How to find agencies that have procedures?

[jobhunter]

Is it pretty much standard procedure for agents to quote using the smallest, most barebones info they can get, THEN do the application? Am I crazy to think it should be app>quote>proposal, not barebones info>quote>proposal>app?

Anyway, that's just an example of what I mean by procedure. Other examples could be haphazard certificate/additional insured treatment, misunderstanding of insurable interest, etc. Is there a way to seek out agencies that have strong procedures for employment seeking purposes? Or are you pretty much limited to the standard "apply and interview" process, and have to go through all that, and ask this at the interview?

I know one way to identify them would be looking on the Best Practices agency list, but there's not that many Best Practices agencies.

[yoyowordup]

I tell potential CSR's and Producers to call my agency employees/producers to find out how things are really done. Interviews are typically telling each other how awesome you are, but both parties need to do their due diligence to find out the real scoop.

[d's insurance store]

Are you headed to a Personal Lines agency, a Commercial Lines agency or an all purpose agency? Small or large?

Larger agencies are likely to have much more structure internally. Commercial is likely to have more structure as well. Smaller, struggling agencies are more prone to 'just get it on the books' kinds of processes. If you have experience in the biz, then you've likely been exposed to the various practices, best and otherwise, from activities in other agency environments, and of course, you can and should use that experience to your best advantage in deciding where to rent your talents.

[jobhunter]

Are you headed to a Personal Lines agency, a Commercial Lines agency or an all purpose agency? Small or large?

Larger agencies are likely to have much more structure internally. Commercial is likely to have more structure as well. Smaller, struggling agencies are more prone to 'just get it on the books' kinds of processes. If you have experience in the biz, then you've likely been exposed to the various practices, best and otherwise, from activities in other agency environments, and of course, you can and should use that experience to your best advantage in deciding where to rent your talents.

My experience is all commercial, so that's what I would be looking for. I've been at 3 agencies in my career, and 2 were mid-sized, and for the present I'm at a smaller one. You're right; I definitely appreciate the structure the other 2 had now that I'm at one that doesn't have it. If larger agencies is the way to go, then I've learned that lesson for sure.

Of course, it is the very fact that I used to work under strong procedures before that makes me squirm now; after all, had I not been taught that way early in my career, I wouldn't care so much now. But I've probably become even more fanatic about it than my previous agencies were. For example, I'd love it if somehow, someone could write up a concise, one page disclaimer that perfectly explains the fact that insurance is a contract, with each policy targeting a specific area, and everyone would have to sign it.

I know that from a profitability standpoint, large and small accounts are different, but from an E&O standpoint, it just doesn't make any sense to spend 10 hours analyzing a $50,000 account's exposures, but then treating the $5000 dollar account as purely transactional without making any attempt to educate them on what they are not buying.

You can probably tell I'm motivated by both adversity to E&O exposure as well as the desire to educate the client, whether a $500 BOP or $500,000 GL. It just seems like, instead of asking clients to fill out applications (with assistance as required) and then doing a good analysis, everyone's in a hurry to just ask 10 questions to get the initial prospect introductions over with, then make assumptions about the rest of it. I personally think that we as agents should always ask prospects to spend a little time completing applications first (on their own to the extent possible), so that we can spend our time evaluating their exposures, and not spend our time saying "OK, what's your mailing address..."

[d's insurance store]

I think with your stated objectives, you're going to be best suited in a large agency looking to service large accounts.

However noble of you to want to give the same consideration to the $500 BOP as the $50000 or higher commercial client, the dictates of economics just won't allow it. In fact, that's why the BOP product was rolled out about 35 years ago...to allow relatively easy to read policy language for the small exposure.

In the smaller premium market, you also have the business owner resistance to anything more than price discussions, as that's where their focus is. To them, one contract is the same as the other except for annual premium and they tend to have an invincibility to them that they will forever be claim free, so insurance is a wasted money expense.

As you've experienced in the career thusfar, it will be the larger shops that will have more structure to them and that seems to appeal to your career direction.

[jobhunter]

I think with your stated objectives, you're going to be best suited in a large agency looking to service large accounts.

However noble of you to want to give the same consideration to the $500 BOP as the $50000 or higher commercial client, the dictates of economics just won't allow it. In fact, that's why the BOP product was rolled out about 35 years ago...to allow relatively easy to read policy language for the small exposure.

In the smaller premium market, you also have the business owner resistance to anything more than price discussions, as that's where their focus is. To them, one contract is the same as the other except for annual premium and they tend to have an invincibility to them that they will forever be claim free, so insurance is a wasted money expense.

As you've experienced in the career thusfar, it will be the larger shops that will have more structure to them and that seems to appeal to your career direction.

I definitely agree, that's the direction I need to go. I do want to say, though, that I understand the economics of needing to treat the small accounts transactionally, but even if we cut out all the time spent educating/reviewing/etc; even with a $500 BOP, you still need to properly complete applications with them, and not just quote off minimal info. I think, though, that many small agency producers may be thinking that since they have E&O insurance, they'll just cut the corner to keep time costs down, and take the risk. Fine for them, but not what I want to be a part of.