partners in risk

How Agents Can Become Partners With Their Clients

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For an agency to grow truly sustainable, it is critical to accomplish two things, sell insurance and develop and maintain strong client relationships. It is common for agency to concentrate their efforts on acquiring new customers but neglect building strong relationships with their clients. There is a balance that every agency employee needs to manage in order for the agency to thrive. These are some actions to help agents keep that balance.

Be Transparent

Transparency is critical for developing trust with clients and begins with effective communication. Maintain an open line of communication with your clients. Early on, have direct conversations to discuss and establish expectations. One point to discuss is the price you will charge and the services you will provide. Additionally, you should discuss your security policies and how you intend to safeguard their information. Inform them of your offerings and solicit their feedback on how you can best meet their needs. Engagement letters can be beneficial in this situation. You should outline expectations for both parties in the engagement letter to ensure that you are on the same page from the start.

Be Available

Making time for your clients demonstrates your appreciation for them. This does not mean you should stop everything the moment they contact you. Communicate openly and honestly that you have other clients and obligations but still want to be there for them. Establish effective methods of communication through which your clients can contact you. You should collaborate to determine the most effective method of communication, whether it is via email, a client portal, text message, over the phone, or in person. When they contact you, promptly respond to their questions, concerns, and requests.

Be Dependable

Assure your clients that they can rely on you. Complete your work on time. Be thorough and precise in everything you do. Regardless of the size of the task, give it your all. Communicate any issues or complications to your clients. Additionally, you should communicate plainly that you are in control of the situation.

Remember that communication is critical to developing a trustworthy relationship; speak with your clients to ascertain their top priorities and then incorporate their preferences into your workflow. A little bit of deliberate listening can go a long way toward establishing respect and appreciation.

You want to talk to compassionate, honest insurance experts – that’s our team. You shouldn’t have to spend hours researching and comparing policies. Let the specialists at Reichley guide you through the complex insurance industry.

Call today to alleviate the worry and get covered – (937) 429-0655.

 

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How We Develop Motivated Professionals

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There is no question most agencies are not managed or led by just one person. Usually, there are a number of people who contribute to the company’s success. One of our agency’s guiding principles is that we are a team, a bomber squadron, not individual fighter pilots. While both are needed, we tend to think of ourselves as a group of professionals all with the common goal of serving our clients.

Bomber Squadron Traits

  • Individuals must work together to accomplish a goal
  • If one person slacks on the job, the rest suffer
  • Everyone gets the win when the job is done right

Fighter Pilot Traits

  • Individual focused
  • Risk-taker
  • Reckless

Collaboration and teamwork in business are in the top four skills that determine the success of an employee. Through teamwork, a person can have their voice heard, leading to better ideas and more revenue for a company.

Increased production, creativity, and client satisfaction are the benefits of teamwork. Because teams can solve problems faster due to the range of methods and skillsets, organizations with well-functioning teams generally outperform their competitors.

How We Define Success

  • Did we help someone today?
  • Did we solve a problem?
  • Were we able to educate and inform a prospect or client?
  • Do our clients feel more comfortable?
  • When a group of coworkers get together, bounce ideas off one another, and share feedback with one another, beautiful things in the company can happen, and our clients benefit.

How Does This Benefit Our Clients?

  • Create new ways of looking at insurance issues.
  • Better informed and educated clients.
  • We hold each other accountable, which improves customer satisfaction.
  • The workflow is streamlined, creating more effective communication.
  • People are empowered to make decisions in order to meet the customer’s needs.

We invite you to become part of your team. Insurance is not a product. It is a promise and a trusted relationship. Here at Reichley Insurance Agency, we are not going to sell you something you don’t need. We want to talk to you, determine your needs, and get you covered at the right price. Our team is ready to educate and serve you.

Insurance Customers Needs Are Changing

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partners in riskWith all the changes going on in our world, customers’ needs seem to change as well. In a recent customer satisfaction survey regarding customer service, we found many interesting changes in what people what.
Customer service has quickly risen to the top of the priority list for consumers, and 2021 will be no exception. But why are so many businesses putting a premium on the consumer experience, and what happens if they don’t?
A customers’ loyalty is no longer based on price or product. Instead, they remain loyal to businesses because of the experiences they have had with them.

Customers want to have a place to get all their insurance fulfilled at one time.

Top Consumer Priority
1. Customer experience 46%
2. Pricing 21%
3. Product 33%

The survey found that 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. How we define customer service:

• We educate rather than sell.
• Seeking alternatives to insurance is always an option.
• Giving our clients many ways to communicate with us is a priority.
• We develop relationships.
• Insurance should be one of many solutions to your risk concerns, not just a product
• Trust is one of the few remaining differentiators available to the modern insurer. Not only that, but it’s still the biggest indicator of a long-term sustainable business.

The client, regardless of the insurance firm, looks to you, the agent, for guidance, support, and responsiveness. Remember to put your client relationships first, despite the evolving tactics and focuses in today’s insurance markets, and you’ll find yourself building a book of business that sticks around for the long haul.

What Are Clients Looking For In An Agent?

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meetingA recent study by a leading insurance research firm showed something we have been saying for years. That is, when it comes to insurance buying most people are not just looking at price. There are many factors that will lead a person or business to select their agent.

Here are some of the factors clients consider when shopping for insurance:

  1. Clients want to be educated about risks they face.
  2. Clients want their agent to ask questions about their family and business.
  3. Clients want to connect with, and be cared for by, their agent.
  4. Clients want a partnership, not a salesperson.
  5. Clients want assurance their coverage needs are met, not just “sold” a product.
  6. Clients want to understand how their insurance works.
  7. Clients want good communication with their agents.

Price is part of the process, but less than 20%, according to Yana Glezina the director of brand and communications at Rocket Referrals, a leading insurance communications platform based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Here are ways to improve communication with your clients:

  • Return calls the same day.
  • Educate—do not sell.
  • Text clients who are not into email or phone calls.
  • Send your clients thank you notes and birthday cards.
  • Be available when clients reach out randomly with a question.
  • Reach out to your clients with meaningful and timely content.
  • Respond to good and bad reviews.

If you are doing these things, then you are on your way to developing a true partnership with your clients.

Here Is Our Secret to Getting Our Clients The Best Possible Combination of Coverage, Price and Service.

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light bulbThere is nothing wrong with wanting competitively priced insurance for your home or business. The issues seem to arise when an insurance consumer takes the low-cost insurance without regard to coverage, their risk, or services offered. We have found a way to help our clients get the best of both worlds; we call it CPS (coverage, price, and service).

Coverage– your policy needs to be designed to give you the insurance you need.

Price– We will work with our insurers to get you a policy you can afford with the coverage you need. We believe in value, not just low prices. We make sure you get all the credits you deserve. We will re-run your credit score as needed.

Service– Insurance is evaluated in the service you receive during the year and after a claim has been reported.

Here are the keys to getting the best possible combination of coverage price and service.

Relationships matter. Relationships still matter and always will. For all its regulations, calculations, and machinations, insurance still requires a personal touch. An agent must have a good relationship with the insurers it represents to get the best level of service, which is passed on to the customer. The agent’s relationship with the customer is important in order for the customer to receive the service they desire.

Communication. We listen to our clients, allowing us to better understand their needs and design an insurance program that meets their needs. We take the time to educate our clients on the different types of insurance, eliminating insurance that is not needed, and saving money.

Be an Invaluable Resource.  We help you understand risks you may not have known about and create insurance solutions that will cover a potentially un-insured claim.

Authenticity. By maintaining an open and honest relationship with our clients allows us to show our value and the importance of building trust. We are able to speak freely about the coverage you need and the coverage you may not need.

You are buying a process of how we work with you to provide the coverage you need.

Are Electric Scooters Covered Under My Insurance Policy?

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scootersElectric scooters and bikes are popping up all over cities across the country.  They have been popular in Europe for years.  We are at the beginning of this new form of personal transportation, which creates a few questions regarding risk, liability, and insurance coverage.

How Can You Secure Insurance Coverage That Includes Physical Damage And Personal Liability For An Owned E-Bike Or E-Scooter?

Personal liability from homeowners or renter’s policy is unlikely to cover the use of an e-bike because of the exclusion for motor vehicles. A motorcycle policy covering an owned motorcycle or scooter might extend liability to a non-owned e-scooter. In most cases you do not have any insurance coverage unless owned and properly insured.

Are You Covered If You Rent An E-Scooter Or E-Bike?

Most cities don’t have regulations or rules because they don’t qualify as a motor vehicle. Some cities require a driver’s license and helmet, but these are mostly on the honor system.  Users can rent the scooter then leave it anywhere they want (in your front yard or in front of your business).

Insurance companies are busy trying to figure out who is liable in the event a scooter injured someone.  What if the scooter rider injures someone while on the job, will the injuries be covered under workers’ compensation and any liability be the responsibility of the employer insurer?  Business insurance policies may not address scooters specifically. Depending on the circumstances, some electric scooter-related injuries may be covered while others may not.

Many scooter companies have strict waivers that are included in the rental agreement limiting any liability to the rental companies.  One company offers a $1,000,000 liability policy, but all claims would be subject to extensive investigations.

Most legal experts agree that rider will bear the legal liability arising from accidents because of the terms to which the rider agrees to when downloading the app.  The laws, the courts, and the insurance industry are often slow to respond to new technology, and this may be the case with electric scooters. Relatively few laws specific to e-scooters have been passed.

Final Thoughts

Any insurance solutions will most likely be using an auto type of coverage and there are likely territorial limitations imbedded in the policy, therefore traveling abroad and renting these in different urban areas may leave a coverage gap in those specialty policies.

There are a few carriers that offer specialty type electric scooter insurance for these types of devices. The cost varies depending on usage.  We recommend you contact your insurance agent to discuss if your personal insurance provides any coverage or if you need to add coverage to your program.

Ask Perk Reichley

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perkOver the years, I have been asked about many different kinds of insurance questions. I thought it might be interesting to start sharing these questions and my responses. Remember, there is no bad or wrong question. If you have a question, send it to me, I will be happy to answer it for you.

Are there unique kinds of insurance I might need?

It is our hope and desire that you never need to make a claim, but if you do, you want the best possible combination of coverage, price, and service. Here are some added coverages you might want to consider.

  • Flood
  • Earthquake
  • Higher limits on jewelry
  • Identity theft
  • Coverage for collections, art, guns, and coins
  • Personal umbrella liability
  • Coverage for back-up of sewers caused outside the home

How often should I review my personal insurance program?

We recommend an annual review of all your personal insurance needs. This might be a call or face-to-face meeting, depending on your needs.

If you have made some life changes, we always recommend a review at that time. Some life changes that will affect your personal insurance include:

  • Change in marital status
  • Birth of a child
  • Purchase of a new car or any other major purchase
  • Planning international travel
  • Children heading off to college
  • Working form home
  • Retirement
  • Job change

Should I ever consider increasing my deductibles?

Changing your deductibles on your auto or home insurance depends on your risk appetite. It is true that increasing deductibles will save you money, but there are other factors that you might also consider.

  • How much increase is desired?
  • Do you have a history of losses?
  • Do you have the financial resources to handle it?
  • Is the cost-benefit worth the risk?

House prices have been skyrocketing in my neighborhood lately. Should I increase my limits?

A hot real estate market doesn’t actually impact your home rebuild cost or replacement cost. That number is based on the raw materials and labor it would take to rebuild it with like kind and quality.

 

What Keeps You Up AT Night?

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Every one of us has certain things that keep you up once in a while. It might be your job, the kids, illness, or other life’s problems. Our goal to make sure that protecting your family with the right insurance does not keep you up.

Here is how we help you sleep at night

  1. We never sell you a policy. We ask questions and educate you so that the coverage you but the right fit for you.
  2. Insurance is a complex transaction, so we work hard to make sure you understand how insurance works before you make a decision.
  3. Our team is licensed and have years of experience that help us better educate you.
  4. We are here to answer any questions you may have regarding your insurance decisions.

According to an Insurance Journal article, here are the top issues that keep people up.

  • Flood and other natural disasters
  • Identity theft
  • End of life issues
  • Eldercare

We can provide valuable information regarding each of these so that you can make the right decision for you and your family. We hope you noticed that we don’t just offer a quick insurance product. That is because we will only offer you an insurance solution after we fully understand your needs.

Connect with us and let us show you how we do it

Over the last sixty years, we have established a reputation for honesty, high morals, integrity and friendly, professional customer service – pillars of a successful insurance agency. Based upon this foundation, the staff of Reichley Insurance Agency commits to the following mission.

Why We Stopped Selling Insurance and Started Educating our Clients

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Many years ago, our agency changed the way we operate. We saw that insurance could be viewed as a commodity like a car or home. But we know otherwise. There were two reasons for our change.

  1. If people saw insurance as a commodity, then the lowest price wins. And with insurance, low price usually means one size fits all coverage and low or no education or service that values the customer over the insurance carrier’s efficient transaction model.
  2. When we can educate and explain why you need or don’t need certain insurance coverage, the process becomes less about cost and more about purchasing the right coverage at the right prices, hence creating value.

Here is what we like to do before we even say the word insurance. We ask questions to understand your needs better. We share our knowledge about your risks, and we help identify the individual risks you face and start the process of putting together a plan to protect you with a combination of insurance, risk transfer and avoidance techniques.

Our clients routinely tell us that “this is the first time someone took the time to explain this to them”.  They feel empowered to control and have ownership of their insurance program.

Building a business populated by satisfied, repeat customers is our goal.  This benefits both parties and offers us the opportunity to invest our knowledge and expertise while sharing the relationships we have with community vendors and insurance carriers to benefit our customers.  This feels more successful that hitting a sales goal each year.

As we continue to monitor the safety needs of our staff and clients, our agency will continue to operate as we have since the start of the COVID-19 Quarantines and work electronically in service to our clients. Walk-in traffic from clients and prospects will continue to be suspended. We will remain open and all aspects of our agency operations are available including a drop box at the office for payments and documents.

Communicate with our staff via electronic methods; Telephone, email, text are still available (PDF) and our technology to conduct business transactions electronically has been expanded to include video meetings as an option to face to face. While this lacks the personal touch we are known for as well as the communication style we prefer, these changes are necessary during this time of protecting one another for the near future. We appreciate your understanding and loyalty to our agency.

 

What Does Your Agent Talk To You About?

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When you meet or talk to your agent, what are the topics of conversation? Are you talking just about your bill, or how you got an endorsement and didn’t understand it? Do you get way too much communication on how to reduce your premium by buying less coverage? Many companies will tell you, and you don’t need to talk to your agent.

We are here to provide a different approach. We recommend talking to your agent at least once a year and even more if needed. Communication is the key to all good relationships. We will reach out to you and talk to you about the following.

  1. How is your claim being processed? Can we help you?
  2. Did you get your policy, and do you have any questions?
  3. Have you made any major purchases; a new car, boat, or other high-end items?
  4. I know you have a wine collection, did you but any new bottles that need to be insured?
  5. Your son Travis is heading off to college; we might want to review your coverage.
  6. How is your new job going? Do they offer life insurance, or would you like to look at some options?
  7. Have you thought more about identity theft coverage? Or do you have any questions?
  8. We have found many people are driving for a ride-sharing company, is there anyone in your house doing this?

These are just some examples of what our conversations might look like. Of course, we also start with a good day it is great to connect, and end with thank you for your business, we value our relationship and love serving you.