Search found 350 matches

by d's insurance store
Tue Sep 12, 2017 11:04 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Take the Harford "Agent's Challenge"
Replies: 28
Views: 53262

Re: Take the Harford "Agent's Challenge"

I am sick of the term "agency partners". Our Progressive rep has used this term for several years and I finally told him if I heard this term one more time, I will vomit. We are not their agency partner. They, especially Progressive, will cut your throat in a heartbeat and not think twice...
by d's insurance store
Fri May 19, 2017 10:31 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: DO and Donts when leaving an insurnace company
Replies: 11
Views: 43676

Re: Farmers Agent received 90 day notice Ca

Being a former captive (Crooked A) agency owner, I recall the terminology being something to the effect of owning the 'compensation interest' in the book of business, with various escape options that boiled down to accepting a buy out or being able to sell that comp interest to another, approved, ag...
by d's insurance store
Mon May 08, 2017 12:55 pm
Forum: Opinions
Topic: DO and Donts when leaving an insurnace company
Replies: 11
Views: 43676

Re: Farmers Agent received 90 day notice Ca

Trotter...first, look within...Farmer's (and Allstate and State Farm, and the other captives) just don't wake up one day and send out these kinds of notices. Generally there are production issues or vocal attitude/culture issues or compliance issues. Any or all of those may be disputable, and may no...
by d's insurance store
Wed May 03, 2017 1:42 pm
Forum: Opinions
Topic: New lead model question - could cost per sale work?
Replies: 28
Views: 97664

Re: New lead model question - could cost per sale work?

And, away we go.... There's a perception that when a prospect is ready to purchase a personal lines insurance policy through an agency, then at the point of sale, the agent goes into the back room, pulls a policy from inventory, blows the dust off of it, looks at the wholesale cost and doubles it as...
by d's insurance store
Wed Apr 12, 2017 2:04 pm
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Liberty Mutual rental - $94 a year ??
Replies: 2
Views: 7296

Re: Liberty Mutual rental - $94 a year ??

Etimer...you're just not as old and jaded and cynical as I. Just give it a few years and something like this just becomes conversation with a like minded agency owner who is willing to commiserate with you, unless your spouse is sympathetic to these kinds of stories over dinner. There was a time in ...
by d's insurance store
Tue Nov 15, 2016 11:35 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Personal Lines Leads
Replies: 2
Views: 10325

Re: Personal Lines Leads

Well George Page, you could start by renaming your agency 'The FREE Insurance Agency'...that would get the phones ringing. You could change the business model and try branding the agency 'The All Night Insurance Agency' to pick up inquiries during the times when other insurance offices are closed. T...
by d's insurance store
Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:25 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Liberty Mutual (Texas)
Replies: 2
Views: 12203

Re: Liberty Mutual (Texas)

Hey, but according to the Gen-X'ers and Millennials in the TV ads, at least they won't raise your rates after and accident and you get a whole, brand new car if yours is involved in an accident.....
by d's insurance store
Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:33 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Trying to purchase an independent agency; but issues..
Replies: 5
Views: 15917

Re: Trying to purchase an independent agency; but issues..

If by using the terms 'outlet' or 'wholesaler' you really mean cluster or consolidator or MGA, then that infers to me that you don't really have the experience in the industry to be plunking down a bunch of your hard earned money to buy an agency. With what I'm concluding is your level of experience...
by d's insurance store
Mon Oct 10, 2016 10:57 am
Forum: Hard-to-Place Accounts
Topic: Agent Compensation Ideas
Replies: 11
Views: 25731

Re: Agent Compensation Ideas

I don't know what carrier you work for, but it would be highly unusual for any insurance carrier in this day and age to be soliciting comp ideas from the agency owners. Insurance companies tend to have predisposed theories about how agents and agencies are going to be compensated and tend to stick w...
by d's insurance store
Mon Oct 03, 2016 1:55 pm
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Travelers reducing commissions
Replies: 69
Views: 220057

Re: Travelers reducing commissions

The small to mid sized agencies and their principals have to finally begin to accept the reality that carriers are recognizing they can get away with commission reductions because simply, they can. We can shuffle, weave and dodge all we want, but the time and expense of rolling a book to what appear...
by d's insurance store
Mon Aug 22, 2016 1:29 pm
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Does Anyone have am automated solution for payment reminders
Replies: 10
Views: 19272

Re: Does Anyone have am automated solution for payment remin

I hear what many of you are saying, BUT.....for those of you primarily in personal lines, I think you're missing the MUCH bigger message....each time a company like Geico includes more convenient features which make things easier and quicker whether it be quote-bind-payment-service-claims-etc....yo...
by d's insurance store
Thu Aug 18, 2016 10:48 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Does Anyone have am automated solution for payment reminders
Replies: 10
Views: 19272

Re: Does Anyone have am automated solution for payment remin

For anybody still around, here's what happened in my smaller agency this past week. Non standard auto client with 2.5 years of tenure. Somehow, this client had migrated into the category of continuous late pay/cancel notice. Over the entire life of the client relationship, only the very beginning pa...
by d's insurance store
Mon Aug 15, 2016 10:47 am
Forum: Hard-to-Place Accounts
Topic: Special Construction (Mokelumne Hill, CA - Calaveras County)
Replies: 3
Views: 11111

Re: Special Construction (Mokelumne Hill, CA - Calaveras Cou

The first thing you need to do is find a really good surplus lines MGA. The good ones can insure darn near anything with various non admitted carriers. The second thing you need to do is stop prospecting or even answering the phone for people with risks like this, unless you've got enough in force c...
by d's insurance store
Fri Jul 22, 2016 10:21 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: Client wnders why his HO premium went up
Replies: 9
Views: 19818

Re: Client wnders why his HO premium went up

Gee, why carry insurance if you can't get back your premium in claim recovery at least every 3 years?
by d's insurance store
Thu May 12, 2016 11:02 am
Forum: Opinions
Topic: New lead model question - could cost per sale work?
Replies: 28
Views: 97664

Re: New lead model question - could cost per sale work?

Many of us old timers would call your business model a 'bucket shop', where the phones are constantly ringing in one direction or another. Your cost per sale of about $120 would likely work in high premium areas where the agency could offer a competitive product for the bread and butter lines and th...