Whether you are novice catastrophe adjuster awaiting the firststorm of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season or a veteran liabilitylitigation examiner, there are certain traits the best in claimswill always exemplify. This list should hold no surprises for thededicated manager who has spent countless hours mentoring the nextrising leaders to take the helm. However, if your last performanceevaluation was not accompanied with a raise, or the independentclaim assignments have slowed to a trickle, you may want to takenote because one or more of these may be missing from your workproduct.

1 Integrity

Nothing establishes credibility like integrity. TheMerriam-Webster dictionary defines integrity as, “A firm adherenceto a code of especially moral or artistic values;incorruptibility.” Above all else, moral professionalism is thegreatest quality anyone in the insurance claims industry canpossess.

2 Customer Satisfaction

Unfortunately, in claims the reality is that an adjuster willfrequently have to deal with angry or impatient people. The abilityto understand an insured's frustration can calm many situations. Atop performing adjuster will thoroughly explain claim proceduresand determine the customer's expectations. This will be evident inthe accolade of consistently good QA reviews.

3 Timeliness

The quality of an adjuster's work coincides with that of theClaims Department. Together they are bound by statutory laws forhandling claims in a timely manner. Therefore, at each step of theclaim life cycle the adjuster's performance is measured. Topperformers will inevitably have the lowest times in making initialcontact, responding to communications, completing investigationsand submitting reports.

4 Estimating Accuracy

Damages must be accessed. The more proficient an adjuster is indetermining the value of damages, the better resolution for eachclaim. Accuracy can be the domino effect to integrity, customerservice, and ultimately lead to litigation.

5 Documentation

Top performing adjusters create a complete claim file. A claimmay take many twists and turns. Adjusters who logically organizetheir investigations and tell a story through their documentationwill always rise above those who do not.

6 Policy Knowledge

The policy is the very basis for which a claim can be made. Itis the contract for which the adjuster's services are requested.Top performing adjusters not only know the different types ofinsurance policies, but they can identify and apply the policycomponents in determining whether or not the cause of loss iscovered.

7 Critical Thinking

Each claim poses a different set of obstacles and each insuredhas a varying degree of claims understanding. Being able to applycritical thinking in any claims circumstance will contribute to theadjuster being a top performer.

8 Communication

An adjuster deals with people from many different socioeconomicbackgrounds. Top performers effectively and consistentlycommunicate with all parties to a claim.

9 Negotiation

Many may take the title “Adjuster” for granted or may not reallyunderstand what it means. Top performers know that their efforts tosettle a loss will be contingent upon their ability to negotiatebetween the demands of each party and the facts at hand. They willspend the time in conversation to get the information it takes toback up the facts.

10 Self Improvement

Adjusters who complete the bare minimum state CE requirementswill never rise to be top performers in the adjusting industry.Only those who love what they do and in turn want to do it bettereach day rise to the level of top performers. Not only can theyhandle criticism, they welcome it and consistently search out waysto improve.

Top performers consistently excel in a number of areas. Theyaren't afraid of failure because they learn from their mistakes andare constantly finding new ways to improve their performance.