Frequently Asked Questions
Customer Frequently Asked Questions
May I obtain an appraisal on my own?
• Yes, however National is required to inspect all damages even though you may have obtained your own appraisal.
When can I expect to receive a copy of the appraisal?
• A standard auto appraisal is due within 24-48 hours from the date of the inspection.
Where can I take my vehicle for repairs?
• The vehicle is taken to the owner’s shop of choice. National does not suggest or recommend where to have repairs completed, however you can discuss with the insurance company.
When will the repairs begin on my vehicle?
• The shop should have a copy of National Appraisal’s estimate before repairs begin, but the vehicle owner is the only one that can authorize when repairs can start.
What if my shop’s estimate is different from National Appraisal’s estimate?
• Our initial estimate is based off the assessment of the visible damages during inspection. The shop will notify our office if additional or hidden damages are found related to the claim but not visible when completing the original estimate
Who do I contact regarding a rental?
• The claim representative or adjuster at the insurance company will answer rental questions. National is not authorized to answer these questions.
What happens if my vehicle is a total loss?
• The insurance company will contact you if your vehicle is deemed a total loss and explain the next steps in the process.
What if my car needs to be towed?
• National does not arrange to have vehicles towed. You can contact the claims representative or adjuster at the insurance company for details on towing your vehicle.
Cliente: Preguntas Más Frecuentes
¿Se puede obtener su propia estimación?
• Sí, pero Nacional tiene que examinar todos los daños también, incluso si se ha obtenido su propia estimación.
¿Adónde se puede llevar el carro para arreglarlo?
• Se lleva el carro a un mecánico que Ud. se elige. Nacional no aconseja a Ud. sobre donde se puede arreglar el carro, pero se puede discutirlo con la compañía de seguro.
¿Cuándo se va a recibir la estimación?
• Se tarda 24-48 horas después de la inspección para completar una estimación de auto estándar.
¿Cuándo empieza los reparos del carro?
• El taller de carrocería debe tener una copia de nuestra estimación antes de empezar los reparos, pero el poseedor del carro es la única persona que puede autorizar cuando se puede empezar los reparos.
¿Qué se puede hacer si la estimación del taller es diferente de la estimación de Nacional?
• Nuestra estimación primera está basado en los danos que se puede ver durante la inspección. Si daños adicionales o escondidos están encontrados que están relacionados al reclamo pero no estaban visibles durante la inspección primera, el taller notificaría nuestra oficina.
¿Quién se puede contactar para un carro rentado?
• El representante de reclamaciones o el ajustador en la compañía de seguro puede contestar las preguntas sobre el “rental.” Nacional no está autorizado para responder a estas preguntas.
¿Qué pasa si el carro es una pérdida total?
• Si el tasador determinara que su carro es una pérdida total, la compañía de seguro se contactaría a Ud.
¿Qué ocurre si se necesita remolcar el carro?
• Nacional no organiza para remolcar el carro. Se puede contactar el ajustador en la compañía de seguro para los detalles de remolcar el carro.
Insurance Carrier: Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been in business?
• The business has been operational for 39 years. The Chief Executive Officer, Greg Lombardo, has been with National Appraisal Service for 32 of those years.
What makes us different?
• The commitment and energy we expend on customer service. Our clients expect timely answers and assistance with their claim needs. Our primary focus is fulfilling those requirements by providing a fast, decisive response that is supported by years of experience and knowledge in the insurance industry.
Do you employ your own appraiser staff?
• All field appraisers are 1099-Independent Contractors. While 1099-Independent Contractors have the ability to accept work from other sources, we find that we are able to provide them with the volume of work necessary to satisfy their needs. We have many long-term field appraisers that only accept work from us because of their ability to focus on the technical aspect of their job and to ensure the highest level of customer service for our clients.
What is your coverage area?
• Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and five Counties in Virginia.
What estimate writing systems do you use?
• CCC One, Audatex, AdjustRite (for Heavy Equipment) and PowerClaim (for property losses).
What is your turn-around time?
• It remains consistent among our field staff. On any standard auto, you can expect a 1-1.5-day cycle time from date inspected to return of file. Our office absorbs the cycle time delays as we do not allow our field staff to set their own inspections. We set all inspection dates and we handle all initial contact with vehicle owners. We tailor all our programs to our clients’ desired outcome and we have always been successful at meeting required goals.
What is your workflow process?
• We have an office staff that is departmentalized much like the claim department of any insurance company. This enables our company to handle a large volume of work while creating a constant and efficient workflow and communicating directly with our clients in real time. We accept and acknowledge the receipt of each assignment which is then entered into our system by our data entry department and then assigned to our dispatch department to secure a location and date of inspection. The assignments are sent to the appraiser for inspection. The appraiser conducts the inspection and returns the completed estimate and photos to our dispatch department for review and submittal to the insurance company. We have internal auditors that review the files to verify compliance and provide training and support to our staff, appraisers, and assistance to insurance company personnel with their claims.
Do you have photo estimating capability?
• Yes, we have our own photo app called TurboClaim. It is available on the App Store for all IOS users and Google Play for all Android platform users.
What is your method of quality control?
• All appraisers are adequately trained and experienced in the performance standards and guidelines set forth by the State in which they operate the company and supplier procedures. Our internal auditors and compliance department reviews files to monitor the performance and quality of the appraisers work in preparing estimates, taking proper photos, including the necessary documentation in addition to compliance of the State, Company and Supplier guidelines. We maintain quarterly metrics to assure the turnaround time is within the set parameters and to establish goals for each appraiser and geographical territory.
Can you handle a large volume of work?
• The workflow is structured to handle a large volume of assignments on a consistent basis. During peak performance cycles on any given year, it is not unheard of for our services to reach 300-400 assignments per day. We have the resources to handle that type of volume and more importantly, we have the management to recognize where the resources need to be allocated to provide the most efficient completion rate percentages.
Do you handle heavy equipment and property claims?
• National Appraisal Service is capable of handling Heavy Equipment and Property Claims. Experienced and licensed appraisers are available to service these specialized areas of damage and we have senior members of our staff that actually oversee the completion of these files for our clients.
Who is your single point of contact?
• Our Chief Executive Officer, Greg Lombardo, serves as the single point of contact for National Appraisal Service. He takes great pride in providing an open line of communication with his clients.
What is your billing process?
• We have the ability to comply with a multitude of billing processes that are designed to best accommodate the supplier needs. Invoices are billed in our system once the estimate has been completed and uploaded to the customer. Our standard payment terms is that payment is due upon receipt of the invoice, however we are able to negotiate these terms and have the ability to bill in accordance to your preferred billing method.
Are you capable of accepting invoices via EDI Transmission?
• Yes, we have an IT Specialist that can assist in the process of implementing EDI Transmittal of Invoices.
