This content has not been rated yet.
CHEMICAL SPILLS by Scott Lawson Many companies establish spill-response plans to comply with the HAZWOPER standard (CFR 1910.120), yet fail to develop a program that addresses their specific hazards...
This content has not been rated yet.
CLAIM PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES by Mary Beth Bolen Of all the things a customer service representative (CSR) does for clients, you and the agency are most directly affected by the clients' receptio...
This content has not been rated yet.
The cluster concept has been a popular one for doctors, dentists, realtors, and others for many years. Insurance agency clusters have been around for a few decades, but interest in them intensified during the hard market of the early 1980s. At that time, smaller agencies banded together to protect themselves against increasing carrier demands brought on by tighter market conditions.
This content has not been rated yet.
Do you regularly negotiate such contractual issues as commission rates, growth goals, etc. with your companies?
Congratulations to the 57% who responded, “Yes!” Based on those positive responses, it appears that agencies of all sizes are negotiating. Negotiations aren't limited to larger agencies. If these agents weren't succeeding in their negotiations, even in a hard market, they'd be giving up. Although 57% is a good percentage, I'd love to see this number keep growing. If you aren't negotiating contractual issues with your companies, isn't it time to begin?
This content has not been rated yet.
COMPANY UNDERWRITING COMMUNICATION One advantage of computerization is the ability to mass-produce customized information - letters, application forms, or submissions for quotes. How often have you p...
This content has not been rated yet.
Very few employees will leave your agency simply for more money. They will usually have other valid (to them) reasons that, when also combined with a higher salary, push them to seek employment elsewhere. If a review of the compensation survey results (from another Middleton letter) confirmed that your agency is paying people within a reasonable range of 'average,' the level of compensation should not be of major concern. What you do have to worry about is how you are paying those dollars and how your management philosophy and style complement the overall compensation administration plan.
This content has not been rated yet.
COMPUTER COMFORT FOR CSRs by Mary Beth Bolen As we all know by now, ergonomics is essential for people who work at a computer all day. CSRs can maintain sanity and prevent injury by guarding aga...
This content has not been rated yet.
CONNECTIONS: 'DO UNTO OTHERS ...' by Jack Burke Happy employees make for happy customers. You've heard that before, along with 'Your employees will treat your customers the same way the...
This content has not been rated yet.
CONSIDER OUTSIDE HELP TODAY! by Grace Bauer An outside facilitator can help you to run processes much quicker. They ...
This content has not been rated yet.
CONTINGENCIES: WHAT'S ALL THE HULLABALOO? by Rob Ekern The contingencies controversy can give agents a competitive advantage. If I had a thousand dollars for every pound of pape...