Imagine seeing the ad to the right in the classifiedssection of your daily newspaper. As outrageous as it sounds, thereis an element of truth to this job description. An adjuster must bea "jack of all trades," especially when handling catastropheclaims. They need to possess a broad range of knowledge and beskillful in interpersonal communication and negotiation.Adjusters may not be expected to be expert on all subjects, butthey are expected to know enough about various subjects to know whoto call for expert advice. The Institutes offer a variety ofcourses to assist adjusters with improving their knowledge andskills to more effectively handle claims.

Handling catastrophe-related claims is similar to handlingnon-catastrophe claims except that the extent of loss is morewidespread and the cause of loss may be complicated by externalfactors. For example, in the event of a hurricane, catastropheadjusters need to know the definition of "flood" and the differencebetween wind and water damage. A flood, as defined by the National FloodInsurance Program (NFIP), is "a general and temporary conditionof partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normallydry land area or of two or more properties." The NFIP is regulatedby the government, and catastrophe adjusters need to be familiarwith NFIP definitions and guidelines. The Institutes responded tothis need with the Associate in National Flood Insurance (ANFI(TM))designation. Designed for company underwriters, flood vendors, andinsurance and risk management professionals who need to be familiarwith flood insurance, this program reinforces the technical,practical flood insurance knowledge and skills needed toconfidently and accurately handle all aspects of flood insurancecoverage.

We all know that catastrophes are expensive. The catastrophe adjuster is oftenfaced with claims involving large amounts of money. It is importantfor the catastrophe adjuster to understand how his or her decisionswill affect the company's financial status. While the catastropheadjuster may not be expected to be the financial expert in thesituation, he or she will be expected to have some basicunderstanding of financial calculations. Every business decisioncan affect an organization's bottom line. That is why TheInstitutes developed the Insurance Financial Dynamics suite ofcourses. Designed for nonfinancial insurance professionals, thisinteractive learning tool presents a problem, teaches learners howto analyze the situation, and then shows the impact of theirdecisions. By learning key concepts of insurance financials,catastrophe adjusters will be more confident and better equipped tomanage claims.

In addition to providing expert claim handling service toinsureds, catastrophe adjusters need to possess exceptionalcustomer service skills. When dealing with people who have recentlysuffered a major loss, catastrophe adjusters need to be empatheticand understanding. Catastrophes cause both physical and emotionalloss. Think of the loss of a home, for example. A home providesshelter and security. While many of its contents can be physicallyreplaced, no amount of money can replace the sentimental value.Catastrophe adjusters need to possess excellent interpersonalcommunication skills to be able to deal with their customers in aprofessional manner while being sensitive to their emotional state.The Institutes offer the Associate in Insurance Services (AIS)program to help adjusters improve service quality through gainingan understanding of customer needs.

After a catastrophe, it is important to restore a sense ofnormalcy to people's lives as quickly as possible. Stores help tosupply towns with a tax base, jobs, and goods for residents. Thesooner that stores are back in business, the sooner people canreturn to work, access the supplies they need to rebuild, and startto feel normal again.

It is important for catastrophe adjusters to understand coverageissues related to businessowners policies so that businesses canreturn to normal as soon as possible. Mastering the BusinessownersPolicy (BOP) is a three-course online suite that provides ahigh-level review or an in-depth study of businessowners policies.The Institutes offer these courses to help claim adjusters andother insurance professionals develop a better understanding andanalysis of property, liability, optional, and additionalcoverages.

Catastrophe adjusting is not an easy role to perform. Adjustersmust be skillful at a variety of tasks, answer to manystakeholders, and often endure difficult living conditions.However, when equipped with the right skills and resources, the job ofcatastrophe adjuster can be very satisfying. As a catastropheadjuster, you know that you are helping people in their worst timeof need. Let The Institutes help you to help others.

Donna J. Popow, JD, CPCU, AIC, is senior director ofknowledge resources and ethics counsel for The Institutes in Malvern,Penn. The Institutes deliver proven knowledge solutions that drivepowerful business results for the risk management and P&Cinsurance industries. Ms. Popow is responsible for all aspects ofclaims education, including the Associate in Claims designationprogram and the Introduction to Claims course. She may be reachedat [email protected].