Chicagoland SIA Blog

If you surveyed your customers, what would they say about your agency and the level of customer service you provide? Customer service is an important part of any business and plays a large role in creating loyal customers. An insurance agent who provides great customer service is much more likely to have loyal customers who purchase additional types of coverage and recommend him or her to other people. On the other hand, the effects of bad customer service can be significant. Here’s why:

It’s a fact: Spending a lot of time in front of screens is hard on your eyes. Yet research shows that Americans spend at least 50% of each day looking at screens — computers, smart phones, televisions, tablets and other electronic devices. How can you keep your eyes happy and healthy with all of this screen time? Here are some tips:

Did you know that cybercrime has now surpassed illegal drug trafficking as a criminal moneymaker? It’s true. That’s why it’s critical to know how to protect yourself while you’re using your computer, on and offline. Here are some important tips designed to keep you and your data safe:

In the insurance business, there are a lot of things you don’t have control over — market conditions, what your competitors are doing and the economy, for example. But you do have control over what type of working environment you can offer your agency’s employees.

Feedback is critically important in any business because it helps employees identify areas in which they need to improve and to develop their skills. It’s especially important in the insurance business, where agents need guidance and support to succeed. Yet providing face-to-face feedback remains one of the most challenging aspects of managing other people.

It’s New Year’s Resolution time! What are your agency’s goals for the new year? Here are some ideas for helping your agency to grow and succeed in 2021:

How many Zoom meetings do you participate in each week? Probably more than you used to. The use of Zoom and other video conferencing technology has skyrocketed during the global pandemic as a way to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and as many businesses adapt to remote work. Unfortunately, all of those video calls can lead to “Zoom fatigue.”

Is data security, online privacy and identity theft a top concern? If it’s not, it should be. More than ever, we’re seeing increasingly sophisticated attempts from hackers to steal information from organizations, and use it to commit identity theft and fraud.

How would you rate your listening skills? Listening to your clients — truly listening to what they are trying to tell you — is an important way to increase customer satisfaction and to help prevent misunderstandings, including those that can lead to E&O claims.

Has anyone ever asked for five minutes of your time? What is five minutes of your time even worth? If a client, employee, friend or significant other asked for five minutes of your time—do you have it to give? Or are you simply too wrapped up in your day and the tasks you need to accomplish to slow things down and make time for other people?