Customer Service

Much of the call on consultants has to do with breaking through the barriers to natural growth that agencies experience at different stages of growth. Agencies find it particularly difficult…

Change is hard for all of us. It is easier, however, for those businesses that face failure and losses due to performance-related problems. Change out of weakness, while difficult to…

The last three agencies we visited had problems so similar that we decided to see just how many agents have the same experience – and the same problems. The key…

In the past year, we have averaged an “Ask an Expert” question about every other month involving agency clusters. In this article, we’ll present the questions, our faculty responses, and…

Problem solving, innovating, cost cutting or just making things easier are all reasons why many insurance agency owners wish they had a Ouija Board at their beck and call. With…

Over and over again we encounter agencies for whom claims is and entry-level position, one combined with other clerical functions or relegated to a secondary responsibility for people who have…

Sometimes when an insurer encounters financial problems (real or perceived), cut-through endorsements may be issued. A cut-through endorsement is usually attached to insurance policies of the primary carrier by both…

I constantly discover huge accounting errors, legal problems, and operational issues in agencies, all courtesy of professional advisors like CPAs and attorneys. Part of the problem is these advisors do…

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…