the problem many of us from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s face is that we were dumb enough to believe these captive insurance company managers and relied on their agency contracts as actually being in effect!
Many of these promises they made to the agents were as useless as mammary glands on a male hog.
My time as an AmFam agent, I was told where my office would be, what my hours were and how I would/wouldn’t market. Doesn’t sound like a contract employee, does it? Don’t listen and your agency is pulled out from under you.
Seen a lot of Allstate agents here one day, gone the next when the company wielded their axe. Got so bad a few years ago, that the Allstate agents formed a guild/union to deal with management.
As a Former agent I was also told who I could hire for office help, Was ordered to attend monthly meetings, was told I had to attend company conventions with a lot of cost out of pocket, told what hours and days I had to work including Saturdays, Monthly meetings with manager where he made the goals for my agency, Each month the goals were increased and bonuses were taken away if your agency did not grow, even when the premiums were higher than the competition. Claims problems caused many insureds to go elsewhere for coverage.
I recall in line to getting a bonus and the day before the end of the year, apparently a DM or state director called the claims dept to push thru any claims so I would not get a bonus. The claims people told me it did not have to be done that day- and hinted to me this had happened. Claims had a few days yet of follow up and had not closed the file. but paying out a mega claim over $100 k on 12-30- yr., vs 1/4/yr. made me lose a 30 k bonus. convenient, you decide. (they had it in for me because I spoke out on abuse- so I was a target for 20 yrs.) Other agents said the same thing.
I am a 30 plus year agent. Over 30 years I had 3 district manager and the first two were very controlling to the point that I was threaten to be let go If I didn t produce as told. I was a big producer so they always held back plus I had a family to feed and they knew it. American Family ran off more business than I could write with rate increases and underwriting rules. That was brutal when they raised rates on those with less than prefect credit. Sometimes double. Sad. My 3rd district manager treated me like I was a partner or a friend which made my last 10 years bearable except for all the busy work the company kept pushing on agents to work on or pay for.
I finally left the enslavement of Am Fam after 20 yrs. or Horror! They wanted to claim you were independent so they did not have to pay taxes or benefits (It was their plan all along, im sickened they pretend or lie about this!) , but you were never independent. They approved your office location and even had JD powers penalize me because I did not have a sign that said “no dogs allowed on the outside window” – I have no idea what that was about but it was crazy talk. They insisted on seeing my clients data and giving it to JD Powers and I refused, my clients data is my responsibility and I don’t know who this JD powers guy is and he does not work for me or even have an insurance license or work for the company! They made us fill in papers to indicate how many people we talked to, what was said and why we did not sell more products, they harassed us in person and in front of our monthly meetings on various subjects and even more If we went to outside industry meetings to get the real news what was going on and had their insiders tattle on who was at the out side meetings. I had one agent actually stand up and say, “that is enough” as the abuse wore you down and you could no longer fight. It was mind games and after you had 5 yr. leases they knew how to work it and threaten you so you would be bankrupt, They bankrupted many agents as a message to the rest, they own you! They told you where your office could be, they refused to hire my staff because they claimed they did not meet the profile (one of the gals worked for an agent in another state but they came up with any reason to prevent you from making money), even going as far as making them submit many forms, they insisted I have only 1 bank account they could access, they made us attend meetings or you would get a call and reprimanded and called in for the verbal abuse. You had to attend their annual functions or you had to prove you were sick If you did not show, and then they 1099 me for not being there. they strong armed every aspect of our life. they tried to take my private biz phone # away but I fought that. They told me how many hours I could work and vacations were not allowed (it was more like working for Russia than an fake independent company!), they were signors on my bank account, they made me sign forms and contract updates or I would be fired, they made me take dismissed agents files that were riddled with fraud and then punished me for these prior agents claims, they would constantly harass and tell me I was not doing a good job even when I brought in excessive profit for the company. When taking other agents files they would not pay you for a year and then reduce commissions but charge you for losses day one. They sent me cases of documents in the thousands insisting I review to get rid of claim riddled clients, but in AZ its a non cancellation state, they made me fill in every clients form indicating such! no joke! The list goes on. The upper management on down is Stalinistic, the rank and file are pretty decent and agents could never make them happy. I have worked for various companies all over the USA and not one was like this, I had run many companies and I had a great track record and made many companies profitable including Am Fam (20 yrs. and the profit I made them was off the chart). When I started it had different management and it was not run like this but shortly that all was changed and it went from a mid west company to a Stalinistic organization with threats and intimidations daily via mail, email, forms, letters and in person by the DM or State Director. They would pick on one person to make a statement and just not let up. It was a game to them. They would pick on the people who the agent was the primary bread winner and squeeze you even tighter. One agent even committed suicide. When I quit I cried as I finally felt like I got out of prison. I felt sad to leave my valuable agent friends and my clients but I had to save my sanity. I cant believe I stayed that long. Being an agent for Am Fam affected my health with their hard line actions- I cant never get that back. I am now an independent a true independent and I have no shackles, I am free and happy and I cant even imagine how they stay in business. It was the most horrible experience and no you were never independent, you were owned 110% by this company and its horrible upper management and they made sure you knew it. ps I had underwriters who worked for them for decades and they too left because of upper management. the stories I could tell no one would believe. The company did not start out that way, but upper management turned it sour fast. Their contracts however were always controlling, one sided. You were never an independent.
“incompetence, untrust-worthiness, financial irresponsibility” Would you do business with an Agent described this way? This Agent is described this way by the State in which he resides by the Division of Insurance. American Family still retains this Agent all because he produces the company quota of life insurance. Disgusting!
Amfam directly told me that I could not own another business while I was employed by them……..leaving amfam was the best move I have ever made. Any agent reading this…..get out while you can, you wont regret it.
I found out that I was terminated by an e mail from home office;that said my extended earnings would begin on 1/2014. I called the manager and asked her what this was about; her exact reply” that’s not how this was supposed to go down; I was going to meet you later this afternoon. By the time I drove to my office, the computer was shut down. A short time later , my manager,& another manager are trying to open the back door to my office and a security guy is sitting in the car. The two managers are running around in the parking lot , calling constantly on the phone ( I find out later it was the computer installer from Am Fam) The funny thing is they could have come to the front door of the building, (probably didn’t want to b/c its an attorneys office . It was an extremely bizarre scene which I fully watched from a window. A day later I get a letter slid under my door,& a duplicate certified letter stating I was terminated. The security guy sat in the car and never got out, he just drank a cup of coffee. Comical, when I look back on it
the problem many of us from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s face is that we were dumb enough to believe these captive insurance company managers and relied on their agency contracts as actually being in effect!
Many of these promises they made to the agents were as useless as mammary glands on a male hog.
You know this will go to the Supreme Court.
My time as an AmFam agent, I was told where my office would be, what my hours were and how I would/wouldn’t market. Doesn’t sound like a contract employee, does it? Don’t listen and your agency is pulled out from under you.
Seen a lot of Allstate agents here one day, gone the next when the company wielded their axe. Got so bad a few years ago, that the Allstate agents formed a guild/union to deal with management.
As a Former agent I was also told who I could hire for office help, Was ordered to attend monthly meetings, was told I had to attend company conventions with a lot of cost out of pocket, told what hours and days I had to work including Saturdays, Monthly meetings with manager where he made the goals for my agency, Each month the goals were increased and bonuses were taken away if your agency did not grow, even when the premiums were higher than the competition. Claims problems caused many insureds to go elsewhere for coverage.
I recall in line to getting a bonus and the day before the end of the year, apparently a DM or state director called the claims dept to push thru any claims so I would not get a bonus. The claims people told me it did not have to be done that day- and hinted to me this had happened. Claims had a few days yet of follow up and had not closed the file. but paying out a mega claim over $100 k on 12-30- yr., vs 1/4/yr. made me lose a 30 k bonus. convenient, you decide. (they had it in for me because I spoke out on abuse- so I was a target for 20 yrs.) Other agents said the same thing.
I am a 30 plus year agent. Over 30 years I had 3 district manager and the first two were very controlling to the point that I was threaten to be let go If I didn t produce as told. I was a big producer so they always held back plus I had a family to feed and they knew it. American Family ran off more business than I could write with rate increases and underwriting rules. That was brutal when they raised rates on those with less than prefect credit. Sometimes double. Sad. My 3rd district manager treated me like I was a partner or a friend which made my last 10 years bearable except for all the busy work the company kept pushing on agents to work on or pay for.
I finally left the enslavement of Am Fam after 20 yrs. or Horror! They wanted to claim you were independent so they did not have to pay taxes or benefits (It was their plan all along, im sickened they pretend or lie about this!) , but you were never independent. They approved your office location and even had JD powers penalize me because I did not have a sign that said “no dogs allowed on the outside window” – I have no idea what that was about but it was crazy talk. They insisted on seeing my clients data and giving it to JD Powers and I refused, my clients data is my responsibility and I don’t know who this JD powers guy is and he does not work for me or even have an insurance license or work for the company! They made us fill in papers to indicate how many people we talked to, what was said and why we did not sell more products, they harassed us in person and in front of our monthly meetings on various subjects and even more If we went to outside industry meetings to get the real news what was going on and had their insiders tattle on who was at the out side meetings. I had one agent actually stand up and say, “that is enough” as the abuse wore you down and you could no longer fight. It was mind games and after you had 5 yr. leases they knew how to work it and threaten you so you would be bankrupt, They bankrupted many agents as a message to the rest, they own you! They told you where your office could be, they refused to hire my staff because they claimed they did not meet the profile (one of the gals worked for an agent in another state but they came up with any reason to prevent you from making money), even going as far as making them submit many forms, they insisted I have only 1 bank account they could access, they made us attend meetings or you would get a call and reprimanded and called in for the verbal abuse. You had to attend their annual functions or you had to prove you were sick If you did not show, and then they 1099 me for not being there. they strong armed every aspect of our life. they tried to take my private biz phone # away but I fought that. They told me how many hours I could work and vacations were not allowed (it was more like working for Russia than an fake independent company!), they were signors on my bank account, they made me sign forms and contract updates or I would be fired, they made me take dismissed agents files that were riddled with fraud and then punished me for these prior agents claims, they would constantly harass and tell me I was not doing a good job even when I brought in excessive profit for the company. When taking other agents files they would not pay you for a year and then reduce commissions but charge you for losses day one. They sent me cases of documents in the thousands insisting I review to get rid of claim riddled clients, but in AZ its a non cancellation state, they made me fill in every clients form indicating such! no joke! The list goes on. The upper management on down is Stalinistic, the rank and file are pretty decent and agents could never make them happy. I have worked for various companies all over the USA and not one was like this, I had run many companies and I had a great track record and made many companies profitable including Am Fam (20 yrs. and the profit I made them was off the chart). When I started it had different management and it was not run like this but shortly that all was changed and it went from a mid west company to a Stalinistic organization with threats and intimidations daily via mail, email, forms, letters and in person by the DM or State Director. They would pick on one person to make a statement and just not let up. It was a game to them. They would pick on the people who the agent was the primary bread winner and squeeze you even tighter. One agent even committed suicide. When I quit I cried as I finally felt like I got out of prison. I felt sad to leave my valuable agent friends and my clients but I had to save my sanity. I cant believe I stayed that long. Being an agent for Am Fam affected my health with their hard line actions- I cant never get that back. I am now an independent a true independent and I have no shackles, I am free and happy and I cant even imagine how they stay in business. It was the most horrible experience and no you were never independent, you were owned 110% by this company and its horrible upper management and they made sure you knew it. ps I had underwriters who worked for them for decades and they too left because of upper management. the stories I could tell no one would believe. The company did not start out that way, but upper management turned it sour fast. Their contracts however were always controlling, one sided. You were never an independent.
“incompetence, untrust-worthiness, financial irresponsibility” Would you do business with an Agent described this way? This Agent is described this way by the State in which he resides by the Division of Insurance. American Family still retains this Agent all because he produces the company quota of life insurance. Disgusting!
Amfam directly told me that I could not own another business while I was employed by them……..leaving amfam was the best move I have ever made. Any agent reading this…..get out while you can, you wont regret it.
I was told the same thing. However many managers/agents owned apartments and office buildings.
I found out that I was terminated by an e mail from home office;that said my extended earnings would begin on 1/2014. I called the manager and asked her what this was about; her exact reply” that’s not how this was supposed to go down; I was going to meet you later this afternoon. By the time I drove to my office, the computer was shut down. A short time later , my manager,& another manager are trying to open the back door to my office and a security guy is sitting in the car. The two managers are running around in the parking lot , calling constantly on the phone ( I find out later it was the computer installer from Am Fam) The funny thing is they could have come to the front door of the building, (probably didn’t want to b/c its an attorneys office . It was an extremely bizarre scene which I fully watched from a window. A day later I get a letter slid under my door,& a duplicate certified letter stating I was terminated. The security guy sat in the car and never got out, he just drank a cup of coffee. Comical, when I look back on it