American Modern makes training an art
The insurer takes the mystery out of the adjusting process by equipping professionals with the knowledge they need.
Stepping into the American Modern Insurance Group training facility in Amelia, Ohio, is like venturing into Santa’s workshop for insurance adjusters. What started as a 10,000 square foot training center has expanded into 50,000 square feet, encompassing all aspects of building construction, classic autos, motorcycles, watercraft and the latest in-home IoT technology.
“American Modern provides adjusters with 5-6 weeks of initial training, including two weeks in the training facility,” explains Dale Medley, manager, learning and development for American Modern Insurance Group. “They spend one week in the manufactured home and one week with on-site build training.”
In addition, adjusters also have the opportunity to develop mentoring relationships with multiple experts. “They work in the field for a year and then return for additional supplemental training addressing more complicated claims,” adds Medley. “That’s how they learn how to adjust enhanced or more complex smoke and water claims.”
The benefit for the adjusters, beyond an in-depth education in multiple lines of insurance, is that their trainers have an adjusting background with real-world experience in the areas they’re teaching. The entire industry benefits because raising the knowledge bar improves the process for insurers and policyholders. American Modern also uses the facility to help train adjusters for other carriers.
Going to adjuster school
Since water losses and floods affect homes comprising various building materials, the American Modern facility has a manufactured, single-wide home. Medley says that 40-50% of the claims they handle are for manufactured homes with a metal roof, so the structure is an important aspect of their training facility. “Adjusters need to know the parts and pieces of these homes, how they are put together and how they differ from a traditional home,” he says. Manufactured homes are constructed in a factory and assembled at a building site.
American Modern also offers a one-day commercial roof-training course, which educates adjusters about the roofing materials that could be encountered on a claim. There are four different types of roof sections to help teach adjusters how to identify the damage, what caused it and what repairs are needed.
In the flood house, adjusters receive hands-on training so they can understand the principles of drying building materials and how the process works. They get to flood the house — the floors, walls and ceilings — and then the adjusters can see what it takes to dry the structure. Fire and smoke damage claims are handled the same way — they smoke up the house so adjusters can see how smoke travels throughout a house.
There is also a roofing module complete with a fake tree that can be dropped on a roof so adjusters can see whether to repair or replace the roof. “We want the adjusters to be confident in the process and what needs to be done,” shares Medley. The company replaces 350,000 squares of roofing each year for policyholders, so having knowledgeable adjusters is critical.
Training doesn’t stop at the walls and roofs but also includes what’s behind them. Adjusters also can look inside the walls to see the electrical and plumbing systems and how they run. There is also training on the HVAC and furnace systems as well.
A two-story “smart house” is used by American Modern to test different types of home technology — everything from smart lights, locks and outlets, to water sensors and even devices for people with special needs. Shannon Lewandowski is the innovation consultant and part of the innovation and digital team at American Modern Insurance Group, and shares that the company uses the house to determine what the various devices can do.
“We did a water test program to see how long it would take our technology to identify a water leak,” says Lewandowski. “We simulated a burst pipe and had sensors all over the house to test their effectiveness. The one behind the kitchen cabinets on the floor was the first one to go off.”
Lewandowski says there were 415 gallons of water in the house, which caused $5,000 worth of damage. Had the leak been caught sooner, it would only have caused about $1,000 in damage. They’re using their findings to educate adjusters and consumers on where to place sensors so they’re most effective.
American Modern has also discovered that this technology can be especially useful to people with special needs, allowing them to live on their own safely but still be warned if there is a leak or some other issue with their home before it becomes a major problem.
The house also has a garage built to the Fortified gold construction standard. “It’s all about wind and hail resistance details Medley. “The seams are taped and the studs are built closer together. It’s built to withstand weather and we wanted the adjusters to understand the difference so they know when they are in a Fortified house.”
The two-story house has cutouts so adjusters can see the different types of insulation that can be found in a home, the deck comprises a variety of materials, and a fence module actually helps train adjusters on the types of fence materials they might encounter. “We’ll also have mailboxes added to the module for crashes that take out a fence and a mailbox,” shares Medley.
Training doesn’t just focus on structures. The facility provides experience on how to adjust motorcycles, classic cars and even motorhomes. Adjusters who come in for training on motorcycles actually take a bike apart and put it back together again. American Modern employees have also combined their expertise to restore several classic vehicles for valuable hands-on experience.
In a time when many insurers are cutting back on training for adjusters, American Modern Insurance Group is expanding their efforts to equip their adjusters for the areas they are specializing in so they are confident and knowledgeable. “We want our adjusters to see all of the damage the first time and adjust the claim correctly and fairly, so it can be repaired the right way,” concludes Medley.
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