"A woman can never be too rich, or too thin." That line was uttered by none other than Babe Paley, the icon of glamour, style and grace, whose (second) marriage to CBS founder William Paley put her at the pinnacle of New York (and even European) society from 1947 until her death in 1978. Sadly, her witty quote is, to this day, mistakenly attributed to Wallis Warfield Simpson, duchess of Windsor, a woman not only adept at stealing quotes, but also kings.
Babe could have said, "… can never be too rich, too thin, or too well educated," which would have provided me the perfect segue, for this tome is all about the value of continuing education for the claim professional. We all know how one can become "too rich" (you're born into money, you marry into money, or you earn it, aka, "self-made") and "too thin" (it's in the genes, in the diet, or, sometimes, in the liposuction). "Well educated" is a different, and in your case, often more difficult achievement. The opportunities are there, but too often, the resources are tightly held by corporate honchos who wear blinders when it comes to the value of efficient customer service through expedient claim handling.
If the last two hurricane seasons have taught us nothing else, they've certainly taught us the value of the claim adjustment processes and protocols. Cat teams have constantly stressed the "time is money" admonition in dealing with hurricane devastation. Fire losses and wind storm damage? Same thing!
A very good example of the excellent educational resources available to the claim adjuster community can be found by visiting our web site. Click on the recently updated educational directory, which is a compilation of the best resources for your continuing education endeavors.
And since you're already there, check out the listing under Claims Magazine to note that our 10th Annual ACE Claims Conference has been moved up to June 12-14 this year. Then go to americasclaimsevent.com to get all the details for this year's conference. And note that you get a $100 discount if you register by April 14.
You may be surprised to discover we're going to New Orleans. That's totally appropriate, since it's you claim professionals and Cat teams who are responsible for the recovery efforts moving forward now. Therefore, it's also appropriate for us to be among the first to return to the Crescent City, show our support for the ongoing renaissance, and experience an intensified learning curve that's sure to surpass any and all other efforts in the industry.
As the program says, we're at "A Time of Challenge. A Time for Change." Because of the unique challenges we now face, the program had to be fine-tuned to deliver the educational experiences you need most. You're guaranteed to learn new ways of decreasing costs and processing time, and as a result, increasing efficiency and the bottom line at your companies.
We've planned a special keynote address by Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu; a number of workshops to help you hone your adjusting skills; thought-provoking general sessions to help you meet the challenges of tomorrow; numerous breakout sessions focusing on People, Processes, and Technology; and an exhibition hall filled with various service providers who can help you fulfill your commitments to your insureds.
All in all, you might go home a little thinner as a result of the nonstop three days of activities, with the potential for increased riches for your companies, and definitely with the sense of satisfaction of having become better educated.
Do Babe Paley proud, or if you insist, the duchess. And may they both rest in peace. The bottom line is you'll be doing yourselves and your companies proud. And there's nothing wrong with becoming a legend in your own mind.
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