I’ve been an agent for Cincinnati Insurance for many years. I’m very proud of our partnership with Cincinnati. We represent nearly every major carrier and (too) many regionals. Our mutually profitable relationship with Cincinnati is built on trust. Together, we decide on appropriate pricing and what type of accounts to insure. Together we settle claims and utilize loss control. If forced to choose between doing business with Cincinnati or “the field”, I’d choose Cincinnati. Partnership is more than a word. It’s the way they do business. They’ve always been loyal to me and I’ll be returning that favor. My guess is most Cincinnat agents feel the same way.
Proud to be a Cincinnati agent: I have to admit to you that for all of the bashing of Cincinnati here, it makes me wonder why I see so many BIG agencies committed to them. You write the reasons why agents are so loyal to them, and more carriers should be like them. Even given all of their shortcomings, they seem to build relationships and loyalty. Our agency doesn’t have them, but we often wish we did. The only problem, and i’m hearing it from a lot of sources, is that Cincinnati appears to be finally heading for some very dark days. Lots of problems, and maybe too many to recover from.
Well, if you read the quotes from AM Best, the big problem is that Cincinnati is poo-pooing the entire issue. Unfortunately that little A++ is heading for an A or even a minus. Give it 6 months. And the party IS over. Cincinnati won’t be a player again until 2010. Watch.
Meanwhile, what I want to know is just when will Lib Mutual and their tribe get theirs? They are buying busines – no underwriting – across the countryside. AND NOW they are even starting to compete against each other! We just bowed out on an account that expired at $175,000. We were at $110,000 and another agent had Indiana at $95,000. LIBERTY was at $85,000 – and the last I heard the other agent was trying to reload with Indiana?? Just who in the heck are these people trying to kid??? Now they are even underselling each other?
Cincinnati has much lower turnover than any other company I know. And much better than the like of Hartford, Zurich etc. Many employees stay with Cincy for their entire careers. And most are there for a substantial time. Maybe it wasn’t the employer, but the employee that was the problem (check mirror).
Ahem. check that. The employees stay at cincinnati becuase they have nowhere else to go. Kind of like the employees in Sun Prairie, WI or Westfield, OH or West Bend or Pekin, IL or Frankenmuth, MI. if you spend 25 years there, just where do you think you’ll go? They can treat you like crud. And most do.
Congratulations to CIC for finally getting what is coming to them. Their agents may be in support and proud to represent them now, but let’s see where they stand when their ratings fall. Selling would be the best thing that the Schiff family could do to help those employees who don’t get a 401K to at least recoup some of their stock losses. I hear Liberty is still looking to buy. Who’s to say that the Fairfield CIC complex won’t have a Lady Liberty standing proudly infront one day.
I used to work at CIC until recently and still literally have nightmares about returning to that place for employment. The PL VP, Helmers, is one of the biggest jerks in the company. He has his little groupies that intimidates into submission.
I have also read here and know that CIC treats their agency base like royalty…that is very true. The commission structure is awesome and the yearly trips for agents is five star treatment. If only they treated their employees as well.
I’m not happy to see the stock go down so low but the company needs to think about what makes them successful and that is their employees.
We are also proud to represent Cincinnati, as are all their agents. They are highly selective in choosing the agencies to represent them, so I can understand some of the reaction from competitors. Loyalty and commitment are real to them and with us. They are not sophisticated underwriters but look at their combined ratios over the past 10+ years – always superior to the competion. They are having some portfolio problems now, but they will make the necessary adjustments. One thing you can count on – they will not over-react.
I’m glad the agents can reap the benefits of the hard work of the underwriters and staff of CIC. You can go on your President Club all expense paid trips. You are loyal because of what CIC gives you…I get that. BUT…
Agents should walk one day in the shoes of CIC underwriters and you can then tell them to look in the mirror and see who is the problem…not them.
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I’ve been an agent for Cincinnati Insurance for many years. I’m very proud of our partnership with Cincinnati. We represent nearly every major carrier and (too) many regionals. Our mutually profitable relationship with Cincinnati is built on trust. Together, we decide on appropriate pricing and what type of accounts to insure. Together we settle claims and utilize loss control. If forced to choose between doing business with Cincinnati or “the field”, I’d choose Cincinnati. Partnership is more than a word. It’s the way they do business. They’ve always been loyal to me and I’ll be returning that favor. My guess is most Cincinnat agents feel the same way.
Proud to be a Cincinnati agent: I have to admit to you that for all of the bashing of Cincinnati here, it makes me wonder why I see so many BIG agencies committed to them. You write the reasons why agents are so loyal to them, and more carriers should be like them. Even given all of their shortcomings, they seem to build relationships and loyalty. Our agency doesn’t have them, but we often wish we did. The only problem, and i’m hearing it from a lot of sources, is that Cincinnati appears to be finally heading for some very dark days. Lots of problems, and maybe too many to recover from.
Well, if you read the quotes from AM Best, the big problem is that Cincinnati is poo-pooing the entire issue. Unfortunately that little A++ is heading for an A or even a minus. Give it 6 months. And the party IS over. Cincinnati won’t be a player again until 2010. Watch.
Meanwhile, what I want to know is just when will Lib Mutual and their tribe get theirs? They are buying busines – no underwriting – across the countryside. AND NOW they are even starting to compete against each other! We just bowed out on an account that expired at $175,000. We were at $110,000 and another agent had Indiana at $95,000. LIBERTY was at $85,000 – and the last I heard the other agent was trying to reload with Indiana?? Just who in the heck are these people trying to kid??? Now they are even underselling each other?
Cincinnati has much lower turnover than any other company I know. And much better than the like of Hartford, Zurich etc. Many employees stay with Cincy for their entire careers. And most are there for a substantial time. Maybe it wasn’t the employer, but the employee that was the problem (check mirror).
Ahem. check that. The employees stay at cincinnati becuase they have nowhere else to go. Kind of like the employees in Sun Prairie, WI or Westfield, OH or West Bend or Pekin, IL or Frankenmuth, MI. if you spend 25 years there, just where do you think you’ll go? They can treat you like crud. And most do.
Congratulations to CIC for finally getting what is coming to them. Their agents may be in support and proud to represent them now, but let’s see where they stand when their ratings fall. Selling would be the best thing that the Schiff family could do to help those employees who don’t get a 401K to at least recoup some of their stock losses. I hear Liberty is still looking to buy. Who’s to say that the Fairfield CIC complex won’t have a Lady Liberty standing proudly infront one day.
I used to work at CIC until recently and still literally have nightmares about returning to that place for employment. The PL VP, Helmers, is one of the biggest jerks in the company. He has his little groupies that intimidates into submission.
I have also read here and know that CIC treats their agency base like royalty…that is very true. The commission structure is awesome and the yearly trips for agents is five star treatment. If only they treated their employees as well.
I’m not happy to see the stock go down so low but the company needs to think about what makes them successful and that is their employees.
We are also proud to represent Cincinnati, as are all their agents. They are highly selective in choosing the agencies to represent them, so I can understand some of the reaction from competitors. Loyalty and commitment are real to them and with us. They are not sophisticated underwriters but look at their combined ratios over the past 10+ years – always superior to the competion. They are having some portfolio problems now, but they will make the necessary adjustments. One thing you can count on – they will not over-react.
I’m glad the agents can reap the benefits of the hard work of the underwriters and staff of CIC. You can go on your President Club all expense paid trips. You are loyal because of what CIC gives you…I get that. BUT…
Agents should walk one day in the shoes of CIC underwriters and you can then tell them to look in the mirror and see who is the problem…not them.
aren’t companies reinsured for these cat losses