Posted On: August 13, 2008, 9:57 am CDT

Posted By: Big Dog

Having previously worked for Aon, I can tell you that they're losing much of their "middle market" business to regional brokers.

Why? Because they can't provide any REAL service. They've outsourced much of their backoffice work to India (and to say that's been a disaster is an understatement), and their clients simply don't like the service, or lack there of, that they're receiving.

Add into that they're trying to increase the service fees they charge, claiming their cost of doing business has increased.

The small and mid-sized regional agencies do have an advantage over the big houses in that they can provide REAL service, including risk management, at a lower cost.

Being on the "client side" now, there are quite a number of our competators and associates that won't do business with the big houses because of their high "service" fees and lack of personal contact.

That being said, I don't feel at all sorry for Aon, Marsh, Willis, AJ Gallagher, or even Lockton.