It\’s why they\’re number three and Farmers sinks to a lowly eighth; because Farmers doesn\’t give a wit about their agents, or their policyholders. Farmers has lost all respect in California after their lawsuit to keep zip code rating failed. Farmers spent $20 million of their policyholder\’s money on a system that was designed to rip off their poor customers. Thanks for nothing Farmers.
Progressive has created a system of offerring higher rates thru independant agents with their Drive brand as opposed to rates they offer consumers thru Progressive Direct. They are therefore competing with us agents! Most agencies I know are actively re-marketing their Drive book with other carriers, and moving those insureds rather than lose them. Progressive has gone back on their commitment to the independant agencies and are not to be trusted.
It used to be if one of your Progressive policy holders ever called the company direct, they would just steal the business. Now they are more upfront about stealing business from agents/ Also, ever notice how a \”young\” agent is usually like 30 to 40 years of age at least. I went to a recent young agents meeting and at 35 I appeared to be the youngest guy there.
AMEN IN SPADES to long time independent agent!! Progressive wants us to send them everything but when I go home I am confronted by their consumer direct advertising on TV. Unfair rate competition from my own company. Uncompetitive commission rate and no contingencies! Now they are looking at getting into homeowners line. Watch out!! They are NOT to be trusted.
Thanks for the feedback from \”another INDEPENDANT agent\”. That\’s why I continue to contribute my thoughts on line – I love you folks! And you are right on track about \”Drive\’s\” low commissions and no contingencies. Their only 2 attributes are a good on line system and that they pioneered the alternative to assigned risk which truly sucks. However now many agent carriers are open to a wide range of insureds so \”Drive\” better step up to the plate or lose market share!
What\’s funny is that Peter B. Lewis went to my college and there is a new building there named after him which he partially funded. He was supposed to fully fund it but he got into an argument with the University trustees.
Hey Duffman…What is REALLY funny about Peter Lewis is the direct quote from him that I keep on my bulletin board for inspirational purposes: \”Agents will have to learn to live on 5% commission.\” Well guess what? After 35 years I have not yet learned this: and I don\’t plan on learning it either. He is a real piece of work!!
There are so many things to tell, but I do not have lot a time, so, I just want to point out one of them. Drive do not accept over one ton vehicle on their personal auto policy. However, Progressive Direct accept any type of trucks regardless of GVW as a pleasure use and even with way lower premium than Drive. Someone told me, those CSRs write only new business and their basic salary including commission is well over $3000 to $4000 per month. They must write tons of new business.
to Phil…..I think the agents are getting older. There are very few YA\’s in my area, and even fewer female YA\’s. It seems like I am in the minority! None of my clients or even potential clients have been counseled or visited by a young female! Even at YA events, I am by far the youngest at 29, and there may be 10% women attending. Whats up?!?
I\’ve only ever met one insurance agent under the age of 30. That guy became one right out of college. His father is an agent and now he is one as well. Both work at the same company.
I hear ya! I started right out of High School,I have been a commercial lines producer for 3 years now, but you can imagine the looks I get when I tell people I have been in this business for over 10 years! I have only met a handful of really young agents (right out of college) and only a couple have been women.
No one here really understands the business! Why doesn\’t everyone do a time study on how much time you spend on a policy with other carriers vs. Drive and you\’ll find that they save your agency money. By the way if you all as an agent stepped up to the plate, you may get a better compensation package from Drive (base and contingency), it\’s out there if you would wake up.
Hey old guy, I understand it well enough, thats why I dont write with Drive. There are other nonstandards that are just as easy and easier that offer higher commision. I do have to say though, some of you folks need to go out and take advantage of an appointment with some of the many great nonstandards out there – You dont here me complaining about progresive cause I wont use them….
Good luck when your carriers fold up because they\’ve tried, but failed to mimic Drive. We\’re about to enter a term of massive consolidation in the PL market and everyone needs to think long term.
Bro that already happened a few years ago, thats why you hook up with a few of them – Law of large numbers. Who mimics drive? There are companies that have been around just as long with great rates, they just ahve to work a little bit harder on underwriting to keep their LR down. Lazy agents keep drive in business.
Hi everyone, I am actually one of those direct CSR\’s everyone is talking about stealing their business, so let\’s get rid of some myths. First off we make less than $30k a year with no commission. We can get a pretty decent bonus (up to 16% of our salary) but it\’s based on company performance and not personal performance. The next thing is that the last thing we want to do is take a customer away from a drive rep. It actually hurts our numbers. The problem is we have to hit your customers over the head to get them to call you instead of us. The most common times are on the special lines policies. They just got a motorcycle so they call us because they always call us about their auto policy. I try to get them back to you. They say something like \”I haven\’t talked to him since 5 years ago when he wrote the policy.\” or \”He takes forever to return my calls.\” I offer them your number and they say \”Can\’t you just do it? You guys handle everything else.\” So what happens then, my numbers get screwed up because I sold a policy that doesn\’t count and you guys lose business. I know everyone probably likes the fact that they don\’t have to service these policies much. Especially considering the lower commission, but that\’s where you losing your customers. Also Direct policies have more restrictions not less. I can\’t write policies for snowmobiles or named operators with sr22 filings, so I refer them to you. We can\’t write 1 ton vehicles any more than you can, so when they call us we transfer them to commercial. Last but not least, if anything I refer more business to Drive than I take away. Out of the 30 customers I talk to every day about 4 want to pay for their policy in cash. Those are those referral emails you guys receive. I give them your number and ask if I can send you their info. I haven\’t had to write a drive to direct policy in over a month.
It seems strange that Progressive Corp changed our name to Drive but our policies are written in Progressive Preferred Ins Company. The claims are handled by Progressive vehicles and service center. Our policies and distribution is advertising Progressive Direct! It would be better if Progressive Corp would sell Drive to a Company that would promote our distribution system that I believe will be here for the next 100 years.
It\’s why they\’re number three and Farmers sinks to a lowly eighth; because Farmers doesn\’t give a wit about their agents, or their policyholders. Farmers has lost all respect in California after their lawsuit to keep zip code rating failed. Farmers spent $20 million of their policyholder\’s money on a system that was designed to rip off their poor customers. Thanks for nothing Farmers.
http://www.jdpower.com/finance/ratings/auto_insurance/index.asp
Progressive has created a system of offerring higher rates thru independant agents with their Drive brand as opposed to rates they offer consumers thru Progressive Direct. They are therefore competing with us agents! Most agencies I know are actively re-marketing their Drive book with other carriers, and moving those insureds rather than lose them. Progressive has gone back on their commitment to the independant agencies and are not to be trusted.
It used to be if one of your Progressive policy holders ever called the company direct, they would just steal the business. Now they are more upfront about stealing business from agents/ Also, ever notice how a \”young\” agent is usually like 30 to 40 years of age at least. I went to a recent young agents meeting and at 35 I appeared to be the youngest guy there.
Does that mean there are a shortage of young agents?
AMEN IN SPADES to long time independent agent!! Progressive wants us to send them everything but when I go home I am confronted by their consumer direct advertising on TV. Unfair rate competition from my own company. Uncompetitive commission rate and no contingencies! Now they are looking at getting into homeowners line. Watch out!! They are NOT to be trusted.
Thanks for the feedback from \”another INDEPENDANT agent\”. That\’s why I continue to contribute my thoughts on line – I love you folks! And you are right on track about \”Drive\’s\” low commissions and no contingencies. Their only 2 attributes are a good on line system and that they pioneered the alternative to assigned risk which truly sucks. However now many agent carriers are open to a wide range of insureds so \”Drive\” better step up to the plate or lose market share!
What\’s funny is that Peter B. Lewis went to my college and there is a new building there named after him which he partially funded. He was supposed to fully fund it but he got into an argument with the University trustees.
Hey Duffman…What is REALLY funny about Peter Lewis is the direct quote from him that I keep on my bulletin board for inspirational purposes: \”Agents will have to learn to live on 5% commission.\” Well guess what? After 35 years I have not yet learned this: and I don\’t plan on learning it either. He is a real piece of work!!
There are so many things to tell, but I do not have lot a time, so, I just want to point out one of them. Drive do not accept over one ton vehicle on their personal auto policy. However, Progressive Direct accept any type of trucks regardless of GVW as a pleasure use and even with way lower premium than Drive. Someone told me, those CSRs write only new business and their basic salary including commission is well over $3000 to $4000 per month. They must write tons of new business.
to Phil…..I think the agents are getting older. There are very few YA\’s in my area, and even fewer female YA\’s. It seems like I am in the minority! None of my clients or even potential clients have been counseled or visited by a young female! Even at YA events, I am by far the youngest at 29, and there may be 10% women attending. Whats up?!?
I\’ve only ever met one insurance agent under the age of 30. That guy became one right out of college. His father is an agent and now he is one as well. Both work at the same company.
I hear ya! I started right out of High School,I have been a commercial lines producer for 3 years now, but you can imagine the looks I get when I tell people I have been in this business for over 10 years! I have only met a handful of really young agents (right out of college) and only a couple have been women.
No one here really understands the business! Why doesn\’t everyone do a time study on how much time you spend on a policy with other carriers vs. Drive and you\’ll find that they save your agency money. By the way if you all as an agent stepped up to the plate, you may get a better compensation package from Drive (base and contingency), it\’s out there if you would wake up.
Hey old guy, I understand it well enough, thats why I dont write with Drive. There are other nonstandards that are just as easy and easier that offer higher commision. I do have to say though, some of you folks need to go out and take advantage of an appointment with some of the many great nonstandards out there – You dont here me complaining about progresive cause I wont use them….
Good luck when your carriers fold up because they\’ve tried, but failed to mimic Drive. We\’re about to enter a term of massive consolidation in the PL market and everyone needs to think long term.
Bro that already happened a few years ago, thats why you hook up with a few of them – Law of large numbers. Who mimics drive? There are companies that have been around just as long with great rates, they just ahve to work a little bit harder on underwriting to keep their LR down. Lazy agents keep drive in business.
actually, that\’s not really that funny…
Hi everyone, I am actually one of those direct CSR\’s everyone is talking about stealing their business, so let\’s get rid of some myths. First off we make less than $30k a year with no commission. We can get a pretty decent bonus (up to 16% of our salary) but it\’s based on company performance and not personal performance. The next thing is that the last thing we want to do is take a customer away from a drive rep. It actually hurts our numbers. The problem is we have to hit your customers over the head to get them to call you instead of us. The most common times are on the special lines policies. They just got a motorcycle so they call us because they always call us about their auto policy. I try to get them back to you. They say something like \”I haven\’t talked to him since 5 years ago when he wrote the policy.\” or \”He takes forever to return my calls.\” I offer them your number and they say \”Can\’t you just do it? You guys handle everything else.\” So what happens then, my numbers get screwed up because I sold a policy that doesn\’t count and you guys lose business. I know everyone probably likes the fact that they don\’t have to service these policies much. Especially considering the lower commission, but that\’s where you losing your customers. Also Direct policies have more restrictions not less. I can\’t write policies for snowmobiles or named operators with sr22 filings, so I refer them to you. We can\’t write 1 ton vehicles any more than you can, so when they call us we transfer them to commercial. Last but not least, if anything I refer more business to Drive than I take away. Out of the 30 customers I talk to every day about 4 want to pay for their policy in cash. Those are those referral emails you guys receive. I give them your number and ask if I can send you their info. I haven\’t had to write a drive to direct policy in over a month.
It seems strange that Progressive Corp changed our name to Drive but our policies are written in Progressive Preferred Ins Company. The claims are handled by Progressive vehicles and service center. Our policies and distribution is advertising Progressive Direct! It would be better if Progressive Corp would sell Drive to a Company that would promote our distribution system that I believe will be here for the next 100 years.