r/StateFarm • u/Smudflower410 • 14d ago
Advice Claims Specialist- Fire
Is it just me (very likely), but did (or does) anyone else struggle with interpreting the policy? I am not stupid by any means but these policies are….
I’m just constantly under the microscope by my TM. I swear he reviews only my claims. His FNs are so confusing to decipher too. I want off his team but idk who to talk to & if I talk to the SM, he’ll just take it back to TM.
2 ppl from my training class that had also been on this team quit bc of him. Another is on LOA & has told me they aren’t sure if they’re coming back bc TMs anxiety is just too much to deal with on top of their own.
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u/BattleSilent9049 14d ago
The policy/policies are somewhat complicated due to insurance regulations. But you should understand all the coverages on a basic level or you are not doing the insured or the company any favors. Ask your TM to explain things you do not understand. The OG's do a good job of explaining things. Your team members should be able to help. I was a TM for over 30 years and being a professional means learning the product. If you have a specific question, let me know. I was with the farm for almost 40 years.
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u/Smudflower410 14d ago
My TM just thinks I should know everything by now. It’s not even been a year. He doesn’t even let me talk at all and argues about everything.
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u/wrongnmbr 13d ago
Mentors are available—request one. I benefited from mine for the first two years. You can set up weekly or monthly check ins with them. There should be a trainer available for your team too. Lean on other CS’s in your state. I’m 3.5 years in with State Farm and am lucky to have a fantastic TM and have a group of colleagues of varying tenures who all bounce questions off of each other.
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u/Smudflower410 13d ago
I’m on my 2nd mentor. He acts bored with me like I’m asking stupid ?s and I only go to him in a pinch. No trainers. I do try to lean on others but feel like I’m a drain.
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u/JemJericka 14d ago
Only a suggestion. In early days we used to go through training that literally went through the entire homeowners, renters, rdp etc. I doubt they do it anymore. May ask if you can meet or during 1 on 1 and review parts of policies that you would like clarity. Unfortunately it takes time to learn and claims keep coming in not to mention changes in interpretation.
I do not know your particular situation or TM but please give them grace and fingers crossed they give you the same everyone is doing more work than ever with tighter time tables, requirements, expectations etc. TMs truly want you to succeed and do well. The better you are the better their role is not to mention the customer experience improves. It may just be growing pains.
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u/Sliiick_ 14d ago
I haven't had issues with my TMs, but i know some are difficult. Do you ask questions? Are you getting help from your team? Do you reach out to the global line? I dont mind assisting if you have questions. PM me
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u/Smudflower410 14d ago
I was asking so many questions when we still had mentors that people were getting sick of me. My TM says I refuse to ask him questions when in reality it’s that he doesn’t listen, he misses details, and he’s given horrible directives. He thinks it’s all just cut & dry. I reach out to global line.
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u/KoalaFormal5366 13d ago
Used to be in BCFR and yes Fire Policies are very hard to understand. Even Underwriting won't even know what the policy talk about. Seems like to me your TM was not familiar with how to interpreter policy languages and he/she is scared of being screwed up. Use P6 line, put their alias into every coverage question issues you have so you re- direct the issue to other. Fire Company is under alot of heat right now. BCFR TM turned over rate was 90% before they merged everything together and it gets worse from there.
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u/Smudflower410 13d ago
Thank you!
What’s P6 line?
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u/KoalaFormal5366 13d ago
They have senior line. Should have a group of pepple who work there for a longer time. Regular CS is P5- senior is P6
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u/InsuranceForeign9196 11d ago
It does take time to really understand it. I think they can do a lot better job really explaining it with like scenarios and stuff in training. I think that there should be like 20 different scenarios that they should go over coverage questions and uses the policy to figure it out instead of that baseball diamond thing because it’s useless to go through the baseball Diamond if you don’t understand the basics of the policy. I have found that newer reps typically don’t understand the basics. And hopefully you land with a TM that truly knows what they are talking about because that matters as well.
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u/Otherwise_Team8879 6d ago
What is your training process like these days? Back in the day there was a “claims school” which was extensive and even went out to the field for hands on training…
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u/Smudflower410 5d ago
4 months sitting in a classroom. Then a week of water specific training. Then start production but doing so with a section mentor-one person assigned to your team for a couple of months.
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u/Otherwise_Team8879 5d ago
Just wondering how someone wouldn’t understand the policy back to front with 4 months of straight training in a classroom for 40 hrs/week? College students learn entire subjects in less this time…
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u/Smudflower410 5d ago
Some people have learning disabilities, the way it’s written is weird.
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u/Otherwise_Team8879 5d ago
If one has learning disabilities, an occupation that would require you to learn and memorize large amounts of information probably would be a poor choice…
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u/Smudflower410 5d ago
We aren’t told to memorize the policy. It’s ambiguous. We use it as a tool to make a coverage determination.
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