I admit, I must be a bear of little brain. I sat here thinking of how to write a captivating message about customer preparation, but to I’m stuck. Maybe I’m not prepared to write a captivating message. But ultimately, I believe that may just taking action and getting the idea out will be the most useful tool today.

I believe preparation may be one of the biggest obstacles for customers to get quality service and savings from the agents and agencies they seek out for quotes.

Just like my lack of preparation to write this message, lack of preparation to seek out quotes leads to lack of service, lack of a relationship with the agent working for you, and the lack of savings potential savings.

This message is meant to be helpful for customers to be prepared when seeking out quotes for insurance.

The idea came to me when I realized how I feel, as an agent, when a customer calls me to seek out and market their account for competitive quotes. The customer who is prepared and has an idea why they are calling me captivates my attention to help them even more than the customer who calls and lacks any information about what they want quoted.

So this message is two-fold: a call to action for all of to be conscious of being prepared when we are asking others to do something for us while expecting them to do the something well, too. Second, the message is to provide a guideline of how to prepare for seeking competitive quotes.

Being prepared with adequate and accurate information creates a more solid and healthy relationship between customer and agent, because the more information an agent receives, the more relaxed as well as motivated the agent will be in marketing the customers account; ultimately leading to better service from the agent and competitive premiums from the insurance markets.

Preparing yourself for quoting a firm and competitive home:

Description of operation: Decide how the home will be used. Will it be a primary home, 2ndary, rented out to others, or are you the renter of the home.

Information about YOU: Have available and feel comfortable sharing: your full name, birthdate, social security #, phone numbers, emails, physical mailing address, current residence address, and subject address (address of the property location to quoted). IF you’ve lived at your address for less than 2 years, have your previous address available.

NOTE: if you are married or have a partner, then have the agent put the person with better credit score as first named insured. Insurance premiums are highly influenced by credit score. Though the insurance carrier doesn’t hit your credit, they use it as a factor in rating. Better the credit, better the rates and market availability.

Information about the HOME: Have the approximate age of the home or year built. If the home has been substantially updated, such as updates to electrical, plumbing, heating/AC, and the roof, then share those updates, as that will help the agent determine Effective age of the home vs. Actual age. A new/younger home often earns a lower premium.

IF one update had to take precedence of importance, it would be the approximate age of the roof OR what year was the roof last replaced.

Next up: roof material type, roof shape (for discount purposes),

siding material type (if mixed, give approx. % of each material. Ex. 80% brick veneer, 20% vinyl)

foundation: slab or above ground on blocks

Flooring material approx. %. Ex. 50% carpet, 50% laminate wood

Quality of materials for exterior and interior : basic, average, above average, custom, or special design.

Discounts credits: What will be the effective date? The date you’d like the policy to begin. Is this for a loan closing or renewal of an expiring policy (who is the current carrier). Carriers often offer discount credits for quoting in advanced (customarily 7 days in advance gives a discount credit). Are the windows rated for 120 mile hour hurricane winds? Will you have an alarm system reporting to the authorities (police and/or fire departments or a central station reporting to both or either one)? Do you have other items to be quoted: automobile, flood coverage, umbrella or business insurance. It’s a popular notion now for to offer discount credits for placing multiple lines of business with an agency.

Do you care if your losses would be settled on REPLACMENT value or DEPRECIATED (Actual Cash) value. There are certain insurance to value guidelines to follow in order to qualify for Replacement value settlement. Having the construction characteristics available will assist the agent to run an accurate Construction Estimator to determine the value to offer to qualify for either settlement requested. This is most important to get right to get partial losses settled on replacement value. So, if you’d like partial losses (ex. a roof loss) to be settled on replacement value (a new roof), then you may want to have the agent only seek out replacement value options. As for total losses, Louisiana has a total loss value law/statute, which states that totaled losses will be settled on the amount of insurance carried whether that amount would have qualified partial losses to be settled on replacement value or depreciated/actual cash value.

Last: Target premium OR what’s your insurance budget. This will assist the agent to market to the appropriate carriers and products to fit your insurance budget.

If you call us up or any agent, you will be amazing how having been prepared influences the quality of service and quote options you’ll receive.

Customers expect their agent to be prepared, and agents get excited when their customers are too. Let’s make quoting fun and a good experience for both parties. A healthy and prosperous relationship is the ultimate best business practice. Customers who get involved and invested in creating their policies, will get an involved and creative agent.

If you have something to share, suggestions to give or concerns and questions to clarify, please don’t hesitate to call us (337-363-8888) or email us ([email protected]). We truly are excited and enthused to be a part of the solution in this complex industry.

Respectfully, I remain here to help, not hinder…hopefully!

+ beau