Why?

While I am working at my new job I have noted a few different things lately:
(for those that do not know I am a claims adjuster for homes, motorcycles and RV's and well darn near anything really)

1. When you are expecting a person to come to your home, it is customary to at least make a path through your home for me to walk. Honestly I dont care that your home is a mess, my home is usually a mess because I work a lot and have no time to clean it but I can at least walk through it.

2. If you have a claim, and have a crappy memory try writing down the events as they occur. Telling me fifty different versions of what happened is going to confuse me and by getting mad at me for asking you twenty of the same questions in ten different ways in order to clarify things is not going to help the problem.

3. If you have a pipe break, and I call you and tell you to clean up the water, you do not need to let the water stay on the floor so I can see it for myself. I know what happens when a pipe breaks. I am not an idiot, I have been doing this for years. If you do not mitigate your damages, I will not pay for the additional damages because you are too lazy to clean it up!!

4. If someone breaks into your home and steals something, it is very customary to CALL THE POLICE. Just because you dont want to bother them, does not mean you dont need to call them. It is important to call them because it says in your contract that YOU signed that you will contact them. If you do not contact them, I may not pay your claim.

5. When you are in an accident with another vehicle, pull over and call the police, I dont care if the other person left the scene, I dont care if you are ten minutes away from home. you need to pull over and get a report. Otherwise I am going to assume you probably hit and ran someone and may decide you are at fault and code the accident with you being more at fault. And if you read your contract I have that right because you didnt hold up your end of the bargain.

6. Read your contract. I do not decline your claim because I feel vengeful. I do it because there is no coverage. Or because it specifically states that it is not covered. I am not a hateful person. It is easier for me to write out a check to you then it is for me to tell you it's not covered, then go home and tell my supervisor that I need to decline a claim and write a long friggin decline letter out and send it to you. It's a pain in my rear to decline a claim. it's easy for me to write a check.

7. If you have questions ask them. do not assume anything. assuming does one thing, makes you look stupid. I have been doing this for years and I STILL ask questions. I read contracts every day and ask questions. I am not perfect and I may make a mistake, I expect that you may possibly do so as well. But dont always assume that I am stupid because I need to step out to my car and read your policy. I am not the book o'knowledge. My company has over 400 contracts, it is not possible for me to memorize every single one of them.

8. Lock up your darn dogs. I cannot tell you how many times I drive up to a house (usually a mobile home in the middle of BFE) and they have a dog running around outside and I cannot access the house because their dog is running around loose outside barking up a storm possibly wanting to eat my left leg for lunch. I am not dinner, please lock up your dog.