Russ Dawson has the best job in the world
Date: 1/11/2005Contact: Joan Barrett/800-690-0070
‘I always thought that being an insurance adjuster was the best job in the world. For being free of a desk, for the human interaction…it was great!” Clearly a people person, Russ Dawson’s eyes light up as he sells his belief in the ‘best job in the world’, but he gets a little pensive as he admits that technology has relegated the personal contact to emails and voice mails. “The computer is a marvelous thing,” he allows, “but it has robbed us of some of the humanity that was such a big part of doing an exceptional job before all this technology.”
Russ’ employers, just three in a long history of employment in the insurance industry, must have believed he was doing an exceptional job because he did the leaving of the two previous carrier jobs for the eighteen year (so far) stint with the independent adjusting firm, The George Hills Company.
The George Hills Company is doing well, has recently opened a Southern California office and Russ feels that they are well-positioned to weather the current cycle of low insurance claims volume. When claims volume is down the first thing the management does is to cut out the Independent Adjuster assignments according to him, and allows it is one of the few costs that carriers can control. Russ has cut his own hours by choice and turned over his managerial duties to the very capable Randy Rendig.
Russ feels that there are a few changes he would make that would improve the world if he ran things: He would change the way that punitive damages are distributed…not to the plaintiff and attorneys, but to charity. He would eliminate lawsuits by uninsured motorists and says that Proposition 213 made some strides in that direction. And last, but not least, he would have the plaintiff’s attorney pay in unsuccessful lawsuits- not the plaintiff to cut down the number of frivolous lawsuits. “I think there’s a lack of loyalty now, on the company’s part toward the employees and because of that, no loyalty by the employees for the companies.” “Now it seems that it’s about numbers, not ability”. He went on “There doesn’t seem to be a reward for the exceptional adjuster and I think the lack of training has a lot to do with that. Even with all the enthusiasm in the world, a person can’t do the job well without training.”
Our industry has been fortunate to have Russ Dawson as it’s enthusiastic supporter. Even though there aren’t the rewards that there once were, Russ still feels that a field insurance adjuster has one of the great jobs available among today’s employment possibilities.