Stop Taking VINs Over the Phone
By Kurt Thoennessen, CAPI
Part of the role of an insurance agent is to gather information to sell and service insurance policies. Dates of birth, addresses, drivers license numbers, vins, etc. The knee jerk reaction in a sales or service scenario is to pepper someone with questions to get to the end goal; make a sale or satisfy an underwriter’s need for data.
Today, data gathering can be done more efficiently and effectively by using digital forms. In fact, every situation where data gathering is done by phone or email can and should be converted into a digital form and sent through an email or text.
ADDING A NEW CAR
For example, when a client calls in to add a car to their policy, the typical method for handling that service need is to ask the client about the new car and request information about the transaction. This can take several minutes on the phone and sometimes longer when information is not readily available.
The good thing about this process is the questions are always the same. This characteristic makes it a perfect task to be converted into a digital form.
Click the link below to view this form on the RiskRevu platform.
https://riskrevu.com/evaluation/new-vehicle-dealer-form/?pid=796
SAVING TIME WITH CAR CHANGES
Let’s say, on average it would take an account manager 5 to 10 minutes to gather data about a new car over the phone and they add 2 new cars per day. That is 10 to 20 minutes per day and 50 to 100 minutes per week just gathering data about new cars!
Conversely, if a digital form is sent to gather the data the account manager is only spending 1 to 2 minutes per vehicle, 2 to 4 minutes per day and 10 to 20 minutes per week sending emails with links to clients or dealers. (Hint: Less if they use an email template.)
Agencies that have multiple account managers will save many hours a week by converting this one data gathering exercise into a digital form. For example, an agency with 10 account managers will save 5 to 10 hours per week (260 to 520 hours per year) and they will also increase their team’s morale by enabling them to do their work more efficiently.
This is just one example of how a digital form can improve the way an agency services insurance policies. There are many others scenarios where they can be used that can save even more time. Agencies can start to realize these time savings and the other benefits of using digital forms by signing up for one of RiskRevu’s plans at the link below.
Kurt Thoennessen
CEO of RiskRevu and Personal Risk Advisor at Ericson Insurance Advisors