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... x No Thanks Loading.. Customer Service: Reality Check 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Michael Manes This content has not been rated yet. CUSTOMER SERVICE: REALITY CHECK by Mike Manes Mike Manes presents a series of "episodes" that he observed in a single week while visiting his mother-in-law during a recent hospital visit. Each episode concludes with a common sense observation that defines reality and how it relates to Customer Service. Reality TV isn't real. In your daily reality, have you ever had the chance to choose a mate from dozens of "beautiful" people and win a million dollars in the process? Have you ever lived on a remote island for weeks for any reason? Did you ever feel the need to eat worms, skydive, or sit in a box filled with roaches? In today's world, this might be good TV — but it's not reality. Neither is Management 101: One of the first courses you take in business school. The concepts presented and the processes proposed make so much sense and appear so easy that you say, "I can do this." Then you graduate and try to apply these concepts in your office, store, plant, or warehouse. More often than not, the results don't parallel what you learned. Business courses offer great theory but are often far removed from reality. Remember MBWA (Management by Wandering Around)? Maybe it's time for business owners to learn RBWA — Reality by Wandering Around. Maybe it's time to forget the perfect world of academia, and fulfill what Max DePree calls the first ...

... costs. Properly operated, employee leasing can provide workers (at a fixed fee per time period or project) for generally longer periods than temporary help agencies. Employee leasing can be useful for projects that require a number of specialists who will not be needed after the project's end. One usual advantage of leased employees is that the cost of getting the job done through an outsource is less expensive than using common-law employees. A danger, however, occurs if the company providing the leased employees does not meet the tax or Workers' Comp obligations under the law. In this case, an employer utilizing leased employees may be liable for their taxes and benefits (including obligations under the Family Leave Act) . A recent IRS ruling exemplifies this confusion on the part of employers. Nurses supplied to a hospital by an outside firm were found to be working full-time on a schedule set by the hospital, were paid hourly by the hospital, and had no investment in their own equipment. The hospital required their attendance at an orientation before starting their job and could fire them. Of course, the ruling declared them to be hospital employees. The IRS said the hospital exercised enough control over the nurses to make them ineligible for the status of independent contractors or leased employees. TECHNICAL SERVICE SPECIALISTS This class includes computer specialists, engineers, and others acting through another company or on their own. Each of these types of employees is classified independently by the IRS under a special relief provision. STATUTORY EMPLOYEES (DISCUSSED AT LENGTH IN ARTICLE HOTLINKED ABOVE) Some types of salespeople are statutory employees, which means ...

... costs. Properly operated, employee leasing can provide workers (at a fixed fee per time period or project) for generally longer periods than temporary help agencies. Employee leasing can be useful for projects that require a number of specialists who will not be needed after the project's end. One usual advantage of leased employees is that the cost of getting the job done through an outsource is less expensive than using common-law employees. A danger, however, occurs if the company providing the leased employees does not meet the tax or Workers' Comp obligations under the law. In this case, an employer utilizing leased employees may be liable for their taxes and benefits (including obligations under the Family Leave Act) . A recent IRS ruling exemplifies this confusion on the part of employers. Nurses supplied to a hospital by an outside firm were found to be working full-time on a schedule set by the hospital, were paid hourly by the hospital, and had no investment in their own equipment. The hospital required their attendance at an orientation before starting their job and could fire them. Of course, the ruling declared them to be hospital employees. The IRS said the hospital exercised enough control over the nurses to make them ineligible for the status of independent contractors or leased employees. TECHNICAL SERVICE SPECIALISTS This class includes computer specialists, engineers, and others acting through another company or on their own. Each of these types of employees is classified independently by the IRS under a special relief provision. STATUTORY EMPLOYEES (DISCUSSED AT LENGTH IN ARTICLE HOTLINKED ABOVE) Some types of salespeople are statutory employees, which means ...

... marketing strategy targets the appropriate company. Although there are some 2,000 P/C carriers nationwide, there are significant differences among them. Licensed companies, non-admitted companies, regional companies, mutuals, stocks, and owner-operators all present opportunities to obtain an appropriate agency-company relationship. Company market knowledge is crucial. Knowing about P/C company purchases benefits a consultant, as does having relationships with top management at the companies. Treaty reinsurance brokers usually aren't good specialty insurance program consultants. Unfortunately, very few consultants have the technical knowledge to market programs. Once the program moves to company technicians, the consultant must negotiate with the underwriters and have the educational qualifications to answer their questions to complete the program with a good market. CASE STUDY Let's consider the placement of a general agency agreement for a hospital malpractice program requiring a $25 million occurrence limit. The first concern is to determine how many companies have the net worth to issue a $25 million gross policy limit before treaty or facultative reinsurance. Understanding this basic marketing strategy could save weeks of market research. Suppose the general agency has already built a favorable relationship with a direct writing reinsurance market. This limits the consultant because the direct writer has determined the terms and conditions of the reinsurance and controls the type of company security required. This could hamper the consultant with excessively stringent reinsurance terms. An effective consultant should have access to markets that use reinsurance intermediaries as their exclusive source of production. The agent is better protected when no one company dominates the reinsurance market. With the continuing vertical integration in the reinsurance business, suppose that ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Waste Anesthetic Gases 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. INFORMATION DATE 19910815 DESCRIPTION USDOL Program Highlights on Waste Anesthetic Gases SUBJECT Waste Anesthetic Gases ABSTRACT The waste anesthetic gases and vapors of concern are nitrous oxide and halogenated agents (vapors) such as halothane, enflurane, methoxyflurane, trichloroethylene, and chloroform. The list of workers with potential for exposure to WAGs includes nurses, physicians-surgeons, obstetricians, gynecologists-operating room technicians, and recovery room personnel; dentists and veterinarians and their assistants; and other auxiliaries. Hospital emergency room personnel may also be exposed, but not on a regular basis. OSHA, therefore, has developed technical instructions designed to give guidance for coping with exposure to WAGs. The instructions cover sampling methods, leak test procedures, medical surveillance, disposal methods, training and exposure to WAGs. U.S. Department of Labor Program Highlight Fact Sheet No. OSHA 91-38 WASTE ANESTHETIC GASES Anesthesia is as common to medical care as is antiseptic care of wounds. However, for too long exposure to and control of waste anesthetic gases (WAGs) and vapors during surgical procedures have put health care workers in jeopardy. At any given time more than 250,000 people who work in hospitals, operating rooms, dental offices, and veterinary clinics, might be exposed unnecessarily to harmful levels of WAGs. The waste anesthetic gases and vapors of concern are nitrous oxide and halogenated agents (vapors) such as halothane, enflurane, methoxyflurane, trichloroethylene, and chloroform. The list of workers with potential for exposure toWAGs includes nurses ...

... insurance can have a negative effect on themselves, others around them and the business. Many people find setting up their own health insurance package can be very expensive, time consuming and might they have to take some time off work to get it organized. By providing employees with a package it can lift a lot of weight off their shoulders and can help create a positive atmosphere between them and other employees in the business. Offering a health package shows that the employers care about their team being happy, healthy and can often help create trust between both parties. Some Group Health Insurance Packages Offer Access To A Wide Range Medical Care Group insurance can have many benefits in comparison to individual policies. Along with saving money, a lot of group health insurance packages allow you access to more doctors and hospitals than some individual packages. Most group health packages have a bigger network of hospitals and doctors. In many cases, group policies cover their customers to visit better hospitals. This all depends on what package the company has gone with, however to attract businesses, many insurance companies will do so to attract large groups of people to fend off competition. The goal of the CompleteMarkets editor is to bring valuable content to the CompleteMarkets members. Providing content to insurance professionals to enhance their sales process, increase revenue streams, understand their clients and provide value to their agency. Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you, your business or your family? Get quality appointments - Save yourself a whole ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. A Christmas Contribution 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. A CHRISTMAS CONTRIBUTION Clients appreciate receiving Christmas cards and letters. It's nice to know that someone out there cares and wants to be remembered. Several years ago, IMMS received a memorable Christmas letter from Consumer Marketing Inc. of Los Angeles, reproduced below. Your agency's favorite charity might be a children's hospital, the Salvation Army, a homeless shelter, or any of the thousands of other charities that need help. So this year, why not make a donation to a charity in your clients' names, then send a similar letter? Your clients will remember you. Dear (Customer Name), CHRISTMAS IS FOR KIDS! With this in mind, as in years past, we thought we would do something that would have a lasting benefit for children who are not as fortunate as we are during the holiday season. Since the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles has special needs at this time of year, we have made a contribution in your name to Children's Hospital so that the kids there might have a more enjoyable Christmas. We at Consumer Marketing thank you for helping to make this contribution possible and sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. CONSUMER MARKETING INCORPORATED Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you, your business or your family? Get quality appointments - Save yourself a whole lot of time & money when you use our directory ...

... needs to stay healthy and strong to succeed in school. Sure, young people can always count on professional academic help online whenever they don't feel that well. Finding a careful analysis of the company , talking to writers, and placing an order won't take much time but will bring fast, positive results. Still, it's much better when students don't have to pay for writing services due to poor health. Also, students often struggle with mental health. More young people than ever suffer from stress, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, among many other serious disorders. Getting professional help in all these cases is essential for wellness, safety, and school productivity. However, visiting a therapist without insurance can be expensive. Telehealth Telehealth is a rather common feature in most insurance companies and hospitals now. It is a highly efficient feature that saves patients money and time. Overall, telehealth is the ability to communicate with physicians via video calls or other forms of communication. Students can describe what bothers them, receive a diagnosis, and even prescriptions. Such healthcare options reduce the need to drive to hospitals, make appointments, or wait for hours. Plus, such services usually work 24/7 . Those benefits alone already encourage young people to discuss their health concerns with professionals, especially since the insurance policy covers such calls. Wellness discounts Students can't just stay healthy by their will. They need to take care of their bodies and minds. It includes doing sports, signing up for gym memberships, learning about nutrition and a balanced diet, eating well, etc. Learning ...

... will boost their bottom line by reducing risk. Sales Tip #8 : Strengthen relationship selling I've had my Personal Lines account with the same agency for 29 years. They don't offer the best products and I can get far better prices elsewhere. It's our relationship that keeps me doing business with them. My mother worked for this agency for a number of years until she became terminally ill and passed away more than two decades ago. During her final year, she was only able to work for a few weeks. At best, one could expect a decent insurance package to provide 60% pay under a salary continuance or LTD program. However, the agency owner continued to issue her full paycheck every two weeks whether she was able to work or not. When the call came from the hospital that she had only hours to live, I raced there at 2:00 a.m., just before she passed away. At 3:00 a.m., the agency owner and his wife showed up at the hospital to offer any help they could. I've never forgotten what they did for my family and, for that reason, I've never considered moving my account to save a few bucks. Relationships build loyalty. Strong relationships based on genuine interest, empathy, and compassion create fierce, almost fanatical, loyalty. If you treat your customers like family and go beyond the call of duty when needed, no coverage perks or pricing discounts can approach the effectiveness of such relationships. Sales Tip #9 : Use testimonials Include testimonials of long-term clients in your marketing materials. Every time ...

... because their staffs are constantly putting out their own fires. They don't realize that their severe and ongoing backlog issues are causing many of the crises that keep them from managing their workflows. CATCH-22 (OR SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES) You're constantly responding to crises or agency fires, so you can't reduce backlog. This backlog causes second, third, and fourth requests from clients and carriers, adding to the very workload that stops you from working on backlogs. This inevitably results in even greater backlogs. If the backlog includes unanswered phone calls and messages, the problem multiplies. When callers sense that their calls might not be returned, they tend to call more frequently. THE TRIAGE PROGRAM To help agents deal with their backlog woes, we recommend the Triage Program. Triage originated with Korean War and Vietnam-era field hospital procedures that treated incoming patients according to the severity of their wounds. Relatively minor injuries waited, while life-threatening wounds were treated even though the minor wounds might've reached the hospital first. Translating triage procedures to the agency environment requires setting priorities and managing backlog and workload. SETTING PRIORITIES Rate every item in your backlog as either: A' (must be done first — both urgent and important); B' (items needing attention — urgent or important); or C' (needs attention and processing, but not before A' and B' items — neither urgent nor important) . Put no more than 10% in the A' category. Regardless of the urgency of the backlog, only a minority of the work can be important enough to be considered first priority. We ...