CUSTOMER SATISFACTION by Mary Beth Bolen Common wisdom has it that nearly 70% of customers who leave to do business elsewhere do so because the personnel they deal with are indifferent to thei...

E&O: E-MAILS AND BINDING COVERAGE by Curt Pearsall E-mail between agents and their clients is becoming increasingly common. Curt Pearsall recommends that you and your staff develop and implement ...

“Moments of truth” occurs whenever CSRs and producers talk to a customer on the phone or in person. It’s important that each member of the agency be prepared for this contact. The impression left with the client or prospect will determine their future relationship with your agency. Because the ultimate goal of any business is to obtain and retain customers, it’s essential for you to create the proper image at the moment of truth. Some of the key factors in managing the moment of truth are:

If you offer a policy review, your agency must be prepared to handle responses. The first 10 seconds of a phone call may be crucial in forming the caller's impression of your professionalism. Depending on the agency's system for routing incoming calls, we advise that Life calls be handled by Life staff. In emergency situations, enough information should be obtained on the first call to enable the Life producer to reach the caller again, even if communications are difficult; don't lose the caller!

TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES by Mary Beth Bolen A business telephone is like a window: The telephone allows a person to 'see' into your company without ever walking through its doors. Moreover, you ha...

TRAINING TIPS by Karen Flaherty How to meet the challenges and opportunities of training a new employee. During your career as a CSR, youll be asked (probab...

WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS COME CALLING: TELEPHONE RULES FOR EVERYONE IN THE AGENCY by Judi Newman ...