Estimate or invoice? Top restorers use video to bridge the gap

Transparent communication from day 1 keeps restorers and adjusters on the same page

It’s no secret that carriers and adjusters are dialing in their standards in terms of documentation. Chances are, you’ve felt it. It’s getting more and more difficult to complete projects without pushback.

You call it an invoice because you’ve already completed the emergency mitigation work, but to the adjuster, it’s an estimate that’s still up for negotiation. Whatever you want to call it, when you lack sufficient documentation to back up the work performed, you leave the door open for discussion and different interpretation of the scope of work.

If a picture speaks a thousand words, what do you think you can do with video?

Click the play button on the phone to see how restorers use video to scope a job.

Top performers in the restoration space are teeing themselves up for success, harnessing the power of video to capture indisputable facts. It’s as easy as—quite literally—walking through the job site, identifying the cause of loss, the resulting damages, areas that need further investigation, and immediate actions that need to be taken.

Stakeholders want to be in the loop sooner, right from the first notice of loss. Using Encircle to include video in the initial inspection report puts all parties “on site” accompanied with the narration of your PM or lead tech to provide a common understanding of the scope of the project.

“Having a contractor provide video like this is a game changer. It allows the adjuster to be “on site” to confirm the cause of loss and extent of damage. With this crucial information early on in the process, the adjuster can confidently make a proper reserve recommendation and it allows the adjuster to set out the next steps of the adjustment process while communicating clearly to the policy holder.”

—ALFRED DE SOUSA, FCIP
Vice President, Claims National Field Services
Northbridge Financial Corporation

By combining video with expert commentary, you’re taking your field documentation up a notch and getting everyone on the same page right from the start. Whereas regular video cannot be uploaded to XA, or file sizes may restrict emailing, by embedding the video in an Encircle report it’s as simple as shoot, share, soup up your documentation

When you do this, you provide all parties a foundation—the same foundation—for future decision-making, and align everyone around a single source of truth.

It’s a win-win-win

While expensive software and cameras exist for virtual 3D walkthroughs of properties, they lack the critical narration of your expert on site and require training to use effectively, therefore they are typically reserved for use on large losses. Using Encircle to create scope videos is a reliable and easy 2-5 minute process that can be used on any job—throughout the entire job—to capture daily progress and tell a clear story of the loss from day 1 to job completion.

All parties benefit from this shared understanding: the restorer, the adjuster, even the homeowner.

Benefits for the restorer:

• Field teams arrive prepped and ready.
• Sets the stage for what documentation will be required throughout the job.
• Preps the reviewer and/or adjuster for the work to be done and any open questions.
• Demonstrates your expertise and professionalism from the get-go.
• Mitigates pushback, and increases profitability.

Benefits for the adjuster:

• Able to gain a quick understanding of the facts, no deciphering.
• Allows for accurate setting of loss reserves.
• Know exactly what’s going on to settle claims quickly, accurately, and confidently.

Benefits for the homeowner:

• Understand the extent of the loss and what is and isn’t going to happen as part of the project.
• Stay in-the-know regarding what sort of work will be done in their home.
• Confidence that their claim is well-documented and being handled by professionals.

Pack your paperwork with a punch

Whatever you want to call it, covering all your bases, being proactive versus reactive, playing offensively versus always on the defense, soup up your documentation so that it stands up in a court of law.

“Wow, what an amazing level of detail in this report. The video is particularly helpful in setting the scene. It would be difficult to dispute.”

-ED CROSS, B.A., J.D,
“The Restoration Lawyer”

Check out the full report, with the embedded video.