Five Character Traits of the Successful Catastrophe Adjuster

Five Character Traits of the Successful Catastrophe Adjuster

By Gene Strother

I recently engaged in the following conversation with a former colleague from another industry.

“So, what’s it like to be a catastrophe adjuster?” he asked.

“It’s like everything else,” I answered. “You have to work at it to make it work.

“Yeah, but what’s it like dealing with those storms and all that devastation.

“It’s like nothing else. Few things I can think of, other than soldiers going into the fog of battle compare to arriving on site after a major catastrophe. Nature has torn itself to shreds and everything else with it. People are devastated, frightened, suspicious, angry, needing someone to blame. It is a tough, tough environment.”

“Why would anyone do it? For the money, I guess?”

“Well, yeah. The money can be incredible. I call it. ‘The best bang-for-buck business in America.’ By that, I mean that in any other career I can think of, to have the kind of earning potential a successful claims adjuster enjoys, you have to spend $100,000 or more on an education. Most adjusters spend less than $5,000 on theirs. Some of them spend a lot less than that.”

“So, I know the money part has been a game-changer for you but you come from a ministry background and I know you are about more than money.”

“So is this business. It is about meeting people during perhaps the most devastating ordeal of their lives and helping them navigate it. It is about empathy and kindness. It is about caring for people, even when you have to deny their claim or some portion of it. That is what really makes it a life and not just a living.”

He paused.

“Yeah, I get that. What else?”

So, I showed him the following picture.

I said, “When I was managing storms, I did a daily newsletter to the adjusters. As part of that, I ran a contest for the best photos they took during their investigations. One adjuster, a guy with a background even crazier than mine, a Hollywood stunt double, sent me some of the best photos, including this one.”

He laughed.

“What am I looking at???” he asked.

“Exactly,” I replied. “You see surreal things in the aftermath of a catastrophic event. If you didn’t have a camera to snap the photo as proof, no one would believe you. Another adjuster sent me this photo and labeled it, “Now, where did he go?”

More laughing.

“That’s crazy, man.”

But then he said, “I am nearing retirement. What if I said I wanted to pursue adjusting as my retirement job? Couldn’t I work the storms and then enjoy my downtime?”

“Many have and do,” I replied. “Plenty of military people who got their 20 years in, who were still young enough and in good enough shape to work have made great second careers of catastrophe adjusting. You could do that. You are plenty capable.”

“But, Gene, what makes a good adjuster? I mean, what traits make one adjuster stand out from another?”

I gave him my initial answer and have since had time to craft a more complete assessment.

Following are character traits important to the adjuster’s success.

An Open Mind

This is an ever-changing world. Technological advances and moral dilemmas abound. One can overwhelm you with petrifying fear and the other burden you with guilt. 

The best advice I can give is this:

1. Keep an open mind. Do not shut down when you are forced to learn new technologies or methods.
2. Do not violate your own conscience. It can be easy to think you are being asked to do something you do not believe in but give it a thorough investigation. Put it to the test. Get the opinions and perspectives of others before you either violate your conscience for a buck or trip over a trifle. 

There is almost always a way forward when your mind is open to new ideas and information.

A Teachable Spirit

I like words and phrases. I often quote the ones that strike me as repeatable and valuable. Sometimes, I land on one myself. I did this one and I have repeated it many times through the years: “When you know everything, you can’t learn anything.”

Two things are true here:

1. Nobody likes a know-it-all. You think you are impressing people by always being the authority on every subject, but you are not. You are driving a wedge, creating a chasm, and behind the nod and thin smile of your counterparts are rolling eyes.
2. Nobody is a know-it-all. They only think they are.

Have a teachable spirit.

Bruce Lee said, “A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”

A wise man can learn from anyone, even a fool. A fool cannot learn from anyone, even the wise.

An Empathetic Heart

If you lack the ability to empathize, find another career. This one is not for you. Remember that empathy is not sympathy. Empathy is not feeling sorry for someone. Empathy is putting yourself in their shoes.

Sympathy is looking at a problem from the outside in. Empathy is looking at a problem from the inside out.

Sometimes, you have to empathize and still deny the claim. There is no coverage for the loss for whatever reason – maybe an exclusion in the policy or it is not a covered loss in their policy. These can be difficult waters to navigate. The insured may become angry or disappointed. Accusations or epithets may fly. Remembering their position and stress points will help you to avoid confrontational conflict that may prove disastrous.

A Rigid Backbone

Remember the jingle your Mom sang to you?

The head bone’s connected to the neckbone, the neckbone’s connected to the backbone…and so on.

You need a backbone to be an adjuster, which means an iron will. You need the strength to stand on principle and policy. Whether it makes you the insured’s best friend or they curse the day you were born, you need backbone to stand up for what is right, no matter its popularity or consequences.

A Strong Back

By this, I mean the strength of will, not physical strength. I mean stamina, endurance – a get-up-and-go-and-keep-going mentality. I mean putting in the hard work because catastrophe adjusting is just that. It’s not for the lazy or faint-hearted. 

 

My friend is still considering whether this is the right path for him. Perhaps you are, as well. If you need guidance, good advice, or a roadmap forward, contact us today at adjusterservices@midamcat.com or email me directly at gene@adjust-u.com 

Here’s to your success!

May 1, 2025