Joe Insurance
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I LOLed
Can I really sell Health Insurance in my bunny slippers?
- Thread starter jtr0618
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I LOLed
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Man, I know I have only been doing this for 6 years, but I have had pretty good luck with CS & claims. The companies that I have direct reps with that also make a commission off my sales usually jump through fiery hoops to help me. Good luck with GR, Assurant, and Humana. I really haven't had too many problems except with BCBS. Rough guess I would say that I'm happy with about 75% of the encounters that I have had. Whats the old saying, attract more flys with honey.... something like that. When ever I call them, I smile, introduce myself with a smile, I ask them how their days is going, ect, ect. I can't tell you how many times I can tell that the person just went from grumpy to a smile just by treating them nicely, and asking for their help. You have to remember, nobody calls them to say what a great job the insurance company is doing. Customers usually call to bitch, and the CSR is first in line. Years ago I was in CS and I know the feeling.
Then you get a complete a$$ and it spoils your day.
Then you get a complete a$$ and it spoils your day.
Sometimes our clients pick our battles for us and then we deal with the attitude that you indicated. In this case, the company's own policy regarding appeals was not followed and it caused needless loss of time and hard feelings. This is more of an observation than a complaint. When I read people on this board that indicate that its a simple, easy type job and all you have to do is .... I just think that they either haven't been around for very long, or not writing much business. It sounds to me like you are pretty deep in this s--t.
I have been dealing with carriers for over 30 years. I have seen some very good carriers, and some really lousy ones.
Even the best have areas where they fall down. For the last several years I have seen a marked decline in the quality of underwriters on the front line and CSR's who are just there to collect a paycheck.
Since the first of the year I have spent more time settling simple issues for clients than I should have if the carrier had done their job.
Aetna - client wants to increase deductible (on renewal) from $3500 to $5000. They want to re-underwrite. Working on this for a month and still not settled. No one re-underwrites when moving to a lesser benefit.
Golden Rule - client adding maternity. All it takes is a letter from the client. Took a month to accomplish including sending the letter twice, multiple calls and emails. When they finally added it they wanted to back charge her for a months premium.
KP - client wants to split hubby & son off to a higher deductible plan. Unknown to me, client had been trying to get this accomplished on her own for 3 months. I got involved. Took 2 months, numerous phone calls, emails, talks with supervisors. KP originally said just a letter, then no, they needed a form. When finally accomplished they overcharged on the premium. Client took her newborn to the doc for the first check up. Newborn (3 weeks old) not on the plan. Made her sign a form, making this a house account, before they would add the newborn on to the plan. I am moving them from KP the end of the month.
Coventry - client received notice in Feb that oldest daughter had aged off the plan. Client asked me what to do, I told her just confirm and their premium should be adjusted the next month. It was . . . Coventry cancelled everyone. Oops! Our fault. Reinstate everyone . . . including the oldest daughter. Took another month to get her off the plan. Three months later still charging the old rate. I get involved again. Call & email the manager. Week goes by, no response. Call 3 more times, send more emails including ones from the client. I finally get someone on the phone from Coventry and they promise a phone call within the hour with an answer. That was last Friday. Tuesday I call again, and again. No reponse. Send a terse email to the manager. She responds an hour later that she thought it was handled. Told me I am to go thru Coventry agent services for help. That is when I told her if she cannot control her employees, and get them to handle something simple, she can expect me to call her every time. 20 minutes later I got a call from the lady who was supposed to handle it a week earlier. She said Coventry had made an error and it would be corrected in the next 3 weeks. That is a 4 month premium credit.
Don't tell me I don't know how to handle customer complaints. I give the carrier adequate time to admit to their problem and settle it.
Incompetence is rampant and no one really cares.
I help carriers pay a lot of bills and if they cannot handle the simple things then how are they going to handle a claim?
I have a lot of contacts with carriers in high positions. If the rummies can't handle it they know I will not hesitate to call in a favor.
This is why my clients love me, even when a carrier f***ks up.
- 3,384
No kidding, Bob.
My personal favorite, check online status for premium payments and see a new enrollee showing late 15, then late 20 then late 25 and so on. Call membership to see why they are showing late and they tell me they haven't received a premium payment yet. Well, I say, they did fill out that nifty little credit card authorization section on the application, did you um actually want to set that up and get the premium. This happens 50% of the time with Anthem, the company formerly known at Blue Cross CA. I think they should just change it to a symbol like Prince did LOL
- 3,384
BTW, my previous Anthem RSM is a friend of mine who lives about a block from my house. He was talking to one of his friends at Anthem home office a while back about the "new hires" in membership and CRS positions there. Let's just say...
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Sounds like you are using the same play book as me, but its a lot more work doing it this way. What do you think about the agents that don't do any of this service type work? The ones that are basically finished with the client, once an app is submitted and placed and rely strictly on volume. They just keep running 100 miles an hour, moving forward, and don't care to ever speak to the client again, and providing the service that you offer wouldn't even occur to them. In 30 years in the business, you have bumped into these guys at one time or another. You know the type, no conscience, basically sociopaths. Are they much more successful than the conscientious, boy scout type agents?
I am appreciative of agents like this. They make me look good.
A lot of my clients either handled things themselves and gave up, or were previously written by a slam-bam thank you m'am agent.
Any *** can slam people into a cheap plan.
It is not difficult to make money in this business. But to develop a clientele takes a lot of work, patience and a commitment to putting your client's needs above your own.
For the most part, no.
I know quite a few successful agents. Most are real pro's. They put their clients needs ahead of theirs. I would have no problem recommending my family to them.
I also know guys who have played on a slippery slope. Sometimes they make very good money, but are gone and have left a bunch of unhappy people in their wake.
One guy is now retired (age 51) and living on a plantation (really!) in S.C. He retired after pulling off his last scam that cost friends and relatives (who invested in his company) thousands of dollars poorer. At least one of his friends lost $50,000 but that was almost 20 years ago. He is probably over it by now.
Others have lost their family and much more at the expense of others.
I lost track of one guy. Last I heard he was in the Carribbean, hiding out from authorities. He scammed millions and blew most of it on gambling & cocaine.
If all you want to do is make money at any cost, there are plenty of ways to do that. I have seen most of them and some are pretty good scams.
But if you want to create a following, and be able to sleep at night, be a pro.
- 1,908
1. ABSOLUTELY - take a look at how many posts and discussions consist of being ripped of, or not getting your money's worth when buying leads. Don't call from the phone book, though. Call from referenceusa.com or businesswise.com
2. NO - but selling small group plans by web conferencing is. Call around, get e-mails from prospective buyers and then send them an invite.
3. YES - if you don't have an FMO that can work for you. NO - if you use your FMO to make the calls and follow up on your behalf.
4. Dental/Vision/Mini-meds/PrePaid Legal/Term Life/Short Term Medical
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