I’ve worked for years in customer service/product support positions and have at least 1/2 an idea how to do the job. Now employed as an insurance adjuster, I’ve rarely had quite so many individual tasks to accomplish in as short a time as possible. Considering I’m bilingual (English/Spanish), have above average typing speed (70 wpm), and I’ve placed my on-line and desktop tools in the optimum configuration for my needs, I’m getting a bit frustrated with the continued (and now recently increased) expectation of a higher number of calls-per-hour.

Basically, I have to receive a call, review notes, examine holds, determine if they next steps require my intervention or if the customer (or other departments) need to complete further steps, search accounts, perform document reviews, use tools for product confirmation, product use in period of loss, perform identity checks, clarify conditions and terms (especially when a customer is enraged about paying a deductible – you’d be amazed how many people think insurance is a magic ‘premium only’ transaction and no matter what the cost of their insured item/service, we as the insurer are ‘wrong’ to expect them to share a partial burden in replacing items or services, even if their premiums would skyrocket), establish deductible payment parameters, shipping expectations, and answer any remaining questions – in the meantime documenting my activities, decisions, and prepping for the next call so I have NO remaining details to address prior to closing out my activity on an individual claim.

At the beginning of my training, my trainer (and supervisor) were satisfied that I was getting as few as 5 calls per hour completed. I was assured this is a normal speed for a beginning adjuster, and that with time my speed would increase to the (then) department expectation of 8 calls per hour.

Sure enough, I’ve passed the 8 calls per hour threshhold – but now, we’ve had an even higher call per hour expectation set: 10 calls per hour.

I’m not tooting my own horn when I say that I’m professional on the phone – I get above average or outstanding quality checks on performance and other metric ratings. I’m not a control freak (I don’t hang up on a customer when they meltdown – I talk them through it and give them enough information (and explanations) to (in at least 80 % of the cases) continue their claims process to deductible payment and replacement. I deal with people from many different cultures, some who have never had insurance on anything else in their entire life, and some who simply are not the sharpest knives in the drawer and bring out the educator in me (because no one should insure something without knowing exactly what their contract allows and how it applies to their claims). So it is really starting to aggravate me that in order to achieve an incentive (which is also, undoubtedly, part of the reason my supervisors and department managers are so gung-ho about it – they must in some way, receive additional compensation if the team or department achieve a certain performance metric) – I have to do ALL of the things described above in about 6 minutes PER CLAIM.

Such a cookie-cutter approach to claims (not to mention customers) is driving me straight up the wall. I’m not saying it isn’t possible (and certainly some in our department appear to be meeting this goal – but only by cutting corners or engaging in practices that ‘trick’ the metric performance measuring tools used by our employer to think more performance is being accomplished than is actually the case – and I’m not blowing smoke here, I’ve been the one catching the claims falling through the cracks in several of those situations) – but it is neither realistic or acceptable (to my mind) to expect such an ideal in dealing with the public involving something so sensitive as an insurance claim. Can you imagine? 6 minutes to do make a decision as to whether insurance coverage will be provided for a claimed product/service – and for some of these customers, it’s one of the most necessary items/services that they use in their daily lives.

I’m losing sleep now over this – even with increased exercise, better diet, and and attempt at relaxation techniques (including meditation). Part of the problem is my perfectionist nature (if I can be perfect in one way in my job, I would like to be perfect in all ways – another unrealistic (and job-fostered) expectation) – but I also realize that this is a common problem facing an American worker today. We are one of the hardest working societies in the world – yet I (like many working individuals I know) have fewer vacation days, less flexibility with my schedule, and more demands on my time at work than ever before in my life. If I miss ONE day or arrive late or leave early (no matter the reason – illness, car accident, inclimate weather, etc…) I’m no longer eligible for the incentive structure – and it takes me a month just to build 5 hours of personal t
time (which is used for both vacation days/sick time/leave time – no exceptions).

Does anyone else feel like they are losing pride/ownership in their job due to increased metric expectations? In my case, it’s getting to a point where I’m thinking about a career shift or changing departments – if such an option is available to me…

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So this past September, i lost my job. i worked at a retail dollar store and after months of drag-on work i got tired of it and it started to show. At first, i came to work early everyday. when i started comming late more often, my boss insisted that i get my shit straight and be prompt on my arrivals. So i tightened up a little bit but not for too long; unfortunately i got more lazy and at the time i just moved in with my girlfriend who live miles across town. with the money i had made i beleived as long as got up early enough, i would make it to work on time by taking the bus. on some days my girlfriend would allow me to use her car and on others i would take the bus. I became more lazy than before, plus i began to lose the will to work at the dollar store. mornings on in i would wake up and drag my feet all because i didnt want to go to work but one day that caught up to me. i woke up, left late, clocked in late; and through the middle of the shift the boss called me to his office. Now at the time i had just enrolled in school and the boss had made arrangements to fit my schedule so he felt there was no excuse that i could not get in on time, and i agreed, ashamed and very excepting of what my fate held. i was terminated deemed re-hirable in one year.

in this time of my life i still make decisions that effect others around me. and i called myself trying to do better and it even took my girlfriend to get on my back bout finding a job. i was discouraged and still lazy. i feel i can do better while looking for a job but one thing that grinds my gears is the "work history." for some reason i constantly fill in my dollar store position and i never fail to list how ive been terminated. i honestly dont know if something like that will prevent me from getting a job but my girlfreind belives it very much so will. im starting to cost people money because of my decisions. Today, i am tenacious about finding a job/career and i have been taking steps to make myself look exceptionally qualified on my resume. Despite my efforts, she is getting the backlash day in and day out for my choices. Situatuins when i need some sort of money, interviews and job searched that call for the use of her car because i dont have money for the bus. My past boss sat down with me and told me if i ever wanted anything in life that i would have to go hard for it. my motivaton was not present at all and my priorities were scrambled and pulverized. i was horrible with my money and was afraid to taste real responsibility. i would of never known that that was a complicating form of selfishness. i learned a lesson that day and for some reason, i felt that if i werent terminated, i never would have. being the person that i am i try my hardest to learn from my mistakes even if i make them over and over.

i am at my most pitifull state in life and im turning 21 this tuesday. it is trully a shame that i need my mother because i screwed myself in my first time in college. it is a shame that i would need my girlfriend for everything else i may need; such as food, shelter and transportation. im trying to make to smartest decisions in life and i cant now because of the ones i made this past September. my gf is already stressed enough and i feel horrible to know i am killing our relationship because of what i did. she always told me not to fill in the work history mentioning my termination. and everytime i do it anyways. i told her i want to be honest to any possible employer and that irritates her to no end. she is currently balancing life, school and her one year old son. i feel awfull. and at the same time i believe i will be employed soon. she strongly encourages me to not fill in that employment history and instead list the busser work i did in a resyuraunt for 2 months in 2008. this situation is terribly stressfull, and more on her part aparently because she footing the bill if i need to be some where. there are many other thing included but its not nessassary to list them, just assume. the frustration is overwhelming. she has given me a date at which i should have a job or else, pack up and leave, shamed and with zero dignity, back to my mothers.

id like to believe i am a good person. i feel wrong sometime when i try to do things right. i feel im not as mature as i feel i SHOULD be and that is frustrating to no end. i feel like im trapped. i could even recieve financial aid for my classes, i cant drop my classes and i owe over 14 hundred bones. im jobless relying on my girlfriend and my last bit of self-respect. as a kis i never did much right. i still remember my first toddler day dream– im the same till this day. i wish i was normal. this is too heavy for me. my mother told me i had the world: no felonies, no kids, im young and healthy. when it finally hit me it took someone else to realise that i, myself was depressed. leaving my girlfriend would break my heart, she motivated me to want to even go to school. moving back with my mothe

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