Agency Management

Is it an E&O exposure for a licensed agent/CSR to review and sign applications for an unlicensed CSR? If you have a CSR who is not licensed mailing out endorsements to an…

Experienced employees gravitate to those areas for which their talents are best suited. Forcing CSR’s to sell, forcing salespeople to adhere to detail oriented efforts, and forcing management responsibilities on…

When I first started in this business, my employer required not only a coat and tie, but also a HAT! My how times have changed. In many organizations now, “business…

We were recently asked our opinion about whether personal lines CSRs could also handle small business accounts written on BOPs. While some CSRs can make the transition, it is fraught…

An agency receptionist transfers phone calls, takes messages, opens mail, directs clients to CSRs, and accepts direct bill payments from clients. She allegedly does not discuss coverage with clients. Does…

In my state, a manicurist has to complete 600 hours of classroom and supervised work experience to get licensed. An insurance agent? Put in 40 hours and you could be…

Are insurance agents “professionals”? Is an insurance agent considered as skilled in his or her discipline as a doctor, lawyer, architect, engineer, etc.? Professionals are held to a higher standard…

We all know how important E&O loss control is within the agency. However, most agents don’t attend a formal E&O loss control seminar more than once every couple of years,…

An insurer recently sent its agency force a “Good News!” bulletin advising that it was no longer necessary to send it copies of most certificates of insurance. The bulletin also…

With the series of disasters the past few years, from Western mudslides and wildfire toGulf Coast hurricanes to flooding in New England, we have seen an unprecedented increase in the…