Where Are You When They Need You?

This blog post goes out to all my colleagues in the insurance profession.  I love what I do and I have the good fortune of partnering with some really solid insurance professionals from all over the United States.  Unfortunately, not all of them are as solid I would have thought in certain areas of our industry.  Mainly this gap comes in the one area where our clients need us the most...claim time.
Here's the largest example I see...we come into a place of business and we talk about all the great things we are going to do to save them money, or the great new benefits we are bringing to the table.  The business thinks it over and final concedes to the fact that they need what we have.  We come in with all of our pretty brochures and we do employee meetings.  Everyone is excited and ready to embark on the new journey with more benefit options than ever before.  Everything is perfect as people start to sign forms and make commitments to be part of the overall solution we had envisioned the whole time.  Life is good.
Then it happens.  You get that call from that client/employee/employer you hoped would not come.  You gave them your business card and said, "If you need anything, I'm right there."  Unfortunately, this is where the breakdown comes.  Unfortunately, you now realize that was just like telling an acquaintance to "stop by any time", and when they do we can only act surprised and a little put out.  The person on the other side of that call needs help.  They have suffered some loss.  Maybe there is a billing error.  Maybe they just need to verify their coverages or beneficiaries because life for them has changed or is about to change.  Instead of fielding this call with all the professionalism you led them to believe you had, you "pass the buck".  You give someone another name...another number to call.  You put the burden of service on the person who trusted us.
Now, I don't have to tell you how wrong this scenario is.  If an insurance professional can't be there when a client really needs them, maybe they shouldn't be an insurance professional.  We tell everyone how important insurance is and then when it needs to do it's thing, that's someone else's responsibility?  Not cool.
So, to all of my colleagues and friends in this great insurance industry (that needs us all now more than ever)...step up.  Don't just be the "sales guy".  Be the service guy.  Be the answer man.  Be the person you led everyone to believe you were...even if it's inconvenient.  I believe if we all give of ourselves to our clients every step, we will be rewarded much more than any commission check could provide us.
Do you want to partner with another insurance professional?  Contact me via email at gene@generamsay.com or call me at 205-370-8453.  If you are in Alabama or Georgia, I'm here to help...truly.