Can you remember the last time you got good service?
Let’s get serious – we have a pretty low bar for customer service most of the time and most of the places we find it. BUT we tend to still notice when it is bad or when it is better than good.
Try to think about the last bad experience you had…you probably had a thought running through your head – “I would never hire this person” or “this person would never cut it in my office”.
Now I know this might be a little more challenging, but think about the last time you had a good customer service experience…what were you thinking then? If we are honest, we are so taken off guard, that we are likely just taking it in – a bit shocked but enjoying the moment.
We might have a moment like this and miss our chance to have the thought ready that we need to put into action:
“I need a person like this on my team!”
In a recent visit with one of our member agencies, I discovered that some of their employees came from service related jobs located in the blocks surrounding their agency.
One specific case was the neighborhood restaurant across the street. The principal would go there regularly for lunch and during one visit, he was treated to exceptional service, so he took note of the name of the waitress.
A few days later he went back – requesting the section of the waitress that had provided exceptional service during the previous visit.
During this visit, the principal was looking for ways to get a little perspective on the waitress. He was able to read her behavior as a self-starter, people person that could think on her feet. Instead of eating quickly and rushing out, he stuck around a little working on his phone, but keeping an ear to the conversation/engagement that was going on with the tables around him.
Over the next month, he continued to visit her section, observe her behavior and build a relationship. His tipping increased a little every time, and he found that the service continued to exceed expectations.
It became clear, that she would be a perfect fit for their agency, and he asked her to call the office to schedule an appointment to meet with him about an opportunity to join their team.
Given the conversations they had over the previous month or so, he knew she liked the day time hours, but would like to be home more in the evening and not work on weekends.
He knew she was dependable, neat and even had a little info about her family she shared in their conversations that would be unlikely to surface in an interview.
The right people with the right skills, can learn the insurance business.
The next time you are at Applebee’s or Friday’s with your family or meeting a customer for lunch…take a moment to notice the service, and when it fits with the culture of your agency, you might need to become a regular customer to find one worth hiring.
Let us know if you would like to speak with any of our members. All of them have volunteered to share their story and the best practices they use to be manage their agencies.
Thanks,
Ted Rusinoff
You can also email me back at ted.rusinoff@secured-advantage.com, or send a note to my partner Tim Buren at tim.buren@secured-advantage.com.
Why have over 70 strong profitable agencies linked up with Secured Advantage? To increase profitability, create options for the future and access the resources of programs designed to support the independent agent…agencies of all sizes (1 million to 50 million), some first generation all the way to 3rd and 4th generation independents, all historically profitable with one or more of our common carriers and every member is finding value in their membership.
If you are struggling to maintain the profitability of your book or need help perpetuating…take a moment and give Secured Advantage a call to see how we can help improve your present reality.