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... and court cases), applies a methodology to convince the adjuster that the insured's/agent's interpretation for coverage is just as valid as the adjuster's initial basis for claim denial. However, sometimes a claim denial arises that defies logic and reason. Here's a Personal Lines example of such a claim that another faculty member passed along recently: An insured who was moving loaded clothes and personal property into her car. She placed a magnifying glass on the leather seat of her car and left it there for a few hours. When she returned, she discovered that the focused sunlight had burned a hole in the seat. The adjuster denied the claim on the premise that it wasn't within the definition of accident' in the policy as a sudden, unexpected, and unintended occurrence. The policy defines a loss ... claim: Exclusion 2.j.(5 ) — That particular part of real property on which you or any contractors or subcontractors working directly or indirectly on your behalf are performing operations, if the property damage' arises out of those operations .. [emphasis added] . The insured was not working on the door. Exclusion 2.j.(6 ) — That particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because your work' was incorrectly performed on it .. [emphasis added] . The insured was not working on the door. Exclusion 2.j.(4 ) — Personal property in the care, custody, or control of the insured .. The door was neither personal property (ISO added this wording in 1986 and separated it from the real property' exclusion), nor ...

... to who they are outside the business context. This enables clients and prospects to identify with, and bond with, your employees. For instance, my page at www.soundmarketing.com shows pictures of my grandchildren and my auto restoration hobby. Quite frequently those pictures become the initial commonality in conversations with prospects. I even had a NASA scientist contact me because he'd found our Web site when searching for a classic car part. While visiting our site, he noticed various communications products that could benefit his operation at NASA. Now, about that e-mail and the story of Ivan (with a heart) . I often excuse incredibly big companies from the need to really personalize. I just can't picture AT&T or Microsoft getting really personal. Granted, Amazon.com has managed to make personalization an art, but ... a complete list of your employees and some means of contacting them. I strongly urge companies to provide their employees with their own pages, where they can post photographs and provide insight as to who they are outside the business context. This enables clients and prospects to identify with, and bond with, your employees. For instance, my page at www.soundmarketing.com shows pictures of my grandchildren and my auto restoration hobby. Quite frequently those pictures become the initial commonality in conversations with prospects. I even had a NASA scientist contact me because he'd found our Web site when searching for a classic car part. While visiting our site, he noticed various communications products that could benefit his operation at NASA. Now, about that e-mail and the story of Ivan (with a heart) . I often excuse ...

...vance, hang up and call someone who cares.' Ever feel as though the company yo... you, Ivan, for your heart. Anyone who cares that much about his customers wil...

... . There's more. In the same survey, 65% assume that leaving prices unchanged is a sign that the brand is popular, while the same percentage believes it indicates that the product is already a good value. In the food business, McDonalds, Burger King, Chili's, Applebee's, and others recognize the price-cutting problem by creating new value menus that don't compete with their regular offerings. Some car manufacturers are responding with the same strategy by introducing new, lower-priced models such as the Nissan Cube and the Kia Soul. 2. Figure out that tough is normal. Referring to the devastation of the recession, we hear people say, "We didn't need this." Of course, we don't need all the job losses, dashed personal plans, and families forgoing necessities. What we ... ask the people of Fargo, ND about tough. They didn't whine or whimper when the Red River reached a crest at more than 40 feet. They filled and stacked more than three million sandbags in record time. They won some and lost some, and after the river began receding, plain-talking, gutsy Mayor Dennis Walaker gave the city a new challenge, "Our word for the day is restore and recharge." That's the right memo! Tough is normal and it's time to get used to it. 3. Get the right vision. In Epic of America, James Truslow Adams explored what it was that gave America its prominence. As David Kamp, writing in Vanity Fair notes, "What Adams came up with was a construct he called that American dream of a better, ...

... with their regular offerings. Some car manufacturers are responding with the ... the product to the customer and takes care of the transaction right on the sp...

...riety of “shapes,” such as business cards, cars, trucks and other specialty themes. ...when agencies are looking for ways to carve out a distinctive place in the ma...

...ems go on. If you are in your car, pull to the side of the road and stop the car. Do not park under bridges or overpasses or overhead wires. Stay in your car until the shaking has stopped. Stay in your car if electrical wires have fallen across...l times. Open food boxes or cans carefully so that you can close them ti...

... they can't get to work or if they're overly stressed by a greatly increased workload following a disaster, they won't be able to help your customers. Your first response in a disaster should be to contact all employees and determine their status. Find out who's available to come in to work and who isn't. I know of an agency that has gone so far as to list which employees drive high cars' such as SUVs and which drive low cars. With this information, the agency knows who can make it to the office in certain conditions and who needs transportation. You might have a calling tree' for determining the status of employees and getting information out to them. Another option is to use a voice-mail system, perhaps with the understanding that every employee will call the office in the event ... large area, everyone might be using cell phones, which might prevent you from connecting consistently. When putting your plan together, contact your phone service provider to see if you can sign up to pay for any special disaster plans. In many cases you might be able to subscribe to a service that puts your agency's lines on a top-priority list, so you'll be among the first to have service restored. You might also look into signing up for a program that would allow you to easily forward your agency's phone number to a different number, which could be connected at your temporary location. Even if the phone lines are intact, you might not be able to use your phone system. Many advanced office phone systems require electricity. Plan for such a possibility by keeping a plain old telephone ...

... Do you ever come up blank when trying to think of creative ways to grow your agency? Believe it or not, there are still a lot of fresh ideas out there. Here are 25 of the best. Idea #1 : Use shaped CDs to deliver a message that will make a lasting impression. CDs are available in a variety of "shapes," such as business cards, cars, trucks and other specialty themes. Use shaped CDs to deliver memorable moments to customers and prospects. Business cards that are also CDs with information about your agency Proposals Scanned policies An internet search will show you a number of different vendors that offer shaped CDs. Idea #2 : Publicize your agency's commitment to social responsibility. Advertising your commitment to going "Green" can also result in some ... legislation. Compliance with federal privacy legislation such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Privacy Act (GLBA) is not only the law — it's an excellent way to demonstrate your agency's professionalism. Create a consistent way to communicate how you protect customers through such procedures as using registered email when e-mailing customer data, providing a Privacy Policy to explain how your agency protects Non-Personal Information (NPI) and offering resources that protect and restore a client's identity. Privacy Legislation Idea #4 : Put your logo on products local businesses can give away. The creative folks at Argus Financial Services in Chicago came up with a fantastic marketing idea: They put their logo on coolers, and then offer them to a local convenience store to give out to their clients. This is a classic win-win-win: The customers enjoy the coolers, the ...