We face fight back or let it go decisions all the time.
Repeat after me—not everything is worth fighting for (even when an insurance company is involved). As often as not, the best path might be to just let it go.
But who likes to get kicked around and taken advantage of? Not me. That’s for sure.
Have you ever heard the line, “I’m so sorry, we’re going to have to deny your claim?” Or, have you ever been so ticked off at some random life situation that you became bound and determined to win at any cost?
It’s a safe bet that we’ve all been there at one time or another.
This is a story of a mover, their insurance “adjuster,” and a simple question of values. I’ll tip my hand on the question upfront.
How long do I keep fighting back?
Nevertheless, she persisted.”
—Mitch McConnell
Or, do I let it go?
He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
– Sun Tzu
You would think that fourteen months after a cross-country move with a big “professional” carrier, all would be over and done with. It’s not.
First, they make you feel all warm, fuzzy, and trusting. They assure you they will take care of your possessions just like they would for their own grandmother. This is so you’ll drop your guard.
Then they set out to wear you down in hopes you’ll give up.
I’ll admit they’re close to having me on the ropes.
On one hand, I’m asking how much time, effort, and heartache is it worth. On the other, I feel like fighting to the bitter end. I absolutely hate when Goliath tries to push the little guy around.
And this little game insurance companies make us play usually isn’t big enough to warrant getting legal help, even if it’s just to write a couple of letters. And they know that!
That old idiom about picking one’s battles wisely keeps chattering away in the back of my head. It’s right in line with the Sun Tzu quote above.
Yeah! Sure! For me, it’s a matter of principle.
Although, this post is about fight back or let it go decisions, Here’s the best advice I can give if you face a household move in the future.
- Inspect everything leaving your house at the origin and everything coming in the door at the destination.
- Don’t listen to anything the driver tells you about making a claim. They have two motivations in this equation. 1) Spend as little time as possible delivering your goods and 2) Minimize any damage claims It’s obvious claims count against their performance grade.
- Document everything on the inventory sheets no matter how tired you are or how much pressure you get from the crew. And no matter what the driver tells you.
We’ve been through two rounds of back and forth with the adjuster on the insurance claim.
We’ve got one more round left in us before we cut the cord and let it go.
Our situation is one of those things in this profit-driven world that shouldn’t be this way. But it is. We did our part in good faith. Is it too much to ask they honor theirs? Sigh.
I believe the bottom line is this—When you find yourself in the thick of a battle, always ask yourself, “Is this worth my time, effort, and heartache; or would it be better to let it go and move on to better pursuits?”
I’ll close by taking some poetic liberty with one of my favorite quotes by author, Wes Moore…
Don’t let [things that] don’t matter too much, matter too much.”
– Wes Moore, author, social entrepreneur, and veteran
(The actual quote reads, “Don’t let people who don’t matter too much, matter too much.” That kind of works here too).
What do you usually do when you’re facing a fight back or let go situation? I’d love to hear!
Be untucked.
p.s. This post is part of a new coaching program I’m developing. Feel free to share it with your friends.
Copyright © 2022 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
#1, Don’t let things that don’t matter too much, matter too much, is fantastic.
#2, your claims adjuster has a Supervisor If you are dissatisfied, tell them what will make you happy. Ask if your adjuster has the authority to settle for that amount. If they don’t, ask for their supervisor . Tell the supervisor the same thing. Let him know that his adjuster is notDEALING IN GOOD FAITH.
And then ask if the supervisor can make that settlement. If not, ask for his supervisor.
If they won’t deal with you, ask for the address or their home office, so you can have the attorney general check into good faith laws.
John, glad you like the quote. It’s definitely one of my rules for living (even if I don’t always remember it). And thanks for the tips on dealing with insurance adjusters! I’ll let you know how it goes.