‘YOU LAST TWO GUYS DON’T GET IT. YOU MUST BE STUCK IN REVERSE. OPEN YOU EYES TO TODAY’S COMMERCE AND THE UPCOMING GENERATIONS.’
For you concerned, please stick to the computer and the back of matchbooks for interacting with clients. Although I gave you the key, personal service, you don’t seem to be able to comprehend it. And if you cannot understand it, don’t even try it. Your only chance at a livlihood it to SEPARATE YOURSELF from clients and cater to the 50% who identify with your brand of customer service, which is to say no customer service. You obviously do not know where the money is.
Get with the curve. People have tried to achieve understanding of these complicated contracts over the phone, online and from the backs of matchbooks and have come full circle back to those who can effectively teach it. At least, the clients I want have that mindset. The ones who only shop lowest premium, switch every year, don’t follow my advice and then, are you ready CONCERNED, bellyache when things don’t go the way they thought it would because they didnt listen or read the policy? I help them find another company. Not only do I refuse to write them, I won’t subject my staff to them nor any other agent with my company. Concerned, you will never understand, will you? QUALITY NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE.
The future IS paperless… How many of you opt to receive your phone bill, cable bill, electronic bank & credit card statements and just about every other bill via email? And then pay them using some form of electronic funds transfers? I think the only thing I get via snail-mail is junk mail and credit card offers (but I get those electronically too).
This industry is struggling to keep up with technology and technology touches everything from marketing, distribution, underwriting, claims etc. Improved technology is all about reducing costs and improving service, and when it comes to the customer (be it your agent or your insured) ease of doing business and instant gratification are the key in today’s society. So maybe they are saving a few trees and taking advantage of a little free press, but it seems they see the future and are ahead of the curve on this one.
How many of your new business client’s think waiting weeks to get their policy in the mail superior service? Maybe some of you are whining about Progressive new paperless world because you’re sorry you didn’t think of it first? I frankly don’t see a down side.
Blondie – thank you. Your comments are the most intelligent and on point I have read here. You obviously “get it”. The upcomig generations are technology savvy and still too many companies don’t get it. Also – the need for “agent” interaction in insurance sales and service is declining.
Trust me, my CSR’s are well aware of commission rates and how overhead gets paid. They have communicated to other company reps many times re: how fast a Progressive quote can be done. It’s a balance between CSR time spent quoting and servicing an account and gross commission to the agency. The frustrating part of the situation is that some carriers NEVER seem to understand the importance of user-friendly automation!
I guess one could pose an interesting question. How much of the gross commission paid by a carrier channels its way to net profit, and how much is wasted dealing with cumbersome software and service problems?
The abolition of the face to face agent is self fulfilling. The more an agent buys into it, the less value he has to his client, and presto the client may as well buy it from someone who doesnt care about them over the phone rather than someone who doesnt care about them in person. The more my company goes away from agents as a part of the equation, the more we insert ourselves into the equation directly with clients. We will have called every household we insure this year and offer them a review. We will do this every year. Every existing client who does come in appreciates it. Don’t believe this crap about agents not having a place – clients say otherwise.
And I think clients are OK with waiting 10 to 14 days to receive and not read their policy, opposed to getting it in real time and not reading it. After all, they don’t read it anyway.
I agree with you Gill. Ultimately, this industry is all about service. If you cut out service, either agency or company, then you don’t even really have a product. Anything attempting to do so is a short term strategy in a difficult market.
Say Blondie, here’s an easy question. How many people have a computer and access it regularly? (less than 35%) Yes there are a lot of people who will want an on-line policy. But for most, after the novelty of the PC wears off people get tired of it or of paying for the high speed connection or just get burned out. As the saying goes many computers eventually become “the most expensive deck of cards I’ve ever owned”. – put me in the burnout category. I work with a computer all day and when I come home in the evening I want to pickup a book, printed on paper, and relax and I’m sorry but I don’t care how many trees gave their lives so I could do this. (Living in Iowa I think most people around here still think of trees as a renewable resource and a source of employment;-)
Note to Gill: The learning curve with some companies may be higher than others but for the majority, once you learn their systems, they are no longer as difficult as they were 10 years ago. I think the majority of CSRs get frustrated early and go back to what they know will be easy. Take away the “P” option and I think you’ll be surprised at how “user friendly” the other systems become.
So your are saying that automating this industry and cutting out the only knowledgeable advisers involved in the process is not going to become a problem for the insured’s?
I have a great idea! We can scan policy pages to pdf format and offer downloads directly from the Agency. Then, when our clients get bored – say, waiting for a delayed flight – they can go online and read their policies.
We have updated our privacy policy to be more clear and meet the new requirements of the GDPR. By continuing to use our site, you accept our revised Privacy Policy.
Concerned shouted:
‘YOU LAST TWO GUYS DON’T GET IT. YOU MUST BE STUCK IN REVERSE. OPEN YOU EYES TO TODAY’S COMMERCE AND THE UPCOMING GENERATIONS.’
For you concerned, please stick to the computer and the back of matchbooks for interacting with clients. Although I gave you the key, personal service, you don’t seem to be able to comprehend it. And if you cannot understand it, don’t even try it. Your only chance at a livlihood it to SEPARATE YOURSELF from clients and cater to the 50% who identify with your brand of customer service, which is to say no customer service. You obviously do not know where the money is.
Get with the curve. People have tried to achieve understanding of these complicated contracts over the phone, online and from the backs of matchbooks and have come full circle back to those who can effectively teach it. At least, the clients I want have that mindset. The ones who only shop lowest premium, switch every year, don’t follow my advice and then, are you ready CONCERNED, bellyache when things don’t go the way they thought it would because they didnt listen or read the policy? I help them find another company. Not only do I refuse to write them, I won’t subject my staff to them nor any other agent with my company. Concerned, you will never understand, will you? QUALITY NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE.
The future IS paperless… How many of you opt to receive your phone bill, cable bill, electronic bank & credit card statements and just about every other bill via email? And then pay them using some form of electronic funds transfers? I think the only thing I get via snail-mail is junk mail and credit card offers (but I get those electronically too).
This industry is struggling to keep up with technology and technology touches everything from marketing, distribution, underwriting, claims etc. Improved technology is all about reducing costs and improving service, and when it comes to the customer (be it your agent or your insured) ease of doing business and instant gratification are the key in today’s society. So maybe they are saving a few trees and taking advantage of a little free press, but it seems they see the future and are ahead of the curve on this one.
How many of your new business client’s think waiting weeks to get their policy in the mail superior service? Maybe some of you are whining about Progressive new paperless world because you’re sorry you didn’t think of it first? I frankly don’t see a down side.
Blondie – thank you. Your comments are the most intelligent and on point I have read here. You obviously “get it”. The upcomig generations are technology savvy and still too many companies don’t get it. Also – the need for “agent” interaction in insurance sales and service is declining.
Note to Bob –
Trust me, my CSR’s are well aware of commission rates and how overhead gets paid. They have communicated to other company reps many times re: how fast a Progressive quote can be done. It’s a balance between CSR time spent quoting and servicing an account and gross commission to the agency. The frustrating part of the situation is that some carriers NEVER seem to understand the importance of user-friendly automation!
I guess one could pose an interesting question. How much of the gross commission paid by a carrier channels its way to net profit, and how much is wasted dealing with cumbersome software and service problems?
The abolition of the face to face agent is self fulfilling. The more an agent buys into it, the less value he has to his client, and presto the client may as well buy it from someone who doesnt care about them over the phone rather than someone who doesnt care about them in person. The more my company goes away from agents as a part of the equation, the more we insert ourselves into the equation directly with clients. We will have called every household we insure this year and offer them a review. We will do this every year. Every existing client who does come in appreciates it. Don’t believe this crap about agents not having a place – clients say otherwise.
And I think clients are OK with waiting 10 to 14 days to receive and not read their policy, opposed to getting it in real time and not reading it. After all, they don’t read it anyway.
I agree with you Gill. Ultimately, this industry is all about service. If you cut out service, either agency or company, then you don’t even really have a product. Anything attempting to do so is a short term strategy in a difficult market.
YOU LAST TWO GUYS DON’T GET IT. YOU MUST BE STUCK IN REVERSE. OPEN YOU EYES TO TODAY’S COMMERCE AND THE UPCOMING GENERATIONS.
Say Blondie, here’s an easy question. How many people have a computer and access it regularly? (less than 35%) Yes there are a lot of people who will want an on-line policy. But for most, after the novelty of the PC wears off people get tired of it or of paying for the high speed connection or just get burned out. As the saying goes many computers eventually become “the most expensive deck of cards I’ve ever owned”. – put me in the burnout category. I work with a computer all day and when I come home in the evening I want to pickup a book, printed on paper, and relax and I’m sorry but I don’t care how many trees gave their lives so I could do this. (Living in Iowa I think most people around here still think of trees as a renewable resource and a source of employment;-)
Note to Gill: The learning curve with some companies may be higher than others but for the majority, once you learn their systems, they are no longer as difficult as they were 10 years ago. I think the majority of CSRs get frustrated early and go back to what they know will be easy. Take away the “P” option and I think you’ll be surprised at how “user friendly” the other systems become.
note to concerned
So your are saying that automating this industry and cutting out the only knowledgeable advisers involved in the process is not going to become a problem for the insured’s?
I have a great idea! We can scan policy pages to pdf format and offer downloads directly from the Agency. Then, when our clients get bored – say, waiting for a delayed flight – they can go online and read their policies.
Now, THAT’s customer service!