A friendly and informed field rep is all we can ask for as agents. Here are the things that I get that irritate me the most:
1) I don’t know.
2) Why don’t we have more production from your agency? (Answer is always price or capacity)
3) We’d like to see X policies per month from your agency. (usually this number is about twice what normal production is)
Totally agree. Here’s what I like from the field rep:
1. Tell me what you can do, not what you cant do which is practically everything.
2. Give me tips to better sell your product.
3. Dont act like I owe your company something, it is you who owes me. After all, who is the customer here. I know in Florida agents are generally treated like groveling dogs.
Most Field Reps are nothing more than glorified donut delivers. Don’t bother me if you don’t have underwriting authority and can’t rate something in my office. I want to work with the people who can put the business on the books, not the glad handers. You just waste my time!!
holy cow, how funny is this? I am so relieved that other agencies have the same complaints. And here I thought it was just me who felt this way. Is anyone going to show this article to their reps?
I am 1 Field Rep that already read this. To the agent in Florida, I wish they’d turn me loose in your state. Every agent should be treated with respect, not like a grovelling dog. Of course, I realize it’s probably a lot tougher to write business from a carrier’s standpoint in that state, but, that does not excuse it
Agents deserve the respect they have earned for the long hours they have put in cultivating client pertnerships and helping clients through tough times or situations. Taking them for granted or demeaning them is simply inexcusable for any carrier.
On the other hand, the partnership with carriers also needs to be cultivated by the agent and there needs to be a recognition of common goals and service needs outside of simply parnering with the carrier offering the lowest price TODAY.
We are all in this together whether we want to admit it or not. Unfortunately not everyone (on both sides of the fence) always understands what that truly means.
Groveling dogs is the understatement of the year! Carriers either want too much or nothing at all on the home side and on the auto side they want WAY too much. They send in field reps who treat us like they are our sales managers. Sorry ladies and gents, I’m not a captive. I don’t have sales managers.
Company marketing supervisors should take note of this article. Before I became an agent I was a marketing rep for three different companies (in 20 years). I was most successful when I had underwriting authority and could write business on agency calls making me, a productive partner of the agency (per CJ’s comment). On the other hand my least successful marketing stint was one where I and all the other company reps were second guessed by the branch manager on every field decision – so I guess I was one of those “I don’t know” reps Mr Solvent mentions.
Over the years I have categorized reps as either people who think I work for them or those who are truly knowlegeable and want to help. The ones who think I work for them really piss me off and yes I have stopped writting for companies because of the reps attitude.
I think the reps I had the most luck with reps that came from the industry. I’m amazed by the number of reps who don’t come from the industry. I remember one rep stopped by my office and asked me if I had a problem he could help me with. I think he thought it was more of a courtesy call and he just asked me a retorical question, but I could tell by the concern on his face when I told him yes that he was not comfortable. He kind of looked like a chimpanzee that just discovered that the reflection in the water was him. He had to call his supervisor to ascertain what I was talking about. After the call I started shooting the bull with him and asked what he did before he became an insurance rep. He told me that he sold credit card pay systems btb. I later learned that he played football at the college level and it turns out that for some reason companies hire ex college athletes and cheerleaders the idea is that they are use to being in front of people and are usually outgoing. Fine and dandy but if they don’t know what the hell they are talking about I loose respect for them out of the gate.
You don’t have to be from the industry to be a good rep, but it sure does help. One of my favorite reps was in youth athletics prior to the insurance business.
On the other hand, I’ve got another rep that has bounced between some now defunct carriers that I despise! She went from making empty promises to saying nothing at all!
A good field rep is worth their weight in gold. However my experience tells me many carriers have done away with them and are using underwriters to make agency calls. Problem is many underwriters are terrible in front of agents and even worse in front of insureds. The carriers are trying to save money, but they are short sighted and ultimately losing money.
That said i agree. One of the best reps I had started out selling medical devices before becoming an insurance rep. He just took the time to actually go through the classes to get licensed thus taking the initiative to understand the business.
On the other hand one of the reps I dispised came from the industry before she became a rep. She was an “account manager” for an agency with a $7m book before becomming a rep. She fell under the catagory of one who thought a as a rep for the company I worked for her.
As a former broker, I found Marketing/Field reps to be one of two kinds: 1)you had authority, and worked to help me place business, and gave my staff tips on how to underwrite ‘grey’ risks, you were part of our office, we did all we could for you. 2) you had your own agenda, rarely listened to us, and were only concerned with what YOU thought was important, which rarely had anything to do with how we ran our business.
Used to have one from Selective who would come by every other week. It was way too often and always inconvenient. Someone higher up in our agency said “sure, come every other Tuesday” but we had to deal with him. He had no authority but at least could rate. It was a pain in the neck.
Good reps are invaluable. They should know what classes their company actually writes, not what they will allow to be rated or what their marketing guide says they will write. They should know where they are competitive and when they are not – don’t bother telling me to rate every single window washer when you know your base rates are 5x the going rate.
And stay away on Monday, be careful on Tuesday as well. Fridays are usually good. Avoid the last week of the month and don’t come around on the first either.
I am a field rep and all of the comments are very interesting and informative, especially those with specific comments about what they like to see or ways to improve and be more useful to agents.
So you are saying that you you only want your sales reps to call on your agency on the middle two weeks of the month and only on Wednesday through Friday?
Funny… That is why I love my job… I only have to work six days a month!!! Now tell my boss… That way I don’t have to justify my golfing handicap improving over the last 4 four years.
Can’t say I agree with about Friday’s… Great golf day for me… Who wants to work on Friday’s??? Plus I can cut my work load back to four days a month that way!
Can’t wait for that “HARD” market to hit us… I figure I will only have to work 2 days a month when that time comes…
Thanks to all the agencies out there for making my life the best!!
Like most in this business, I have seen good reps and bad, plus good agents and bad.
What agents deserve from their rep: Respect for their time and their business;
understand the difference between agency client and company policyholder;
be an advocate for the agent where possible, plus honest about what can (or cannot) be done;
admit company limitations whatever they are;
and communicate openly about where things can be improved so the relationship is enhanced.
What reps hopefully receive in return from agents:
help reps understand where improvements in product or service can be made (without simply tearing down the company);
communicate up front how frequently and how long visits should be (we really don’t like waisting your time or ours, but worry about being “out of sight, out of mind”);
share concrete, positive examples of where the company has done well (it makes us look good to colleagues when we pass along more than just complaints);
and understand that reps sometimes get pressure from both sides (you have a beef with something the company did wrong; our boss wants to know why the agent doesn’t favor us with more business after the co-op advertising we paid for or trip we just handed you.)
All in all, after more than 20 years, I still say this is a good industry to be in and WE ALL serve a valuable purpose for your customers.
Well when you have two companies with the same Best rating and both financially sound, same coverage, the lower premium always wins. This is usually always the case as to why we sell one company over the other, and if we dont, the agent down the road will. And no the customer does not understand capacity issues, that is our problem, not theirs.
Intelligent creativity is what we need.
Come to my office with the authority to override your automated underwriting controls or teach us how to circumvent those rules made in the ivory tower.
The last thing we need is another girl scout production underwriter try to show us how her company’s rules will keep us on the path to profitability.
Work with us to find the class codes and values that generate the most commission for us and keeps our clients happy with their premiums. A “superior” rep is one that knows that all risks are, or can be, “grey”, and accepts that’s how the game is played … and brings good donuts.
Agents should know the company side also. The company’s underwriting manager is not over the marketing department and does not want the marketing reps to have any underwriting authority. Few marketing reps are former underwriters and few understand the business. Companies are hiring young, attractive women fresh out of college rather than experienced insurance people. They want lots of agency calls, lots of reports and zero authority. There is no way that a rep can stay current on company web systems, personal lines, commercial lines, bonds, company accounting, loss control, claims and whatever else is thrown our way. Some companies have grown so complex that even their reps don’t know whom to call on for help. Oh, and be sure to check your Blackberry every other minute so that you can respond to fifty emails a day.
There are so many complaints about company reps on this site, how many people make this known to the rep and/or his direct supervisor?
If there is a problem, my experience is that agencies rarely speak up and let the truth be known. Many reps are bad simply because no one tells them that they are
Most company rep’s no longer have underwriting authority like they did back in the “Special Agent” days but they should have easy access and a good working relationship with their underwriters to help solve underwriting issues.
Lack of product knowledge by a company rep is inexcusable. There are plenty of willing learners wanting your job if you do not represent your company in an informed and knowledgeable manor.
The above are opinions formed by thirteen plus years in the field representing my company.
Tony, just by your comment, it appears that you are one of the company reps that we are complaining about that isn’t very helpful. The one that comes in wasting our time because you ‘don’t know or don’t know your product or don’t have the underwriting authority. You must be young and new to the business, because instead of reading all of the responses and seeing this as something that you can use to better yourself and your position within the agencies, you saw it as a way to knock the agents and did nothing but earn yourself disrepect. I would not want a rep like you in my office!!!
A friendly and informed field rep is all we can ask for as agents. Here are the things that I get that irritate me the most:
1) I don’t know.
2) Why don’t we have more production from your agency? (Answer is always price or capacity)
3) We’d like to see X policies per month from your agency. (usually this number is about twice what normal production is)
Totally agree. Here’s what I like from the field rep:
1. Tell me what you can do, not what you cant do which is practically everything.
2. Give me tips to better sell your product.
3. Dont act like I owe your company something, it is you who owes me. After all, who is the customer here. I know in Florida agents are generally treated like groveling dogs.
Reminds me of what I used to do about 50 years ago. However, at that time, we were called Special Agents.
Most Field Reps are nothing more than glorified donut delivers. Don’t bother me if you don’t have underwriting authority and can’t rate something in my office. I want to work with the people who can put the business on the books, not the glad handers. You just waste my time!!
holy cow, how funny is this? I am so relieved that other agencies have the same complaints. And here I thought it was just me who felt this way. Is anyone going to show this article to their reps?
To new agent:
I am 1 Field Rep that already read this. To the agent in Florida, I wish they’d turn me loose in your state. Every agent should be treated with respect, not like a grovelling dog. Of course, I realize it’s probably a lot tougher to write business from a carrier’s standpoint in that state, but, that does not excuse it
Agents deserve the respect they have earned for the long hours they have put in cultivating client pertnerships and helping clients through tough times or situations. Taking them for granted or demeaning them is simply inexcusable for any carrier.
On the other hand, the partnership with carriers also needs to be cultivated by the agent and there needs to be a recognition of common goals and service needs outside of simply parnering with the carrier offering the lowest price TODAY.
We are all in this together whether we want to admit it or not. Unfortunately not everyone (on both sides of the fence) always understands what that truly means.
Groveling dogs is the understatement of the year! Carriers either want too much or nothing at all on the home side and on the auto side they want WAY too much. They send in field reps who treat us like they are our sales managers. Sorry ladies and gents, I’m not a captive. I don’t have sales managers.
Company marketing supervisors should take note of this article. Before I became an agent I was a marketing rep for three different companies (in 20 years). I was most successful when I had underwriting authority and could write business on agency calls making me, a productive partner of the agency (per CJ’s comment). On the other hand my least successful marketing stint was one where I and all the other company reps were second guessed by the branch manager on every field decision – so I guess I was one of those “I don’t know” reps Mr Solvent mentions.
Over the years I have categorized reps as either people who think I work for them or those who are truly knowlegeable and want to help. The ones who think I work for them really piss me off and yes I have stopped writting for companies because of the reps attitude.
I think the reps I had the most luck with reps that came from the industry. I’m amazed by the number of reps who don’t come from the industry. I remember one rep stopped by my office and asked me if I had a problem he could help me with. I think he thought it was more of a courtesy call and he just asked me a retorical question, but I could tell by the concern on his face when I told him yes that he was not comfortable. He kind of looked like a chimpanzee that just discovered that the reflection in the water was him. He had to call his supervisor to ascertain what I was talking about. After the call I started shooting the bull with him and asked what he did before he became an insurance rep. He told me that he sold credit card pay systems btb. I later learned that he played football at the college level and it turns out that for some reason companies hire ex college athletes and cheerleaders the idea is that they are use to being in front of people and are usually outgoing. Fine and dandy but if they don’t know what the hell they are talking about I loose respect for them out of the gate.
You don’t have to be from the industry to be a good rep, but it sure does help. One of my favorite reps was in youth athletics prior to the insurance business.
On the other hand, I’ve got another rep that has bounced between some now defunct carriers that I despise! She went from making empty promises to saying nothing at all!
A good field rep is worth their weight in gold. However my experience tells me many carriers have done away with them and are using underwriters to make agency calls. Problem is many underwriters are terrible in front of agents and even worse in front of insureds. The carriers are trying to save money, but they are short sighted and ultimately losing money.
That said i agree. One of the best reps I had started out selling medical devices before becoming an insurance rep. He just took the time to actually go through the classes to get licensed thus taking the initiative to understand the business.
On the other hand one of the reps I dispised came from the industry before she became a rep. She was an “account manager” for an agency with a $7m book before becomming a rep. She fell under the catagory of one who thought a as a rep for the company I worked for her.
As a former broker, I found Marketing/Field reps to be one of two kinds: 1)you had authority, and worked to help me place business, and gave my staff tips on how to underwrite ‘grey’ risks, you were part of our office, we did all we could for you. 2) you had your own agenda, rarely listened to us, and were only concerned with what YOU thought was important, which rarely had anything to do with how we ran our business.
I see from the comments it has not changed much.
Used to have one from Selective who would come by every other week. It was way too often and always inconvenient. Someone higher up in our agency said “sure, come every other Tuesday” but we had to deal with him. He had no authority but at least could rate. It was a pain in the neck.
Good reps are invaluable. They should know what classes their company actually writes, not what they will allow to be rated or what their marketing guide says they will write. They should know where they are competitive and when they are not – don’t bother telling me to rate every single window washer when you know your base rates are 5x the going rate.
And stay away on Monday, be careful on Tuesday as well. Fridays are usually good. Avoid the last week of the month and don’t come around on the first either.
I am a field rep and all of the comments are very interesting and informative, especially those with specific comments about what they like to see or ways to improve and be more useful to agents.
So you are saying that you you only want your sales reps to call on your agency on the middle two weeks of the month and only on Wednesday through Friday?
Funny… That is why I love my job… I only have to work six days a month!!! Now tell my boss… That way I don’t have to justify my golfing handicap improving over the last 4 four years.
Can’t say I agree with about Friday’s… Great golf day for me… Who wants to work on Friday’s??? Plus I can cut my work load back to four days a month that way!
Can’t wait for that “HARD” market to hit us… I figure I will only have to work 2 days a month when that time comes…
Thanks to all the agencies out there for making my life the best!!
Like most in this business, I have seen good reps and bad, plus good agents and bad.
What agents deserve from their rep: Respect for their time and their business;
understand the difference between agency client and company policyholder;
be an advocate for the agent where possible, plus honest about what can (or cannot) be done;
admit company limitations whatever they are;
and communicate openly about where things can be improved so the relationship is enhanced.
What reps hopefully receive in return from agents:
help reps understand where improvements in product or service can be made (without simply tearing down the company);
communicate up front how frequently and how long visits should be (we really don’t like waisting your time or ours, but worry about being “out of sight, out of mind”);
share concrete, positive examples of where the company has done well (it makes us look good to colleagues when we pass along more than just complaints);
and understand that reps sometimes get pressure from both sides (you have a beef with something the company did wrong; our boss wants to know why the agent doesn’t favor us with more business after the co-op advertising we paid for or trip we just handed you.)
All in all, after more than 20 years, I still say this is a good industry to be in and WE ALL serve a valuable purpose for your customers.
Well when you have two companies with the same Best rating and both financially sound, same coverage, the lower premium always wins. This is usually always the case as to why we sell one company over the other, and if we dont, the agent down the road will. And no the customer does not understand capacity issues, that is our problem, not theirs.
Intelligent creativity is what we need.
Come to my office with the authority to override your automated underwriting controls or teach us how to circumvent those rules made in the ivory tower.
The last thing we need is another girl scout production underwriter try to show us how her company’s rules will keep us on the path to profitability.
Work with us to find the class codes and values that generate the most commission for us and keeps our clients happy with their premiums. A “superior” rep is one that knows that all risks are, or can be, “grey”, and accepts that’s how the game is played … and brings good donuts.
I know some carriers that need to read this!
Agents should know the company side also. The company’s underwriting manager is not over the marketing department and does not want the marketing reps to have any underwriting authority. Few marketing reps are former underwriters and few understand the business. Companies are hiring young, attractive women fresh out of college rather than experienced insurance people. They want lots of agency calls, lots of reports and zero authority. There is no way that a rep can stay current on company web systems, personal lines, commercial lines, bonds, company accounting, loss control, claims and whatever else is thrown our way. Some companies have grown so complex that even their reps don’t know whom to call on for help. Oh, and be sure to check your Blackberry every other minute so that you can respond to fifty emails a day.
There are so many complaints about company reps on this site, how many people make this known to the rep and/or his direct supervisor?
If there is a problem, my experience is that agencies rarely speak up and let the truth be known. Many reps are bad simply because no one tells them that they are
Most company rep’s no longer have underwriting authority like they did back in the “Special Agent” days but they should have easy access and a good working relationship with their underwriters to help solve underwriting issues.
Lack of product knowledge by a company rep is inexcusable. There are plenty of willing learners wanting your job if you do not represent your company in an informed and knowledgeable manor.
The above are opinions formed by thirteen plus years in the field representing my company.
Tony, just by your comment, it appears that you are one of the company reps that we are complaining about that isn’t very helpful. The one that comes in wasting our time because you ‘don’t know or don’t know your product or don’t have the underwriting authority. You must be young and new to the business, because instead of reading all of the responses and seeing this as something that you can use to better yourself and your position within the agencies, you saw it as a way to knock the agents and did nothing but earn yourself disrepect. I would not want a rep like you in my office!!!