It’s not uncommon to see job postings for insurance adjusters include desired skills such as fast worker or excellent multitasker. With so many boxes to check on any given claim, most adjusters believe they need to complete three tasks at once to stay on track. However, this approach often leads to time-consuming errors that can delay the claim. If adjusters take a single-task approach, they can usually complete their claims faster with fewer mistakes.
What is Singletasking?
Instead of trying to perform several tasks at once, adjusters tend to be more effective if they focus all their efforts on completing one task before starting another. Avoiding distractions is vital as it allows adjusters to seamlessly flow from one step to the next without losing track of where they were in the claims process or forgetting to complete a different task because they began a new one halfway through.
How to Speed Up the Claim Cycle
The following are several ways adjusters can remove distractions for flawless claims workflow:
- Turn off all devices that require active listening—no television, no radio, no podcasts or audiobooks, etc. While some tasks may be tedious, active listening distracts adjusters’ attention, which can lead to errors.
- Set office hours and stick to them. Otherwise, adjusters should turn off their phones and allow messages to go to voicemail. Stopping to answer the phone every 10-15 minutes can derail progress on a claim.
- Do not check emails. Emails are notorious for consuming the workday. Adjusters often start with good intentions—checking for updates and the like—but a five-minute once-over can turn into upward of an hour of clearing out spam or replying to emails out of habit rather than to advance any claims. Set specific times of day for checking emails to avoid the temptation.
- Perform work in batches. When following up on claims, stack them in a pile and work through them from top to bottom. Do not take calls or listen to other voicemails at that time. This creates confusion and can result in accidentally overlooking a claim. The same is true for emails or writing estimates.
- Put up “Do Not Disturb” signs. This is especially vital when traveling for claims. Housekeeping for hotels coming and going can disrupt workflow, as can well-intentioned friendly coworkers dropping by to chat before heading out to their next claim.
Closing claims faster and with fewer errors improves an insurer’s bottom line while boosting customer satisfaction. To learn more about improving claims processing and management, contact the experts at Actec.
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