Why I stopped taking insurance jobs after that shop in Portland got audited last spring

Insurance work pays steady but every estimate turns into a fight over aftermarket parts or labor rates. Anyone else find it easier to just deal with customers directly and skip the middleman?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert_bell9d ago

@the_joseph nailed it with the "invisible layer" thing. That's exactly what insurance feels like - this whole extra level of bureaucracy where nobody wants to pay for the actual work. It's wild how much time you save when you cut out the adjuster middleman. Sure, you lose the guaranteed volume, but you gain back all the hours you used to waste reinspecting the same car three times because some desk jockey in another state thought you could fix a crumpled frame with bondo. Honestly feels like the industry is shifting whether the big shops like it or not.

the_joseph9d ago

Started ignoring insurance claims last year and it saved my sanity. Now I just tell customers the price up front and let them figure out if they want the good parts or the cheap ones. Honestly feels like I spend less time arguing with people about labor rates than I used to spend arguing with adjusters about why a brake caliper needs replacing instead of just cleaning it.

jamie7709d ago

Noticed the same thing happening everywhere honestly. Grocery stores nickel and dime you with shrinkflation while cutting deals with their suppliers. Feels like every transaction these days has this invisible layer of somebody trying to squeeze a little extra.