“In 40 years of claim adjusting, from staff adjuster for a regional company to consultant to a global leader, I have met only one public adjuster [who] did his job properly by guiding and advising his client to a successful, timely, and agreeable settlement. The others have only preyed upon the loss victim, or more rarely conspired with them, to the detriment of all concerned.”

That may seem harsh, but there are always two sides to every story. Let's look at a comment left from another reader who articulates a much different viewpoint.

“[Insurance adjusters] are supposed to explain the policy and the insured's entitlements. In 38 years, I have only heard of that happening … three times. The reason is normally both the ignorance of the poorly trained adjuster, the time factor he has, or [it is] deliberate. There are indeed bad and perhaps crooked public adjusters out there, but in my experience there are many more, percentage-wise, as bad if not worse acting for the insurer.”

Listening to the opinions of your b?te noire with an open mind can be elucidating for everyone. In today's society, one in which you are either liberal or conservative, Team Colbert or Team Limbaugh, I would venture to say that most adjusting professionals know that public adjusters have value in certain situations, as evidenced in another reader comment.

“Many insureds do not have the time, patience, or the ability to understand the complete insurance policy and all of its endorsements, while trying to run their businesses and/or run their busy lives while suffering a loss. I worked 25 years on the carrier side, and now 10 years as an advocate for our clients at an agency. I have an appreciation for both sides, and the insureds, carrier claim people, and any others who try to do what is fair for all parties.”

The bottom line is that the discussion between public and staff adjusters is an opportunity to learn what we're doing right as well as that on which we need to work. Without dialog and critique, we risk complacency. Let's hope others in the industry feel the same way. Saying, “Can't we all just get along?” is naive and ignores some of the real issues this portion of the industry faces. Respect for — and from — all of those in the industry would be a great starting point.