Agreements.......Appointments ? ? ?

[TonyC]

Hi,

I am a newly licensed agent and was offered a job with a company that runs a large phone room. They basically sell insurance through the web and telemarketing. They are licensed in several states.

The hours are tough....9am-7pm M-F...and you work in a cubicle (along with 25 other agents). In my opinion its a tough gig...but i could get some good experience selling by phone. I thought maybe for a couple of months i could INDURE this work environment and learn...but i'm not sure about a few things.

QUESTION: If i sign on with them as an agent....and get appointed with their carriers and then leave....would i have to reappointed with the same carriers again?


thanks very much!

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

What's the compensation
Which carriers will you represent

 

[TonyC]

They have most of the health care carriers..Humana, Citrus, United, etc.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

compensation?

 

[joshril]

Hi,

I am a newly licensed agent and was offered a job with a company that runs a large phone room. They basically sell insurance through the web and telemarketing. They are licensed in several states.

The hours are tough....9am-7pm M-F...and you work in a cubicle (along with 25 other agents). In my opinion its a tough gig...but i could get some good experience selling by phone. I thought maybe for a couple of months i could INDURE this work environment and learn...but i'm not sure about a few things.

QUESTION: If i sign on with them as an agent....and get appointed with their carriers and then leave....would i have to reappointed with the same carriers again?


thanks very much!

Those hours don't look so bad to me?? 10 hours per day, plus an hour for lunch I suspect? 45 hour work week...

 

[Brad Howard]

QUESTION: If i sign on with them as an agent....and get appointed with their carriers and then leave....would i have to reappointed with the same carriers again?
thanks very much!

Yes, you would have to reappt unless they agreed and you wanted them to remain your GA. Probably no to both those. Also, some carriers do not allow dual apptments so they can play the bad guy and not release you. However, there are many carriers in the sea and those that do not allow dual apptments allow for automatic release after a number of months of no business through the old GA channel.

 

[TXINSURANCE]

If you leave you may have to wait a certain amount of time before a carrier will let you directly get appointed. It is a dirty business and not everything is in writing.

Most carriers will honor the 25 person call room over the tiny agent - you don't stand a chance. Watch what you sign.

 

[TonyC]

Wow...that's what i thought. Hmmm....

Now...how would you tell your prospective employer...that you can't sign an agreeement that limits your future "appointments" with cariers?

 

[bluemarlin08]

Tell what you just said.

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Exactly - go over what happens if you choose to simply part ways and whether they'll release you.

Frankly, GA's who won't release you as long as you didn't leave on very bad terms are just blow hards and won't release you for any good reason. They won't release you simply because they don't have to.

Other GAs will indeed release you if you're both parting on good terms. I would not go into this without something in writing stating that you'll get released.

That being said, if you're taking advances the GA is ultimately on the hook if you blow out then chargebacks start coming in.

If you rack up a significant amount of advances over say 2 or 3 months, then decide the grass is greener don't expect a release.