What does it take to be a great catastrophe adjuster? It can be summed up in three words: compassion, ability and training, or CAT for short.

Great CAT adjusters have compassion, which transcends simply caring about the victims of a catastrophe, and they are willing to walk in the moccasins of their claimants. How do they do this? By demonstrating empathy for their policyholders, taking the time to get to know them and setting the tone for the entire process. Empathy and respect don't stop at the initial inspection, they must be carried through the life of the claim.

The old adage, "try to make a good first impression," is never more important than in the claims process. These first minutes may be spent walking the site with the policyholder, taking a moment to check out (again) the size of the hailstone they kept in their freezer, listening to a flood victim tell you (again) that it never floods on her street, or just discussing the loss and explaining to the homeowner how the claims process works one more time. All of these scenarios may be just another day on the job for a CAT adjuster, but they are something entirely different in the world of the insured.