Your Adjuster Shouldn’t Have to Drown Before They Ask for Help
By Chelsy Bell Carpenter, VP of Business Development, Ampion Group.
Episode 4
There is a moment on almost every difficult claim when an adjuster realizes they need help.
The problem is, that realization does not always lead to action.
Sometimes the adjuster hesitates.
Sometimes they convince themselves they should be able to handle it.
Sometimes they fear looking inexperienced.
Sometimes they believe asking for help will create more scrutiny than support.
And sometimes, by the time they finally raise their hand, the claim is already on fire.
After more than fifteen years in the insurance industry, including time spent handling claims myself, I have learned that one of the most important roles a middle manager plays is not simply answering questions.
It is creating an environment where people feel safe asking them early.
Because when adjusters are supported before they reach the edge of their capacity, claims move better, customers are served better, and people are far more likely to build careers that last.
Asking for Help Is a Leadership Issue, Not Just an Adjuster Issue
Claims professionals are often independent by nature.
We are trained to investigate.
Analyze. Make decisions.
Communicate difficult outcomes.
Own the file.
That ownership is important.
But there is a difference between ownership and isolation.
A strong adjuster should absolutely be expected to think critically and take responsibility for their claim.
They should not be expected to know everything.
That distinction often begins with the manager.
If the culture surrounding an adjuster communicates that questions are inconvenient, escalations are failures, or outside expertise should only be used as a last resort, people will naturally begin withholding uncertainty.
And uncertainty does not disappear because no one talks about it.
It compounds.
The question for claims leaders becomes:
Have I created a team where asking for help is considered part of good judgment?
That is a very different standard than simply telling people, "My door is always open."
Psychological Safety Has a Real Operational Impact
Psychological safety can sound like a soft leadership concept.
In claims, it has very practical consequences.
When an adjuster feels comfortable saying:
"I am not sure."
"I need another perspective."
"This is beyond my expertise."
"I think this file is starting to stall."
They give leadership an opportunity to act early.
That early intervention might mean coaching.
It might mean a second internal review.
It might mean involving an engineer, consultant, attorney, contractor, or dispute resolution professional.
It might simply mean helping the adjuster organize the problem so they can see the next step more clearly.
But without that conversation, the manager has no opportunity to help.
The claim keeps aging.
Communication becomes strained.
The adjuster carries the stress alone.
And what could have been a manageable challenge becomes a larger operational problem.
The Best Managers Do Not Take the Claim Away
There is an important distinction here.
Supporting an adjuster does not mean solving the claim for them.
In fact, consistently taking over difficult files can create a different problem entirely.
It can unintentionally communicate:
"You are not capable of handling this."
Strong managers do something else.
They coach.
They ask questions.
They help the adjuster identify what is known, what is unknown, and what resource might be missing.
Questions like:
- What specifically is keeping this claim from moving?
- What part of this situation feels unclear?
- Do we have enough information to make a confident decision?
- Is the disagreement technical, contractual, relational, or procedural?
- Who could provide the expertise we do not currently have?
Those conversations keep ownership with the adjuster while giving them more support around the decision.
That is a form of professional armor.
Not armor that makes someone untouchable.
Armor that makes them better supported.
The Built to Last Connection: Support Protects Capacity
One of the principles behind my Built to Last framework is that sustainable performance depends
on the systems surrounding the person.
We often talk about burnout as if it is entirely an individual issue.
Exercise more.
Sleep better.
Set boundaries.
Manage your time.
Those things matter.
But workplace systems matter too.
A high-performing adjuster working inside a culture of unclear expectations, constant urgency, and limited support can regulate their nervous system only so far.
When people repeatedly carry responsibility without adequate resources, the cost begins to show.
Decision fatigue.
Irritability.
Reduced confidence.
Overthinking.
Avoidance.
Difficulty disconnecting after work.
Eventually, burnout.
Middle managers have enormous influence over this experience.
They cannot eliminate every stressor.
But they can create clearer escalation paths, normalize collaboration, and help their teams differentiate between a challenge they should work through and a problem that requires additional expertise.
That protects both performance and people.
Know the Difference Between Coaching and Expertise
One of the most valuable skills a claims manager can develop is knowing what kind of support the situation actually requires.
Some problems require coaching.
The adjuster knows enough, but needs help thinking through the decision.
Some require leadership intervention.
There may be an authority issue, customer escalation, or internal barrier.
And some require expertise.
The claim has moved into territory where another professional brings knowledge neither the adjuster nor the manager should be expected to possess.
That distinction matters.
Managers can inadvertently create burnout when they repeatedly ask adjusters to "keep working it" when the real answer is to expand the team around the claim.
Sometimes the strongest leadership decision is not another internal discussion.
It is bringing in the right outside perspective.
Why This Matters for Customer Retention
Customers rarely understand everything happening behind the scenes of a claim.
But they absolutely understand how the process feels.
- They notice when communication becomes inconsistent.
- They notice when decisions seem uncertain.
- They notice when a claim goes weeks without meaningful movement.
- They notice when different parties seem to be talking past one another.
When the right expertise is introduced at the right time, the customer experiences something different.
Clarity.
Direction.
Confidence.
Even when a dispute remains difficult, people are more likely to trust a process they perceive as thoughtful, professional, and fair.
That trust matters.
Especially in a market where retention is increasingly tied to the total customer experience, not simply the final payment.
A Question for Claims Leaders
Ask yourself:
What does an adjuster on my team have to experience before they believe they are allowed to ask for help?
If the answer is exhaustion, escalation, or failure, the system is waiting too long.
The best managers do not wait for their people to drown before offering support.
- They build teams where collaboration is part of the work.
- Where outside expertise is a tool, not a threat.
- And where asking for another perspective is viewed as evidence of judgment rather than weakness.
That is the type of claims culture that performs well today and remains healthy enough to perform tomorrow.
That is Built to Last leadership.
And when a complex claim would benefit from an additional perspective, having trusted dispute resolution resources already in your corner can make that support easier to access.
At Ampion, that is a conversation I am always happy to have.