Health Agents - How Much Service?

[padthaiforlunch]

Just curious how much time you guys spend servicing clients. Are they always calling you when they need forms?

More importantly, which make a bigger demand on your time for servicing, individual or group?

To truely get an idea of the impact on your time, please talk about hours per week or month, and how many you have on the books.

Thanks.

 

[TXINSURANCE]

In my opinion the service with individual is extremely small ONCE they have made it through underwriting of course...

A lot depends on what you do on the "front end" and what expectation level you set. i.e. we are a call center and our clients know we are not going to drive to their house and fill out forms, etc., etc.,

Automation by email / postal mail is key and a good carrier will do the majority of the post application work anyhow.

PM me if there is something specific you are concerned with relating to individual.

 

[padthaiforlunch]

Part of the reason I didn't go the p & c route is that I expect the average client to call me anytime the get in a wreck. Well, that and I expect auto clients to be very fickle.

What I am curious about with health how often I can expect clients to be calling me. True, you can set the expectation of clients, but I believe in cust. service and I will only sell health so I can cross-sell.

If my scenario is likely to create lots of non-revenue producing, hand-holding, calls that take up my time, or require an assistant, then I may just farm the health out to someone else.

 

[TXINSURANCE]

If my scenario is likely to create lots of non-revenue producing, hand-holding, calls that take up my time, or require an assistant, then I may just farm the health out to someone else.

After underwriting 90% of your job is done - but until the member is active and paid is where all the work is involved generally speaking.

And if you decide to "farm out" - call me Farmer Joe - PM me.

 

[newmindfashion]

I disagree with TXIns.,
If you are a one person show, service will be a factor more and more as your business grows. I have 400-500 or so on the books. I spend 20-25% of my time servicing existing customers. This includes moving them to a new plan if need be, forms, re-explaining coverage, coverage changes, HSA clarification, claims issues etc.

I sell customers on the idea that I will be there for them later and some will take me up on that. I have seen very few of them in person. Because the sale has been by phone and internet lead in most cases, its good to engender trust by making yourself available to them as time goes on so they won't look to another agent at the first sign of trouble with their carrier.

 

[wilkin]

My experience has shown that individual health doesn't require too much service, maybe contact once or twice a year at most. Same is true with my Med Supp clients although I have regulars who call more frequently and sometimes every time they have a claim filed which with Med Supps is four or more times per year.

Newmindfashion and TX, do you stay in touch with your clients through newsletters, etc. and try to cross sell life?

 

[newmindfashion]

Wilkin,
I try to stay in touch once a year if possible but Ind. Health is a volume business so I try to get across that even though they may not hear from me, they should feel free to come to me with questions on anything.

I don't have keeping in touch down to science yet. I'm going to have my telemarketer call everyone in Dec. this year.

 

[David C]

My experience has been that my individual clients require very little service, the group clients need three times as much.

 

[Consultant]

My experience has been that my individual clients require very little service, the group clients need three times as much.

If you ask me the extra work for group is all worth it. Doing enrollment meetings every year with new employees and going over benefits really seals the long term deal. Insurance is not like my 401(k), it is my 401(k).

 

[fostever]

Part of the reason I didn't go the p & c route is that I expect the average client to call me anytime the get in a wreck. Well, that and I expect auto clients to be very fickle.

What I am curious about with health how often I can expect clients to be calling me. True, you can set the expectation of clients, but I believe in cust. service and I will only sell health so I can cross-sell.

If my scenario is likely to create lots of non-revenue producing, hand-holding, calls that take up my time, or require an assistant, then I may just farm the health out to someone else.

I just had a client calling today about their policy I wrote on them Friday. I had the feeling she was having the old buyer's remorse. So just to be nice I told her I'd check and when I called back her mentally challenged brother answered and told me she was meeting for an appointment right then. Once the underwriting is done, I'll make sure she understands why she made the right decision and answer any objections and get referrals. I'm confident nobody can touch the coverage I provided for the price. Sometimes it's the first few days. I think she's wondering about the bank debit. Hey ya want to farm out some of those to me?