Xactimate LowDown
Xactimate Lowdown is a blog about Xactimate news, classes,
helpful hints and any news that affects its users.
helpful hints and any news that affects its users.
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If you are thinking of training an employee in Xactimate by throwing a subscription on his desktop and having him learn on his own or slowly picking up tidbits from fellow employees or YouTube, you are going to lose a lot of productivity from that employee while that is happening. And they may be trained unproperly from non-certified training. Here is a way your employee, in a well-organized manner, can be trained and have them producing quicker and more efficiently.
Check out our free sample video from the course to see what it’s like @ https://www.crestllc.com/xactimate_self-paced.html
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 Now that Verisk has eliminated the free 30-day Xactimate demo unless you have signed up for training, it’s a no brainer! You can purchase a yearly subscription of Xactimate @ $1910.00 (the most inexpensive version) and struggle through the pain of trying to self-train. Or you can pay less than ½ of that, get level 1 & level 2 training, get a free 30-day trial demo of Xactimate through your Certified Trainer for the training and access to videos of the class with extra training above and beyond the level 2 training for 30 days after class. That’s an offer you can’t refuse.
Come join us for our next training. Check our training schedule at https://www.crestllc.com/store/c3/Virtual_Training.html And if you don’t have 3 days that you can separate yourself from your busy life, you can purchase our Self-Paced Training Video series of the class for less than 1/3 of the subscription price and also get the a free 30-day trial demo of Xactimate through your Certified Trainer. That way you can train when you have the time. Something for everyone. For more information on this, most affordable option for quality Xactimate training go to https://www.crestllc.com/xactimate_self-paced.html  I don't know if you have noticed but Verisk moved up the end date and the free 30 day demo is gone. You now have to sign up for training to get the 30 day free demo. They have given the Certified Trainers the ability to set up a free instance for 30 days for anyone that signs up for training. The only other option is to purchase a subscription from Verisk.
Ben has been Crest’s most successful student and I used to speak of him as an example of the possibilities of being an independent adjuster in almost every class. I have seen him working during slow times while many, much more experienced adjusters are sitting home because he knows how to process claims.
Ben has been able to close claims when 3 and 4 previous adjusters on the same claim could not. He has been successful at almost everything he has attempted because of his work ethic. But I believe one of his strongest traits is his character as he always does what he feels is right. This character spoke out when he saw that his carriers were not treating his customers fairly. Ben, as an independent adjuster, received an award last year from the Florida Association of Public Independent Adjusters (FAPIA) for just that reason. When was the last time (if ever) you saw an Independent Adjuster receive an award from a Public Adjuster Association? Ben went against his own interest to shed light on a wrongdoing. Watch this report as you will be shock by the high percentage of carriers purposely underpaying their customers. We are in no way taking Credit for any of Ben’s accomplishments (well, maybe his Xactimate knowledge) and certainly not his character as that is all his own. I just wanted to say how proud and grateful I am to know him and am hopeful that maybe his contribution will help to right some egregious behavior by some carriers who do not have their customers best interest at heart.  With a recent update on the elevation tool, it has created some issues if you like using the older “Classic View” (as I do) instead of the newer “Textured View”. Like the 3D changes they made to try to make it look more realistic, they are also now doing with the Elevation tool. Unfortunately it comes out huge in Classic view including the dimensions. There is a fix on the way but no date on it yet. If you change to the new textured view, you don’t have this issue. If you would like more information you can watch my YouTube video on it at https://youtu.be/CMJeg7Vnx3U or you can just click on the link at the top under “More>YOUTUBE” and you can also see it there.
 Recently, the free 30-day Xactimate Demo was changed to a 30-day trial version with some additional requirements and procedural changes that were listed in a previous post.
The trial version will end by the end of the year, so you'll need to purchase a subscription unless you sign up for training with an Xactimate Certified Trainer (XCT) or Verisk. When you enroll in a class with an XCT or Verisk, your instructor can set up an instance for you. This gives you access to Xactimate, though with some limitations, like restricted data transfer and limited access to price lists. These features will unlock once you purchase a subscription. This limited version lets you participate in training and take exams without needing to buy a subscription right away. Just make sure to choose a class like mine, where the instructor is a verified XCT, to ensure you get the right training and avoid picking up bad habits from uncertified trainers. For more information on my classes, click on the home tab at the top of this page and don’t forget to look over the testimonial page to check out the quality of my classes. As always, this is the current plan but as plans often go, it is subject to change and if it does. I’ll let you know. Why do most teachers teach a level 1 and level 2 class together for their live classes and not just level 1? I can’t speak for the other trainers, but I can give you my reason for not teaching just level 1 live. The answer is simple – level 1 doesn’t prepare you for the real world.
Level 1 is a fundamental approach to Xactimate (that’s why level 1 used to be called Fundamentals). It teaches you how to navigate the program, search for line items, prepare reports and some basic functions including basic sketch. So if you are only doing estimates on mobile homes for example, where all your rooms are square or rectangular and basic estimates, you may be ok. As soon as it gets a little complicated, you need level 2. As an adjuster or estimator, life is not that simple. Level 1 is simply an introduction into a much larger scope of work. Level 2 will get you ready for a large portion of what you will see in the real world. So if you want to be a race car driver, don’t just learn the instrument panel and to turn the key. Learn how to punch that accelerator. Invest in your future.  Save 15% on your next Xactimate Certification Test. Just go to our website https://www.crestllc.com/ (or click on the home button above), wait 30 seconds for our mailing list pop-up and you will see a coupon code that will save you 15% on your next certification exam whether you get on our mailing list or not.
 We just posted our Virtual Class Schedule for the rest of the year. Go to https://www.crestllc.com/store/c3/Virtual_Training.html and see which class is convenient for you. And while you are there wait 30 seconds for the pop up. There is a coupon code there that will save you 15% on any Xactimate Certification test.
 My students ask me this question a lot! It depends on your needs but between the 3, I prefer the Desktop version. Let’s look at the advantages / disadvantages.
Desktop – The program is on your computer so as long as you are not logged out, you will always have access to the program (that is very important – if you log out and go into an area with no internet, you cannot open the program). You are not relying on the internet so typically it will work faster and better (no matter how good your computer is, without good internet you are handicapped). The desktop also has more functions and settings than the other 2. And you can load it on more than 1 computer but can only use it on 1 computer. Online – this is an easy one – Since the program is not on your computer, no internet - no Xactimate! Go into a Cat area where the cell towers are knocked out and you are dead in the water. It relies on your internet connection, so if it is bad – well, you know. It is limited compared to the Desktop version with some features missing in the preferences. You can access your XM8 from any computer because it’s on the web, which is an advantage, but how often do you actually work on other than your main computer. It is often used by people trying to game the system because they think they don’t have to purchase more than 1 license and more than 1 person can use it, but you can only use it on 1 computer at a time (more than 1 person can’t access it). Carriers use it a lot which makes no sense to me because when a whole bunch of people get on the internet at the same time, things slow down. When teaching carriers, I always had to wait on slow responses from students; drove me nuts! Mobile – This is a terrific option to speed up your time in the field. The Lidar in the Sketch AR makes sketching easier and faster and the voice recognition also makes labelling easier and faster. But I wouldn’t select it in lieu of the desktop version. There are many things that can’t be done on the mobile version, that can be completed on the desktop version. This option is best in conjunction with the Desktop version which brings me to the answer to the original question: If you can afford it, get the Professional version because you get all 3 platforms and with it all the advantages. But that is just my opinion. |
Highlight Video - A few good sketch habits to begin with
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Alfred ReyI became a Certified Trainer because it was the part of industry I loved the most. I've come to really love it because of the distance a new student goes in those 3 days. " >
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