Penn National Launches New Web Services for Agents, Policyholders

Penn National Insurance announced the launch of several new Web-delivered tools and services for its policyholders and agents today, including pay-by-Web and pay-by-phone options.

New links labeled “For Policyholders,” are now available on the company’s home page, www.PennNationalInsurance.com. Agents access Web-delivered tools and services by selecting a new link, labeled “For Agents,” also on the company’s home page.

The company stated that these new services were created “in response to agents’ requests, and agents worked closely with the company’s Web development team as they built and tested the system.”

The new innovations will enable policyholders to view billing information; make electronic payments from their checking accounts; request changes to their payment plans; request address changes for their personal auto policies; request changes to the Lien/Title Holder for their personal auto policies; order Insurance ID Cards for their personal auto policies, and order copies of their Policy Declarations Pages for their personal policies.

“The company’s Web site displays the customer’s agency contact information boldly on the policyholder online service pages to uphold the primacy of the agency-policyholder bond,” said the announcement.

Agents can now pay on behalf of their direct bill policyholders from their agency checking accounts directly online or by calling the company’s Customer Contact Center during business hours.

Penn National emphasized that it distributes through the independent agency system. Christopher Markley,VP of Corporate Communications, stated that, “It’s important for us to emphasize that we developed these services based upon agents’ requests, and to note that what we’re providing isn’t a service center, which could de-emphasize the agent’s role in sales and service. Rather, in response to agents’ requests, and working with agents, we developed new policyholder tools and agent tools that will reduce some clerical burden on agencies, enhance policyholder satisfaction, and emphasize the agency-policyholder relationship.”