Hardest Medicare AEP yet for phone sales? Might move on to another industry

[fastlanemillions]

So I work for a non-captive agency doing Medicare sales over the phone and this is probably the toughest AEP yet. Alot of people only looking for food card benefits, and then if you do wind up getting a sale they are calling back saying "This agent told me this other plan is better, blah, blah, blah", or they wind up switching with another agent even though you did your due diligence of finding a plan.

Had a client call back and tell me another agent told her "your doctors are not in network" with the plan i signed her up on.
I had to call the doctor while on the phone and they verified they are in CIGNA's network but not on the provider list and currently disputing with CIGNA about it so that saved me. Had another one switch cause Aetna didn't mail out the food card smh. I had to call Aetna they did the food order over the phone.

Did i save them, yes but it was total 3 hr headache i had to deal with. I'm starting to think Medicare sales is dead, clients are getting more savvy and don't won't to deal with these misleading ads, as well as being called by 10+ agents every single day, some are even finding their own plans online. I'd go in the field independently but i don't have time for that, i have to feed my family and can't wait for commission check right 2-3 months later right now.

I'm just curious how others experience has been this AEP?

 

[straightnochaser]

So I work for a non-captive agency doing Medicare sales over the phone and this is probably the toughest AEP yet. Alot of people only looking for food card benefits, and then if you do wind up getting a sale they are calling back saying "This agent told me this other plan is better, blah, blah, blah", or they wind up switching with another agent even though you did your due diligence of finding a plan.

Had a client call back and tell me another agent told her "your doctors are not in network" with the plan i signed her up on.
I had to call the doctor while on the phone and they verified they are in CIGNA's network but not on the provider list and currently disputing with CIGNA about it so that saved me. Had another one switch cause Aetna didn't mail out the food card smh. I had to call Aetna they did the food order over the phone.

Did i save them, yes but it was total 3 hr headache i had to deal with. I'm starting to think Medicare sales is dead, clients are getting more savvy and don't won't to deal with these misleading ads, as well as being called by 10+ agents every single day, some are even finding their own plans online. I'd go in the field independently but i don't have time for that, i have to feed my family and can't wait for commission check right 2-3 months later right now.

I'm just curious how others experience has been this AEP?

Been pretty good over here, if you're strictly dealing with inbound facebook leads and all they're calling in about is the food card you're gonna have a bad time.. no loyalty in those folks.

 

[fastlanemillions]

Yeah for sure. I'm guessing your independent and work in the field?

 

[vic120]

Been pretty good over here, if you're strictly dealing with inbound facebook leads and all they're calling in about is the food card you're gonna have a bad time.. no loyalty in those folks.

Im super busy right now with clients and refurels

I had some Facebook leads on and turned them off quick I don't have any time for that,

but I have tried evey angle to get leads in the last couple years and I cannot find a good source anymore

where are you getting qualified leads from?

I even did many mailers and just lost a ton of money

For AEP I could not take leads if I wanted to but really want to figure out something for January

 

[InsuranceGuy29]

So I work for a non-captive agency doing Medicare sales over the phone and this is probably the toughest AEP yet. Alot of people only looking for food card benefits, and then if you do wind up getting a sale they are calling back saying "This agent told me this other plan is better, blah, blah, blah", or they wind up switching with another agent even though you did your due diligence of finding a plan.

Had a client call back and tell me another agent told her "your doctors are not in network" with the plan i signed her up on.
I had to call the doctor while on the phone and they verified they are in CIGNA's network but not on the provider list and currently disputing with CIGNA about it so that saved me. Had another one switch cause Aetna didn't mail out the food card smh. I had to call Aetna they did the food order over the phone.

Did i save them, yes but it was total 3 hr headache i had to deal with. I'm starting to think Medicare sales is dead, clients are getting more savvy and don't won't to deal with these misleading ads, as well as being called by 10+ agents every single day, some are even finding their own plans online. I'd go in the field independently but i don't have time for that, i have to feed my family and can't wait for commission check right 2-3 months later right now.

I'm just curious how others experience has been this AEP?

I only work trusted referrals, so mine has been good. If you're dealing with any and every random yahoo on the phone, then yea, it's gonna be a total headache. Especially in this day and age. The general public has become INSANELY hostile to strangers on the phone in recent years.

Just think about it for a second....these are the tiny amount of people that actually answer spam. Now it should make total sense to you as to why you have a constant migraine. It's not that people are getting more savvy. That has nothing to do with it.

To be honest, I'm finding that people are actually becoming more clueless. It's that you're dealing with super gullible people who have zero loyalty to anyone and are answering tons of spam ads.

I did that my first few years in the industry, way back when, and I couldn't take it anymore. Very similar situations to yours. I'd lock in a client, then I'd get a mysterious chargeback a month later.

After my 5 minute "WTF!!!" rage session to myself in my car, I'd call them and they'd tell me another agent saved them $1.50/month on their blah, blah RX.

Or they answered another spam ad and got duped into signing up for something else. It's a jungle out there with leads like this. You're just a stranger on the phone, they don't know you, and they have zero lead-in loyalty to you.

When a trusted friend of theirs gives them your name, they automatically have a high level of trust towards you. Randoms on the internet or via mail, forget it. These people are professional pains-in-the-rear-end and plan switchers.

 

[DonP]

Phone sales working leads is history . Last yr a guy that recruits told me an agent using fb ads wrote 147 apps during aep and only 49 went active jan1. The person that answers that fb ad also clicks 10 other leads . The person that buys on the phone from you will also pick up the phone for 10 others during aep . People that answer ads are low income usually and they must be sold face to face . I’ve knocked out 30-40 aep apps sold on the phone already by being face to face on my leads .

 

[renee15]

So I work for a non-captive agency doing Medicare sales over the phone and this is probably the toughest AEP yet. Alot of people only looking for food card benefits, and then if you do wind up getting a sale they are calling back saying "This agent told me this other plan is better, blah, blah, blah", or they wind up switching with another agent even though you did your due diligence of finding a plan.

Had a client call back and tell me another agent told her "your doctors are not in network" with the plan i signed her up on.
I had to call the doctor while on the phone and they verified they are in CIGNA's network but not on the provider list and currently disputing with CIGNA about it so that saved me. Had another one switch cause Aetna didn't mail out the food card smh. I had to call Aetna they did the food order over the phone.

Did i save them, yes but it was total 3 hr headache i had to deal with. I'm starting to think Medicare sales is dead, clients are getting more savvy and don't won't to deal with these misleading ads, as well as being called by 10+ agents every single day, some are even finding their own plans online. I'd go in the field independently but i don't have time for that, i have to feed my family and can't wait for commission check right 2-3 months later right now.

I'm just curious how others experience has been this AEP?

I've always been referral based or cross sold when I was a P&C agent FT. But yes-the last 2-3 years, every one of my clients is asking about the food card...And these clients are wealthy. I don't do any SNPS-at all.