Premium Auditors: Professionalism In Practice

by Rhonda Hamel

As a provider of educational services to insurance agents, I've learned many things about how other insurance professionals perceive premium auditors: as rude, abrupt, uneducated, and pushy. Unfortunately, it's rare for agents to say how professional, knowledgeable, people oriented, and helpful the insurance auditors they encountered have been.

How can premium auditors change this perception? Lets' start with appearance. Auditors should dress appropriately for the market we serve. That might mean 'dressy business' to work downtown and much more casual to work in small towns or suburbs. We don't want to intimidate the policyholder.

Beyond appearance, our manners must be above reproach. This goes beyond 'please' and 'thank you.' On initial contact, it includes good telephone etiquette and accommodating the insured in scheduling (not waiting until the audit is due to make the initial contact). On site, it means being sensitive to the insured, making the best use of the shortest period of time possible, not interrupting normal workflow to ask questions, and being friendly and polite.

Organization is essential to send the right message about our professionalism. Do we have a business card? Is our briefcase so overflowing with papers that the insured's audit request is difficult to find? Do we have a manual in which to look up a classification?

Procedure is also important. It's very helpful for the auditor to explain what information was gathered, from where, and who is included in the various classifications with an officer or someone in charge-but not to discuss particular issues that might cause disagreements, such as classification differences. Under no circumstances should we say someone was 'wrong' in classifying the risk. We have to choose what we say well, but how we say it even better.

Education is imperative to improve our credentials. Professional positions have designations. Auditors must strive to get their APA, CPCU, and any other designation possible. We must belong and contribute to our local, regional, and national auditor's associations to take advantage of educational programs, networking, information about our industry. Thumbs up to the National Society of Insurance Premium Auditors for the recognition they give to those completing the CIPA program! We should include involvement in other insurance-related associations as well. We must subscribe and belong to all of the educational material providers we can afford.

Due to the nature of our profession-we usually cost a policyholder money-it's extremely difficult to be recognized as the professionals that we are. However, with diligent efforts in each of these areas, together with others too numerous to mention, we can each take an active role in improving the insurance industry's perception of the premium auditor.