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An agency that motivates and invests in its service people can be confident that its customers will recieve outstanding customer service experiences.

Customer Service Focus

Fat and happy in the rabbit hole

"Wonderland" educates and supports novice CSR

By Freida Cooper, CISR, CPIA

One crisp October morning, I took a giant step and walked through the door of an insurance agency that had just celebrated its third anniversary. The agency was the newest venture of a well-recognized travel company. During the first week as the agency's Customer Service Representative (CSR,) I got an introduction to Insurance 101. The following week, I was sent to pre-licensing classes taught by a former radio personality. His classes were animated, and his style was engaging. I felt much like Alice, only I was in "Insuranceland," there to retain as much as possible during a four-day course and, on the fifth day, earn the highly coveted agent's license. What a quest!

With passing grade in hand, I returned the victor and was congratulated by one and all. Then the real work began, one-on-one training with the vice president of insurance, who, although I had no understanding of his designation at the time, was a Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU.)

In the quiet of his office, we sat together at his round table. He would spend an hour of every afternoon reviewing personal lines policies with me. He explained policy language, page by page, line by line. He talked about underwriting, the importance of reviewing reports and claims history. He spoke of ethics, honesty and doing the best for each customer. My boss cared about building relationships, writing good business, and the effects service would have on retaining our clients. "Mr. CPCU" wanted to be sure that the agency's CSR was well prepared, could support the sales staff, understood the contract verbiage and, when the need arose, would be able to translate policy language in terms that our customers could understand—hence, no jargon. Being the professional that he was, he had done the same with the other staff members. We worked together like a well-oiled machine, each helping the other to achieve the agency's goals.

A couple of years later, I moved to a neighboring state and began working in a larger, more established insurance agency. This agency had numerous customer service representatives, and CSR goals centered on the volume of calls processed during the 8-hour workday. The agency philosophy was that well-trained CSRs would "wow" the customer with their product knowledge and their speedy service, making paramount the need to resolve issues quickly, without compromising service. All CSRs received in-house and off-site education and training. In addition, supervisors monitored calls for content and duration. At the end of the week, they would review with the CSRs and make recommendations for improvements.

I passed the first two modules for the designation of the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) in their conference room. The agency also introduced me to the National Association of Insurance Women (NAIW) and supported my membership in the local chapter. I used the training and the supervisor's suggestions to resolve customer issues within an acceptable time frame, and occasionally, a customer would return very positive feedback, acknowledging how pleased they were. While the method was different from that of the previous agency, the objective was the same. As I reflect, I learned the importance of listening, taking good notes, agility, and professional camaraderie.

Fast-forward to the present, a bit more seasoned and now at an even larger agency, my specialty is remarketing existing accounts. I've earned the CISR designation. I've also completed the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) designation, in part, because of my association with the Professional Insurance Agents of VA & DC. It's a long way from where I began, but the atmosphere is much like that of my first insurance experiences. The focus is one of building and maintaining customer relationships. Customer service and retention are at the forefront. The CSRs function as a team, and teamwork sometimes makes the difference between giving good customer service and giving great customer service.

As customer service professionals, we are encouraged to put the needs of the customer first, and in an effort to protect the customers, we do our very best to recommend the most comprehensive coverage that fits the client's budget. With regard to carrier ratings and stability, and in consideration of acceptable coverage limits, there are set standards for companies we do business with and coverage minimums that we offer.

The agency supports CSR memberships in insurance groups, societies, and our continuing education endeavors, which is a plus for the customers as it assures that we are always reinforcing what we've learned, growing, and learning new techniques that enable us to provide better service. There's also an open door policy in place: Management always considers suggestions for service improvements.

During my time here, I've received numerous new business referrals from both the personal and commercial arena, most likely the result of positive service experiences. I have also been privy to, and witnessed, the most exceptional customer service.

Most recently, while servicing a new client account, one of our senior account managers was reviewing a company inspection report. After seeing the photos of the duplex-style home, she recalled having seen the same home in another inspection done by the same company. It had crossed her desk a few days earlier.

The account manager backtracked and found the other customer. She recalled that during their previous conversation, the insured said that his home was over insured. The inspection's calculation was for both sides of the duplex, with replacement cost based on 4,338 square feet, while the city assessment listed 2,618. Because of faulty inspection, the customer had been over-charged for the past six years. The account manager contacted the carrier, discussed her findings and provided verification. Resolution didn't happen right away. There were quite a few conversations, but after three months of persistence, her efforts finally resulted in a $15,268 refund to the customer. You can just imagine how grateful he was. Kudos to the account manager, who, as a matter of fact, also holds the CISR designation!

Another wonderful example of great service comes from one of our commercial account managers. Before the military transferred her family to Virginia, she'd worked with agencies in California, Louisiana and Texas—agencies that also were big on training. Once the family got settled here, she joined our agency, at first in the accounting department, and when a position became available, commercial lines. Her previous CISR training, accounting background, and 18 years of customer service experience, combined with her being a military spouse, influenced her perspective on the true nature of service.

Not too long after joining the commercial team, she was presented with an account that had encountered its share of issues. After careful review, she discovered that the business was missing essential coverage and was also paying for duplicate coverage through various policies. She analyzed the business exposures and determined the insurance needs. She then compiled an effective insurance program that addressed the coverage and limits required to protect the company's daily operations. The business was then placed with a carrier that gave them much better coverage and also shaved over $20,000 off the premium that they had become accustomed to paying. As an added plus, the agency also received higher commission. Thrilled by her service, the company principal made a request that only she handle his accounts going forward. Currently, this savvy commercial account manager is pursuing the Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI) designation and is also a proud recipient of a USI Golden Bat Award for scoring homeruns through her great service!

Customer service representatives play an increasingly important role in our industry, one that is ever changing and regularly brings new challenges for carriers, agencies, and customers alike. Years have passed since those first afternoons at the round table, but those sessions gave me a solid foundation. Agency support, continuing education and training reinforced that foundation and gave me the tools and flexibility to adapt with change and to stay up-to-date when an opportunity presented itself. In my experience, an agency that motivates and invests in its service people can be confident that its customers will receive outstanding customer service experiences. Those satisfied customers will stay with the agency and boast of their experiences whenever possible—generating referrals from relatives, friends, and colleagues—ensuring that the agency thrives, happily ever after.

The author

Freida Cooper, CISR, CPIA, has 10 years' experience in the insurance industry, starting as a customer service representative (CSR). She currently is a personal lines account manager for USI Insurance Services in Norfolk, Virginia. Her primary responsibilities are client retention and remarketing; however, she also writes new business from client referrals and cross-sales. She was named the Virginia CSR of the Year for 2012 and 2013 by The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research.

For more information on the CSR of the Year contest or the CISR program, go to: www.TheNationalAlliance.com.

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