As an avid history enthusiast, I’ve often heard the saying, “Do you want to win the battle, or do you want to win the war?” While the larger goal is to win the war with the insurance companies, I also know that winning individual battles is crucial when you're in the trenches every day. After all, I run a business, and I have bills to pay and employees to support.
The tactics we use to fight insurance companies vary greatly depending on factors like the region, state, and specific company involved. On top of that, how insurance companies handle claims can be constantly shifting. For example, today I reviewed four claims from Allstate, and each one was processed differently. One was handled through an Open Shop assignment, another through a field assignment, one was a Virtual Assist assignment, and the last one was a desk review where everything had to be submitted via email. If insurance companies were truly on a battlefield, they’d be winning with their tactics of distraction, confusion, and redirection. How can we even begin to establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) when each insurance company handles claims differently, and often changes those procedures without notice?
It’s becoming increasingly clear that we as managers and business owners need to be more involved in the claims process by regularly reviewing what our estimators are doing. Our estimators are doing their best to navigate the constant changes and hoops they must jump through, but they don’t have the time or capacity to strategize how to handle ever-shifting insurance company tactics. That responsibility falls on us as leaders. We can’t afford to simply set a course of action and review it once a year. I can guarantee how we handled claims six months ago is different from how we must approach them today — and this will continue to change.
Now, let’s talk about the bigger picture — the war against insurance companies. Yes, supporting local auto body associations is vital, as they are fighting battles on the legislative front. But I also believe in giving the insurance companies a taste of their own medicine. These companies force us to jump through endless hoops to get estimates and supplements approved, and even after that, we’re buried in paperwork just to get paid. The sheer volume of paperwork they require — reports, invoices, scans, quotes, and so on — is a strategy to avoid sending adjusters to our shops. Their goal is to save money, but it creates an avalanche of administrative work for us.
How Complaints to the Department of Insurance Help Lay the Groundwork for Change
I’ve found one powerful tool to combat this: complaints to your state’s Department of Insurance, which regulates companies operating within its borders. These departments authorize insurance companies to sell policies and set rates, and they have complaint portals where you can file grievances about claims that have been mishandled or unfairly processed. The one thing insurance companies hate more than anything is complaints from the Department of Insurance.
In my state, I created an account with the Department of Insurance’s portal, and I’ve been filing complaints non-stop. I file complaints for everything I believe is unjust — whether it’s claims that weren’t paid properly, delays in processing, or unfair treatment of our customers. You may wonder, does anything come of these complaints? The answer, unfortunately, is often “no.” However, filing these complaints has its benefits.
First, the insurance company is required to respond to each complaint within a certain period. If they don’t, they risk facing fines. Second, each complaint forces the insurance company to deal with additional paperwork, creating a burden on their systems. The more complaints we file, the more attention we draw to these issues. Over time, this forces higher-ups within the insurance companies to take notice and question why so many complaints are being filed. When decision-makers at the top see these complaints, it’s a victory for us.
Moreover, the State Departments of Insurance track the number of complaints filed against each company. A rising number of complaints can impact the approval of policies and rates, and if complaints reach a tipping point, investigations can be launched to determine if unfair claims settlement practices are being violated. While the immediate impact may not be noticeable, the cumulative effect of filing complaints is powerful. It’s one more way we can continue to chip away at the entrenched power of the insurance companies.
Ultimately, this strategy is not about seeing immediate results. It’s about laying the groundwork for long-term change. Filing complaints, even if they don’t seem to have an immediate effect, is part of a larger effort to win the war against insurance companies. It’s a way to create pressure that will eventually lead to legislative change. We all know the current state of our industry—and its relationship with insurance companies — is unsustainable. It needs to change, and the more we make our voices heard, the more likely it is that the system will eventually shift.
So, while it may feel like a long, uphill battle, we can find power in numbers. Every complaint, every action, every strategic move we make brings us one step closer to winning the war. By staying active in the claims process, supporting our local auto body associations, and taking direct action through state departments, we’re building momentum. The fight isn’t over — it’s just beginning.
