What do agents want from their carriers’ portal? In addition to convenience, relationship, responsiveness and speed, the performance and functionality of a carrier’s portal also correlates with an agent’s carrier choice, according to a survey. The study, Novarica Agent Survey 2009: Small Commercial Lines – How Technology and Service Drive Carrier Choice, surveyed 256 agents across the country.
“Agents were most satisfied with full, bindable quote, policy view, billing status checks and secure e-mail functionality from their carriers’ agent portals,” the survey found. Agents cited 68 different carriers as their favorite carrier to conduct business with. Worthy of note is that while almost 100 different carriers were mentioned as a top-three choice, Hartford, Conn.-based Travelers Insurance Co. and The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. received the most top-three mentions with 108 and 77, respectively.
“Agents were most satisfied with full, bindable quote, policy view, billing status checks and secure e-mail functionality from their carriers’ agent portals,” the authors state. “These are generally the functions that have been available the longest and agents are comfortable using them and familiar with their benefits.”
Divining Agent Preferences (Insurance Networking News 8/21/09)
August 26, 2009