Wonderful, but, maybe if agency principals would treat their CSR with respect and pay increase annually or semi annually this would decrease the demand for quailfied CSR’s. It hard to sit in a little cubicle day after day handling the stress of agents customer in the office and by phone all day long. Working for the Insurance company is much better. They offer education, health benifits, higher pay scale, give percentage raises every year and advancement opportunities. It was not a hard decision for me to leave an agency.
Wonderful idea and something needed badly. I hope IIAGA hears about this and does the same. I would like to know what the cost is going to be for the course,
I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years and worked for a total of 8 independent agencies or brokerages (including mergers and aquisitions), everything from small local to international in size. My current employer is the only one to actively solicit input from the worker bees, and the only one to indicate if an account manager has to regularly work overtime then a)there’s a problem to be addressed, and b) she should be paid for it. You want to keep good people? Treat them as such!
I agree with former csr & veteran csr. I’ve been in the insurance business as a csr, account manager, dept supervisor & client manager for 25 years. The smaller agencies work you to death with very little in the way of pay raises, vacation & sick time and perks in general. They treat you like a machine instead of a human being. I am now with a large brokerage and wish I had made the jump years ago. Much better pay and you are treated with respect. My company provides in house classes to keep up with your CE requirements so that you don’t suddenly realize that 2 years have gone by & your license is about to expire. The way to hold onto qualified csr’s is to pay them well, show concern for the difficulties in this position and not work them to death.
This is fantastic news for our industry. Hopefully, other states can follow suit in developing a program for their respective states.
In response, to the “former” CSR who now works for an insurance company. Obviously, she had a negative experience with the agency she was formally employed with, but as an agency principal it is continually difficult to hire qualified CSR’s.
In our agency, we have exceptional benefits, “mandatory” education requirements and retirement programs to attract and retain good CSR’s. However, the days of “expected” pay raises are virtually a thing of the past. If an agency is not using a Performance Based system they are behind the times in compensating their employees, including CSR’s.
Essentially, with the cost of benefits, salaries and commission cuts has caused agencies to re-evaluate their overall employee benefit programs. Before, you go screaming about commissions, yes agencies benefited from the hard market, but the market is quickly turning back to the old soft market, so be prepared.
In closing, to the disgruntled CSR now employed by an insurance company. If you are happy that is great, but in reality insurance carriers are less tolerant and your job could be eliminated tomorrow, so be careful what you wish for!
Wonderful, but, maybe if agency principals would treat their CSR with respect and pay increase annually or semi annually this would decrease the demand for quailfied CSR’s. It hard to sit in a little cubicle day after day handling the stress of agents customer in the office and by phone all day long. Working for the Insurance company is much better. They offer education, health benifits, higher pay scale, give percentage raises every year and advancement opportunities. It was not a hard decision for me to leave an agency.
sounds like someone was with the wrong agency
Wonderful idea and something needed badly. I hope IIAGA hears about this and does the same. I would like to know what the cost is going to be for the course,
I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years and worked for a total of 8 independent agencies or brokerages (including mergers and aquisitions), everything from small local to international in size. My current employer is the only one to actively solicit input from the worker bees, and the only one to indicate if an account manager has to regularly work overtime then a)there’s a problem to be addressed, and b) she should be paid for it. You want to keep good people? Treat them as such!
OUTSOURCE TO INDIA!!!!!!
I agree with former csr & veteran csr. I’ve been in the insurance business as a csr, account manager, dept supervisor & client manager for 25 years. The smaller agencies work you to death with very little in the way of pay raises, vacation & sick time and perks in general. They treat you like a machine instead of a human being. I am now with a large brokerage and wish I had made the jump years ago. Much better pay and you are treated with respect. My company provides in house classes to keep up with your CE requirements so that you don’t suddenly realize that 2 years have gone by & your license is about to expire. The way to hold onto qualified csr’s is to pay them well, show concern for the difficulties in this position and not work them to death.
This is fantastic news for our industry. Hopefully, other states can follow suit in developing a program for their respective states.
In response, to the “former” CSR who now works for an insurance company. Obviously, she had a negative experience with the agency she was formally employed with, but as an agency principal it is continually difficult to hire qualified CSR’s.
In our agency, we have exceptional benefits, “mandatory” education requirements and retirement programs to attract and retain good CSR’s. However, the days of “expected” pay raises are virtually a thing of the past. If an agency is not using a Performance Based system they are behind the times in compensating their employees, including CSR’s.
Essentially, with the cost of benefits, salaries and commission cuts has caused agencies to re-evaluate their overall employee benefit programs. Before, you go screaming about commissions, yes agencies benefited from the hard market, but the market is quickly turning back to the old soft market, so be prepared.
In closing, to the disgruntled CSR now employed by an insurance company. If you are happy that is great, but in reality insurance carriers are less tolerant and your job could be eliminated tomorrow, so be careful what you wish for!