Coveragejet

Why you need an agent
Why you need Mary even more
Robert Carper

Recently, I visited my insurance agent. We will call him Bill. He has been my agent for some time and I consider him a good one (He keeps my policies up to date and even called me when I got sick). I don’t see Bill that often but I don’t really need to see him that often. The reason I don’t need to see him is he has a very capable staff person named Mary, among others. My years of insurance experience have brought me to an acute appreciation of the “Mary’s” in the agent’s office. I found that they know quite a bit and in many cases are more prepared and knowledgeable than the position dictates. I have seen it with my own eyes. I actually hired one such person when I was a agent.

Why, you ask is Mary so valuable? For one, she sees and knows the customer, she also knows the mechanics of the agency and how it works. Her expertise is not limited to internal workings of the agency but much more than that. When I need something addressed or did not understand something regarding my own policy, I call her and there was always a stellar outcome. Let me offer a more enlightened perspective on the “Mary’s” of the insurance agency world. When I was an underwriter and when I served in casualty and property claims, whenever I had a question regarding a risk, I could always call and get a clear idea of type of risk I was working with from such people as Mary. In many cases she knew the prospect or insured in a much more detailed manner than anyone else. Likewise, when I conducted a underwriting post-claim risk assessment or needed to contact someone or wanted initial claim data and so much more, I would call and speak to the “Mary” of the office. So not only does the agent need a Mary but so does the underwriter, so does the claims person and in many cases so does the insured as well as the claimant. Let me parenthetically add that Mary could be “Larry”, obviously, gender does not matter.  It is the results and the role they serve in which is paramount.  Service is what service does. I’ve often said that insurance is intangible. You can’t spin around in your chair and grab a couple of cans of insurance and give it to the customer. It is a promise. It is security and piece of mind. It is Mary!!!

 

Robert