Has to Get Better

By | December 31, 2009

  • December 31, 2009 at 11:27 am
    matt says:
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    Can anyone elaborate on ones like “quit passing on costs to the agencies that companies have been covering in the past” and “provide effective underwriting”?

  • December 31, 2009 at 12:14 pm
    Reality Bites says:
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    I think it means:
    * Carriers are still inviting agents and brokers out to play golf, but making them pay their greens fees and splitting the 19th hole;

    * have better aim on the Rating Game dart board.

  • December 31, 2009 at 12:26 pm
    JC says:
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    Passing the costs – In personal lines, many carriers are no longer picking up the costs of MVR’s & CLUES unless they write the business – this burdens the agents.

    Provide effective underwriting – In personal lines, underwriting barley exists anymore – the Progressive philosophy of just charge the proper rate for the risk has taken over and there is no longer any flexibility.

  • December 31, 2009 at 2:39 am
    Commissions says:
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    On the comment about commissions…I realize that agents work hard for what often seems a very small token income from commissions. However, isn’t that what led to the Spitzer investigation not long ago? I think the commissions solution would be walking a fine line.

  • December 31, 2009 at 3:08 am
    Salvatore says:
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    Agents are tired of the stupid google eyes pitching price on a stack of money. Geico has to be losing customers and warren buffet money to buy the the customers.

    the price tag of over 1 billion can buy the ads but not the advice of a true independant agent.

  • January 3, 2010 at 3:34 am
    Bill says:
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    Hey all those who voted for the idiot we have as president now. Hows that change working out for you? and when are you going to stop blaming Bush for everything?

  • January 4, 2010 at 10:40 am
    B-ill says:
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    So you’re fine perpetuating the blame game as long as it’s not your guy being blamed? Let us know how ‘that’ works out for you.

    They all work for the same machine regardless of party affiliation. Follow the money.

    Now let’s get back to figuring out how to thrive and not just survive in 2010.

  • January 4, 2010 at 10:54 am
    Old Dog says:
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    Matt must be a newbie. There was a time when most of the data entry and transactional work was performed at the carrier – this while at the same time agents commissions were between 50% and 100% higher than what they are today.

    That went away when 1.)In the 1980’s Agents became enamoured with the p/c for rating, word processing and billing. 2.) When the carriers took over direct-billing customers and therefore became confused as to who owned the customer. Before that, agents controlled both the customer and the account current, now the agent just controls the customer. When the carrier got a hold of the account current, they also began to push agents around, cut commissions, and dump all sorts of company work on agent’s CSRs.

    Does anyone remember this famous quote coming from a Travelers Exec? “You want a friend? Buy a dog”.

  • January 4, 2010 at 12:02 pm
    Sam says:
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    I agree with Bill. How can you thrive under a socialist president and a communist congress?

  • January 4, 2010 at 12:59 pm
    B-ill says:
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    I wouldn’t suppose you two will. Why with all the wasted time you’ll spend complaining and blaming how on earth will you have time to think creatively on how to serve your existing clients and earn the trust of new ones.

    WTF- “a socialist president and communist congress”? LMFAO! How many civil liberties have been circumvented by the Patriot Act alone? Your ignorance is entertaining yet frightening. I’d call your statement oxymoronic but the oxy seems terribly superfluous.

    Cheers to your dreadful new year! May your morose disposition serve you so unfavorably you chance to indulge a more profound filial piety. Alas the world does need a curmudgeon or two, though; albeit for strictly amusing purposes.

  • January 4, 2010 at 1:15 am
    SWFL Agent says:
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    JC – “underwritng” and making “exceptions” (which is really what most agents call underwriting) help put the USF&G’s, Amerisure’s, and other established carriers out of the PPA auto business. Writing PPA on a large scale, like Progressive & Geico, works best with the “this is our price & no exceptions” approach.



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