Agency Operations

Several excellent studies have shown that a key cause of so many loan defaults has nothing to do with the economy or with the people taking out the loans. The…

In this article, agency consultant Chris Burand explores the myth of “bigger is better.” While, in general, growth is essential for agencies to retain markets and profitability, Chris demonstrates why…

Do you believe there has been an industry shift towards short-term profits at the expense of long-term stability and service? I am writing a book on the subject, and want…

An aggregator, according to our definition, is an entity that “clusters” distribution entities together to achieve economies of scale, without assuming the autonomy or ownership from the individual owners. Consolidators…

Defining what is great customer service can be difficult. However, before we can provide, or even define, great customers service, it’s probably more important that we recognize bad customer service.…

We occasionally get “Ask an Expert” questions from agency owners interested in improving the customer service skills of their CSRs, producers and others. In this short article, I’ll take a…

If you’ve ever stayed at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, I’m betting that the experience was outstanding. How can they do it so much better than most hotel chains? Yes, you do…

The Golden Rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” may seem self-evident in the way we try to conduct our personal lives. Yet this axiom…

In this six-part series, we’re going to explore how technology can and should be used to enhance your ability to provide high levels of quality customer service. We’ll look at…

In this six-part series, we’re going to explore how technology can and should be used to enhance your ability to provide high levels of quality customer service. We’ll look at…