Outstanding PCR Clean-Up Challenge

It is not uncommon when working with my clients to find a whole bunch of follow-ups or un-posted items in their agency management system. Such is the case at one of my clients. During the committee meeting discussing the standards and process for ordering and checking endorsements we found that there were in excess of 100 un-posted Policy Change Requests (PCR). There was the usual moan and statement, yet another backlog to solve.

Challenge Doodles

Generational Issues in the Insurance Workplace

This morning I am reading a great  article from “Property Casualty 360” titled As Older Agents Try to Adapt, Younger Agents Want to Be Heard. Over the years I have worked in a number of firms that were family owned with children becoming part of the firm or small firms adding young producers. Even though today’s internet and social media issues did not exist, some of the same conversations did exist. Those of you that were the “young” guys then are the “old” guys now. You need to think back and take stock. I heard more than one of your bosses say you would never make it. In one agency I worked in for a number of years I saw two things happen that so defines such differences and discussions. The time period 1970 – 1974. A lifetime ago right? I think you will recognize that similar issues exist today.

The Nonconformist Son – The owner’s middle son joined the firm after returning from his time in the military. The middle son had a great education, life experiences, a wide range of connections and many friends. Actually not so different from the Dad. Yet their work visions and habits were very different. The three of us actually shared a workspace so I heard almost all of their conversations. Many were very uncomfortable. The Dad was very successful. A diligent task master. Ethics beyond reproach. A great teacher. A really great mentor to his staff. However, not all of that transferred to his son. He somehow expected his son to understand how things were done and just get too it.

The son’s approach was much more his own style. Having lunch with his prospects and clients. Playing golf and tennis with them, etc. I’ve learned over the years that some of these great differences come from the Dad being influenced by the Great Depression and WWII and the son being living in a much different time period. Ultimately, the son left the firm and moved onto a very successful career outside the insurance industry.

The Loss of a Major Account – Same agency owner here. Of course the agency owner was personal friends with the owners of his major accounts. In the early 70s most of the business in our area were family owned instead of being corporations with boards of directors and owners located elsewhere. This particular account had many family members involved in the ownership and daily operation of the business. We also wrote the personal lines business of almost this entire family along with numerous employees of the firm.

The senior member and personal friend of my boss passed away after a short illness. The line of succession in the firm had been decided a number of years and the Dad of that firm had been grooming the son so that such a transition would mean no interruption in the business. About three months after the passing of the firm’s owner the son walked into the agency with all of their firm’s insurance policies in his hand. He sat at my boss’s desk and signed the front of each policy with his name, a request to cancel and the date. It was a very somber day in our office.

A few weeks later when I was processing the return premium invoices my boss and I had a conversation about this. I asked what he thought had happened. We had always made sure that anyone connected with the firm was well taken care of. There had been no negative claim issues. No apparent problems. His reply to me was that he had not taken the time or thought it necessary to build a relationship with the son that was now in the senior position. He thought that would automatically transfer from Dad to Son.

The Son had a friend also in the insurance agency business. The friend had solicited their business for several years. Once the Son was in the senior position he found that he preferred doing business with his peer and friend instead of someone he didn’t know all that well.

Senior agency owners and managers. Take note here. While these examples are from the 70s, I think there are many similar stories today. The only difference, more tools with which to engage prospects and clients. Maybe the young people in your firm should be your mentors.

Help them set goals, be sure they know your agency’s core beliefs and ethics and get out of their way.

What challenges are you facing one either side of this issue?

Change With A Positive Attitude

This past week was my 1st visit to a new client. Over the past few years agencies in small towns have taken a real beating.

  • Shrinking businesses in their town and surrounding area = less clients and prospects.
  • Businesses and families struggling to make ends meet. Insurance needs my come last and be bare bones.
  • Insurance carriers cutting agencies that can’t meet production standards.
  • The continuing soft market.
  • Difficulty finding qualified employees.

Frequently I often find everyone from the owner to the receptionist depressed or pessimistic or both.

So how does an agency remain above the fray, survive, thrive and keep up that positive, optimistic attitude?

Never Give Up

Insurance Agency Goals for 2012

2011 seemed to be a really slow year for insurance agency initiatives. Most of my clients updated document templates as necessary, updated a website or two and seemed to do only business improvements that were necessary. Reasons I have heard are:

  • Budget constraints.
  • We need to work and write business and not make improvements or changes.
  • Nothing new happening with our systems so no updates or changes needed.

I get the budget constraints. But the other “reasons” are not valid in my opinion. If you are sitting still you are falling behind.

Old Covered Bridge

Change Can Be Good

At the Dallas Women of Faith a few weeks ago, Patsy Clarimont was telling the story of her son’s very serious and lengthy illness. Several weeks into his stay in the hospital, she and her husband arrived at the hospital one morning to find that their son was going to be moved from intensive care to a different unit.

She questioned if it he was ready yet and would he have everything he might need in the new unit.  As would be expected, she had lots of questions and uncertainty about what was going to happen. As is often the case in hospital, there is lots of reassuring with minimal information and answers.

Patsy said that in the back of her mind she kept hearing “Change can be good”. Since there seemed to be no option but to move forward that is what she did. When her son was moved to the new unit, a new doctor and her team arrived in the room. The doctor made it very clear that she did not want to hear from anyone unless she specifically asked them a question. Parents included.

Changing fish bowl

We Did Pretty Good

On this week’s America’s Got Talent (July 13, 2011) the judges were very lukewarm on their comments for the arial act. The judges said that the performers didn’t step it up in this performance. They said the performers actually took a step back. One judge told them that they were very disappointed as they had shown such promise previously.

After their performance, Nick Cannon (the host) asked them how they thought they did. The young man said he thought they did “pretty good”. I think that is the point the judges were trying to make. You just did pretty good, not great. They are competing for a million dollars. The act that wins that has to be great, not pretty good. What does this have to do with an insurance agency?

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What Color is the Language in Your Office?

I haven’t thought much about this lately as the offices I have been visiting the last few months seem to have little if any “blue” language.  However, in the Parade Magazine in our newspaper this week there was a short piece on “Gordon Ramsay, Meanest Man on TV?”  For those of you that might not know this TV personality, his shows are all blue language.  I don’t watch his show, however, on one of our recent visits to a hospital emergency room, his show was on.  I was surprised and offended.  There were a number of children present and felt that it was certainly inappropriate viewing for these young people.

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Who Is On Your Agency’s Team?

Last week there were several news reports about ladies in their 90s receiving Master Degrees.  One such lady is Helen Small show graduated from University of Texas Dallas.  Here is an article on this amazing lady. http://tinyurl.com/29rrbhb.  So what do people like this have that others don’t?  Why do they keep learning when they could be doing leisurely things all day?  When working with agencies I hear a number of excuses related to learning.

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Should There Be Creativity In An Insurance Agency?

This article was created after reading “Driven by Distraction – How Twitter and Facebook Make Us More Productive Workers” from the March 2010 WIRED Magazine. I would encourage you to read the entire article.

My prospects and clients often tell me that they want everyone in their agency to do things the same way. That is what they expect me to accomplish when they engage my services. Well, what exactly does that mean? Do they want a bunch of robots that can’t think for themselves? It is very important that an insurance agency has standards, procedures and workflows and that everyone follow them. But these defined standards, procedures and workflows address processes. What about thinking, negotiating, customer service, marketing and a host of other situations that arise everyday?

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Blogging for Insurance Agencies

Over the past couple of months I have been having my website re-done into a blog forward site.  I want to share my thoughts and experiences on:

  • Best Practices for insurance agencies.
  • How to integrate and maximize your technology.
  • Discuss issues relating to agency culture and attracting and retaining the next generation of staff.
  • And other subjects of interest to you.

I want to hear from you about the subject that interest and concern you.  I am using Intense Debate for comments.  You will find this a more interactive format for comments and discussions.