My first deployment with Pilot Catastrophe Services started with high hopes. I had heard they were a major player in the insurance claims industry and expected a professional and supportive experience. Unfortunately, that’s not what I encountered.
Before deployment, we were told we’d receive a check just for showing up to training in Mobile, Alabama. In reality, it turned out to be an advance on future claims payments. This key detail was never clearly communicated. Many of us, especially first-time adjusters, felt misled and confused. On the initial call, it was presented as a bonus, not an advance. It felt like we were deliberately misinformed just to ensure attendance.
As for the training itself, the materials consisted of a basic, unstructured Word document with no clear flow. For a company of Pilot’s size and reputation, the lack of preparation was disappointing.
My supervisor was brand new and offered little assistance beyond repeating CPT task reminders, information already available in the system. She didn’t seem to understand the job or how to support someone doing it.
I completed ITEL reports, maintained consistent contact with claimants, and received no complaints from homeowners. Yet, I was accused of not making required calls — despite having detailed notes proving otherwise. It felt like I was being micromanaged by someone unfamiliar with actual fieldwork.
After completing 15 claims, with only three remaining, I was suddenly threatened with reassignment. When I respectfully requested a different supervisor, my remaining claims were abruptly reassigned without warning or explanation, just a cold, impersonal email.
Despite completing around 80% of my assignments — some with positive survey feedback, I was later marked as DNU (Do Not Use). The reasons given were missed CPT deadlines and unprofessional conduct. However, the only possible issue was a disagreement with a desk adjuster, which my supervisor acknowledged was provoked. She even said she understood my response and asked not to do it again. I continued working for weeks afterward, so clearly that wasn’t the real reason. When I recently asked for feedback about the deployment, I was informed I had been “termed” — without any explanation or communication whatsoever. I’ve been working since I was 16 and have never been terminated from a job before.
Support was virtually nonexistent. HR never responded to my outreach. The only consistent communication I received was pressure to close CPT tasks, including those that weren’t even overdue. IT setup at the Marriott was also a mess. I was denied access to the IT room because the woman guarding the door told me that if I could log in, that’s all I needed — only for me to later find out that my system hadn’t been configured properly, which caused unnecessary delays.
In total, I was paid for 18 claims, and I’m proud that none of my estimates had to be reversed due to errors. Only minor corrections were requested. I worked hard, served policyholders professionally, and met my obligations.
Unfortunately, Pilot seems stuck in outdated systems, internal politics, and a lack of care for its adjusters in the field. Most of the new adjusters I trained with felt the same. The support room they eventually opened came too late, and was hours away from where most of us were working. There also appeared to be favoritism involved. My supervisor’s spouse worked in Pilot payroll, and while I can’t say whether that influenced anything, I was never given a fair chance to explain my side.
If you're a seasoned adjuster with deep ties at Pilot, you might be fine. But if you're new, be cautious. The lack of training, transparency, and meaningful support made this a frustrating and disappointing experience.
Like many first-time adjusters, I worked out of my car, sleeping in it and operating from Planet Fitness parking lots in Florida. I still believe I performed well enough to last a month deployed. But when I asked for a new supervisor, instead of support, I felt like I was punished.
