Study 4 - Communication Skills for Loss Adjusters

Question 1

What four things is human behaviour primarily conditioned by?

Answer 1

Cultural influences
Home and work environments
Education
Genetics

Question 2

What are the four personality types?

Answer 2

1) Passive emotions-based / people-oriented : ask for and need time for decisions, relate well to people, prefer 1-on-1.
2) Aggressive emotions-based / people-oriented : quick decisions, prefer to be in groups.
3) Aggressive control-oriented / task oriented : quick decisions, response is controlled & bottom line, intimidating & want things done quickly
4) Analytical passive : need time for decision, task & fact oriented, move slowly, careful & cautious

Question 3

What are the three different thoughts styles?

Answer 3

1) Visual : pictures, visual presentations, like images, charts and diagrams
2) Auditory : sound, hear it & talk about it, like discussion, interviews, lectures and audio recordings
3) Kinesthetic : combine thinking & physical, think & learn best when moving or can manipulate objects

Question 4

What does active listening require the adjuster to do?

Answer 4

• Listen to what is being said and show that he/she is doing so
• Interpret how the message is being conveyed, including processing non-verbal cues
• Ask for clarification and confirm that adjuster has understood correctly

Question 5

What does asking questions do?

Answer 5

• Shows interest
• Clarifies the problem
• Helps to define the facts
• Helps lead others to a solution

Question 6

What are some productive responses?

Answer 6

Encourage - Can you tell me more?
Clarify - Can you help me understand this?
Summarize - You are saying that..
Acknowledge - I can see that you seem to be angry
Solicit - How can we resolve this?
Validate - I can appreciate why you feel this way
Praise - Thank you for cooperating

Question 7

How can an adjuster help someone explain a story thoroughly?

Answer 7

• Clarifying questions, questions that allow them to continue, questions that change the direction
• Actively listening to sometimes return focus
• Control reactions
• Read between the lines, vocal expression, body language, non verbal responses; can stop, ask questions, feedback or be more aware

Question 8

What are some barriers to listening?

Answer 8

• Engaging in habituated responses
• Daydreams about other tasks
• Works out a reply before they have finished speaking
• Allows personal prejudice to rule how he/she reacts
• Feels anxious and loses concentration
• Behaves competitively and insists on dominating a conversation/being argumentative
• Refuses to accept what is being said
• Distracts the speaker by interrupting

Question 9

How can you improve oral communication?

Answer 9

• Reducing the effect of any noise distractions
• Speaking loudly enough to be heard
• Speaking clearly
• Using language the other person will relate to and words he or she will easily understand
• Using feedback skills to ensure understanding
• Considering tone of voice
• Matching body language to words
• Speaking more slowly when language is a barrier
• Hiring a translator when necessary

Question 10

What are the steps of memory and when it can be distorted?

Answer 10

• Information is received through the sense
• Information is sorted and stored in memory
• Information is needed in another context
• Information is located and decoded
• Decoded information is used

Question 11

What are some defence mechanisms people may use to recover from a painful or strong event?

Answer 11

• Blocking out painful thoughts by repressing the memory of the event that cause the pain
• Refusing to acknowledge events that caused them painful emotions
• Projecting their repressed feelings onto others
• Identifying with someone else’s feelings and accepting them as their own
• Displacing aggression by directing anger at an undeserving victim

Question 12

How may people under stress appear?

Answer 12

Well-informed, ill-informed, uninformed, polite, assertive, abusive or argumentative

Question 13

What are some examples of an emotional expression and how you could respond?

Answer 13

Directness, confidence -> Displaying strength

Indirect attacks -> Confronting indirectness

Aggressive outbursts -> Taking a break

Complaints and blame from insecurity -> Forming problem-solving alliance

Silent, unassertive person -> Allowing time

Ready agreement -> Emphasizing follow-through

Seeming knowledgeable, quick to act -> Referring to facts

Behaving indecisively -> Clarifying issues

Question 14

Outline some body language that people may use

Answer 14

Smiling, moving in rhythm with other party
Avoiding eye contact
Reddening skin
Squinting eyes and frowning
Gazing into the distance
Maintaining piercing eye contact
Turns the head slightly to one side as though listening hard
Nodding while listening
Leaning in or coming closer
Turning away or leaning back further in chair
Moving side to side, shifting body weight
Opening arms
Changing from open to crossed over chest
Opening palms
Touching nose, chin, ear, arm or clothing
Sitting with legs uncrossed, tilted toward other party
Crossing legs
Pacing back and forth

Question 15

When there is good and bad news, how do you proceed?

Answer 15

Begin with the good news and then move on to the bad news

Question 16

List the communication skills loss adjusters require to be effective during the claim process.

Answer 16

• The first principle of professional communication is that professionals approach people with respect, not frustration or anger, even when the other person is wrong or inconsiderate.
• A related principle is that building rapport is important; identifying the needs of others, on as many levels as possible, helps to build rapport and improve communication.
• Loss adjusters can further improve the delivery of claims service by recognizing the criteria customers use to rate service.
• Consumers tend to place a high value on prompt and fair claims handling; loss adjusters who promptly contact claimants when a loss is reported will help create the right environment for the claims experience.
• Adjusters should also recognize that improving how and when they explain the policy contract and claims process to the insured will help in increasing rapport.

Question 17

How can self-analysis and observation help adjusters improve their communication skills?

Answer 17

• Adjusters can better understand why they feel what they feel.
• Adjusters can better understand why they behave as they behave.
• It gives them the opportunity to change in order to reach their communication goals.
• An adjuster can identify his or her own style of relating to others and how personal factors interfere.
• Once people recognize their own self-defeating behaviour, they can choose a more positive response to break the cycle of programmed, automatic reactions.