Start with the decision you need before the adjuster leaves. Put the RO, current estimate version, open supplement and supporting evidence on one page. Give each unanswered item a person and a follow-up date.
Build the job summary
Write down the RO number, vehicle, appointment time, current stage and promised date. Pull the latest approved estimate and identify each supplement still under review. Bring the applicable repair procedure, estimate lines and labeled photos so you can find them at the vehicle. An advisor can assemble these directly from the file.
Separate the two conversations
In the sample job, the original estimate is $3,912.40 and the first supplement adds an approved $846.10. A second request for $1,286.55 is waiting. The immediate question is whether the adjuster has what they need to decide that second request. Separately, the example shop has $11,420 outstanding across four delivered jobs with the carrier. Keep that figure on a separate line so nobody mistakes it for the balance on this repair.
Ask for a first draft
An office user with access to the financial reports could ask Claude or ChatGPT to prepare a brief from the shop calendar, RO, unapproved supplements, insurer scorecard and A/R aging. Check the date range, compare the quoted amounts to the current RO, and open the supporting photos yourself. If a rate differs, bring the actual agreement. A carrier average gives context for a question. The claim file provides the details for the decision.
Leave with the next action
Record which items the adjuster accepted, which need more evidence and who will send it. If the answer is still pending, write down the next contact time. A note such as “Alex will send the bracket photo by 2 p.m.; advisor to check for a decision Thursday” gives the next person enough to pick up the file.
Walk-through prep sheet
Use one sheet per walk-through.
- RO, vehicle and appointment
- Approved estimate version and amount
- Pending supplement, amount and date sent
- Decision needed and evidence to bring
- Decision received, owner and follow-up time