What Kind of Pay System Do You Use - Everyones Opinion

[sotosoto]

What kind of pay system do you use at your agency?

We are a small business multi-agency, including insurance services and consultations.

Currently we have one agent who is fluent in Spanish (we work in an international dominant area) and speaks enough English to get by to talk to English speaking clientele. She let her independent agent and sub agent license die out. She is asking for us to pay for her P&C sub agent licensing and to take the test for her. I explained to her she will have to take the test and pay out of pocket for the licensing fees. We currently pay her salary + commission but have not seen too much of an increase on her results as an agent. She is demanding a raise I need some advice on how to go about this. She works 4 1/2 days a week not including Wednesday.

I would appreciate the advice of any well established agents on here.

 

[xrac]

What kind of pay system do you use at your agency?

We are a small business multi-agency, including insurance services and consultations.

Currently we have one agent who is fluent in Spanish (we work in an international dominant area) and speaks enough English to get by to talk to English speaking clientele. She let her independent agent and sub agent license die out. She is asking for us to pay for her P&C sub agent licensing and to take the test for her. I explained to her she will have to take the test and pay out of pocket for the licensing fees. We currently pay her salary + commission but have not seen too much of an increase on her results as an agent. She is demanding a raise I need some advice on how to go about this. She works 4 1/2 days a week not including Wednesday.

I would appreciate the advice of any well established agents on here.

She sounds like she could be a little lazy to me. I would volunteer to pay the license fee. She could do the rest. How can you pay her comission if she is not licensed? How long has she been with you? Can you get her more motivated? Is she worth keeping? Should you look for a replacement?

 

[sotosoto]

Hello and thank you for your response. I can't exactly label her as lazy.. It just seems she has self-entitlement and does it in a demanding way.

She asked for every Wednesday off, gave it to her
She wants 1 hour lunches, gave it to her, yet she over stays them sometimes while we have a rush of clients pouring in. We currently cannot afford more than 1 sub agent

She runs about 20 minutes late every other morning while clients are outside waiting as well.

Her performance has not increased through the 6 months we have been here, it's just at a constant-decline-constant level. The "commission" we offer her is a % of the agency fees she adds to new policies for us in the system.

I personally feel pay per performance is a good guideline to use. I told her the more clients she brings in the more extra bonus pay she gets and she is not happy about it, she wants a pay increase but only willing to work 4 out of the 6 days we are open. We currently do not deduct lunch time from her 1 hour lunches.

She let her license die out about a week ago so I don't know how to go about cutting her commission (I don't want to if she is a worthy sub agent).

I don't feel like paying for her license at the moment because she indirectly threatens to leave because we have not given a pay increase after 6 months (she has been working for us for 6 months), we just started offering her commission.

If I pay for her license she can use this at another competitor agency. I have already looked for backup and have backup since we are part of a franchise, but I appreciate her 6+ years of insurance experience.

 

[rousemark]

Hello and thank you for your response. I can't exactly label her as lazy.. It just seems she has self-entitlement and does it in a demanding way.

She asked for every Wednesday off, gave it to her
She wants 1 hour lunches, gave it to her, yet she over stays them sometimes while we have a rush of clients pouring in. We currently cannot afford more than 1 sub agent

She runs about 20 minutes late every other morning while clients are outside waiting as well.

Her performance has not increased through the 6 months we have been here, it's just at a constant-decline-constant level. The "commission" we offer her is a % of the agency fees she adds to new policies for us in the system.

I personally feel pay per performance is a good guideline to use. I told her the more clients she brings in the more extra bonus pay she gets and she is not happy about it, she wants a pay increase but only willing to work 4 out of the 6 days we are open. We currently do not deduct lunch time from her 1 hour lunches.

She let her license die out about a week ago so I don't know how to go about cutting her commission (I don't want to if she is a worthy sub agent).

I don't feel like paying for her license at the moment because she indirectly threatens to leave because we have not given a pay increase after 6 months (she has been working for us for 6 months), we just started offering her commission.

If I pay for her license she can use this at another competitor agency. I have already looked for backup and have backup since we are part of a franchise, but I appreciate her 6+ years of insurance experience.

Sounds as if she is the boss of the agency.. You need to get control of the situation. Her 6+ years of experience mean nothing if she cannot get to work on time and be a team player.. Time to cut her loose.

 

[blue_wynd]

Sounds as if she is the boss of the agency.. You need to get control of the situation. Her 6+ years of experience mean nothing if she cannot get to work on time and be a team player.. Time to cut her loose.

I agree. I am currently a producer, but if it was my agency I will be looking for a replacement.

 

[xrac]

Don't hang onto her. Cut her loose and find a replacement. She is a trouble maker and is not good for agency morale.

 

[pcbinsurance]

Making customers wait outside while she waltzes in 20 minutes late is inexcusable. I can imagine she doesn't treat the customers with a lot of respect either.
6 years of experience means nothing when she has 6 months of disrespecting your agency.
Cut Loose!

 

[xrac]

The longer you hang on to her the more you will regret it.

 

[scagnt83]

You "cant call her lazy" but she takes extended lunches, is constantly late and only works 4 days a week.....

If you cant call that lazy I would hate to see what you consider lazy.

Does she run the agency or do you?

And you say you dont know how to go about cutting her commission?? You cant be serious... how about tell her it is illegal to pay commission to someone who is not licensed? In fact, it is illegal to solicit or induce to buy insurance sales without a license period.


Grow a pair and fire her lazy bum.

 

[xrac]

Watch Restaurant Impossible or Bar Rescue and observe one of the owners who allow the inmates to run the assylum. That is basically what you are doing. Is she the boss or are you? Document her tardiness two or three times. Write her up. Protect yourself from her drawing unemployment then fire her for CAUSE.