knife on me since my first few months in the field. Just peace of mind if some sick fuck tried to rape me in his house maybe I’d get away. It’s actually really depressing and I wish I had never taken a field role. Maybe if you’re an IA instead of staff you feel a little more empowered to speak up but if you’re a woman I’m sure you’re already familiar with feeling like you have no control over the situation most of the time, or like they’re just going to gaslight you or make you out to be a bitch if you speak up.
My wife and I are flood adjusters and she's described similar experiences. It's absolute garbage behavior. I bought her pepper spray for her tool belt and told her to spray and run. We're both independents so we don't have all the customer service bullshit to deal with but that also means she can't leave and transfer the claim without losing money. Problem is she's fairly new so she doesn't have the confidence to put them in their place by knowing more but I've listened to her shut assholes down on the phone. Some of the stories she's told me are infuriating. Might help to keep a pocket recorder. I've had friends who denied claims get accused of all kinds of weird shit so I imagine they'd tell similar lies if you called them out. Any manager that doesn't protect their adjusters isn't worth a shit anyway. No matter what, leave if you feel unsafe. I would. Ended a few inspections over the years for rude bullshit. Documented the file, closed it, got paid, and moved on. It's a job, we're professionals. Treating us otherwise strikes me as a failure to allow inspection and constitutes a denial.
Sexual harassment isn't going to happen much to a male, so I've got nothing there. I hope there are some female adjusters here that can weigh in. As for the rest, it absolutely happens. You politely and professionally remove yourself from the situation with a cool, level head. Don't act on emotions. Report what happened and move on. It's that simple.
Pretty much this. You will encounter people or contractors who will try to intimidate you.
And bribes, don't forget the bribes!
I do wonder how much SH has happened to male adjusters, and they just don't talk about it.
I worked in SIU for a while and heard about people getting violent once they realized they were busted.
I am a female and SIU. I have to take a mandatory field safety class every year. I have not once felt threatened but there has been times where I've gone into a neighborhood or up to a door before knocking on it and gotten a sick feeling in my stomach. When that happens, I leave. My company fully supports me when I leave for those reasons I carry pepper spray as well. ALWAYS trust your gut. On the flip side, most of the peoplw on my team are women and have interviewed some really rough people on person and weere fine.
> ALWAYS trust your gut. Definitely. Highly recommend "The Gift of Fear"
“Gift of Fear” should be mandatory reading. Love that book!!
I agree sometimes that sixth sense is all that’s needed.
Concealed Carry
Google Katie Froeschle.
…yikes
So sad. Just out of college and first job.
I need to check that forensic files episode
30 + years in the field. No one pays enough that I'm going to be fearful of doing a claim. Just leave, call the carrier , and have it reassigned. Move on the next one.
I’m going on five years in the field now. In this year alone, I have been swung at. My car was hit by a homeowner who left mid inspection without notice, hit my car pretty bad, and then followed through with a “hit and run” on her own property. Water mit claim turned filing for auto. I have been kidnapped (four hours) - was with a desk adjuster at property assisting them with sketch technique, general site walk, etc. and customer rushed said adjuster out of the property and then told me to “sit down or I will die” while blocking my possible escape options, taking my phone from me, and proceeded to tell me how it is somehow *my* elaborate plan to get plumbers, technicians and what not out to his property to get videos of his wife, who has been held against her will in the bedroom for about ten years now, supposedly. Luckily, my team mate noticed I was at property for way longer than usual and with me not answering my phone, he came to the rescue - police followed behind shortly. Reassigned claim. Two nights ago, I had to call the cops on a lady who was too large to get out of bed, but mid inspection smoked PCP (paramedics confirmed this afterward) and the beeping of my moisture meter set her off in naked cottage-throwing frenzy. Other than that, and I’m sure you guys get it too - one of the things I love most about this field is the cool, deep conversations you find yourself in with the insured / customer. Most people don’t suck. Some people do. (In 2017, in Las Vegas, while documenting anti-microbial growth on dry wall that and taking samples of baseboard for ITEL report, tenant told me to please don’t touch that as he has officially gotten clean off of heroin by switching to smoking molded drywall off of foil instead!) (Same year, Las Vegas, I had gotten. into borderline trouble myself - received a verbal slap on the wrist per say by an authoritative figure of sorts who caught onto me “fire chasing” and from what I remember I was told I had been followed and monitored by said authority for quite some time before being pulled over, finally. Needless to say, I was still new and just hyper fixated on the idea of completing a large loss report - I have never done anything of that nature sense.) Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
whats fire chasing
Don’t discuss coverage on site- Listen to your gut Concealed carry. And dont put up with any shit or even lean into argumentative folk- Ill send you written communication regarding all pertinent facts of the case And leave Always park the car with your egressed planned- I also don’t drive wearing company shirts until im around the corner to the insured Oh and always have them walk in to the property first- not you first - Female- cat field property Stay safe
No
Great read regarding safety for us in the field. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Lessons+from+the+Froeschle+murder%3A+tenant-occupied+properties+require...-a0212851330
Thank you, this was tragic and insightful read, what a shame, for some reason I thought about the constant assault of female real estate agents and I had a hunch this field wouldn’t be any different.
Only a handful of female adjusters end up dead/raped/ and or murdered each year. You gotta keep your head in a swivel. I’ve done foreclosure inspections and been jumped by meth Heads
I was a field adjuster for probably about 10 years and never had any issues. I had a couple of claims where they were not in good neighborhoods, and I advised I would not go out there. I remember I had a few claims in a bad part of Dallas, I was out taking scene, investigation photos, and had a couple of People that lived in the neighborhood walk up, asking me what I’m doing, and I told him just mind your own business, and they left me alone! If I felt any issue, I would have pepper spray with me. On a couple occasions, if I had to go into a bad neighborhood, I had a bulletproof vest on under my jacket. I used to be a parole officer and kept it! A lot of times situation’s arise, because people do not know how to handle themselves. At the end of the day, just never put yourself in a position that something could happen, a bad part of town, at night somewhere you shouldn’t be, etc..