When you ask the Right Question

In an earlier edition of Contents Solutions, we told of an article that originally appeared in Property Casualty 360 (an insurance professionals’ magazine).

Restoration author and consultant Tom Kirkpatrick told the story of a time he was visiting a client’s home. There had been a fire and a thoroughly untrained “clean-out” group was busily throwing things away.

“They were throwing everything that was damaged in the house in the dumpster—not recording it, not doing anything with it,” said Kirkpatrick. Then he noticed a slightly damaged designer handbag in the dumpster. He reached down, pulled it out and opened it. “Inside the side pocket was a diamond and sapphire necklace worth $400,000.”

For your next assignment just ask, “If you were cleaning out a home in which there had been a fire, and you ran across a slightly burned purse, what would you do with it?”

Real contents pros will give you an answer you’ll appreciate.