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Do You Have a Procedure for Handling E-Mails
from Your Clients?
by Curtis M.
Pearsall, Vice President, Agents' Errors and Omissions Department
Last month, the issue of e-mailing from
the agency to the client was discussed specifically with reference
to certificates of insurance.
As a result of that, an agent contacted me to ask about the opposite
scenario – a customer e-mailing the agency.
Certainly, e-mails are going to be a common
method of communication and it is important that you and your staff
think through all of the
possible scenarios that could occur. Where there could be some serious
issues of concern are in those areas where time is critical. Claims’ reporting
is one issue that needs to be handled promptly. Where I have some concerns
involves requests from customers to bind. There are a couple of scenarios.
- The first, you as the agent have already been advised
that your client may be buying something (we will use a boat
for this example) and you have already provided the client
with a proposal for coverage. The client is just e-mailing you
back saying go ahead and bind. In this example, it is clear that
the company is willing to take the risk and the client knows the
terms and conditions. Thus binding is more of formality. Time is
an issue but the potential for problems are less.
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- The second scenario involves e-mail
to your agency and this is your first notification of their desire
for coverage. Depending on the type of the risk, there is a chance
that you may not have any of the necessary underwriting details
and thus would not know if you have a company that would write
the exposure. In this example, while you may find it hard to
believe that the agent could be held liable, the possibility
does exist. With the proper safeguards and controls, you can
significantly minimize your exposure.
In this scenario, the possibility
of a time lapse is probably the most critical issue. Your staff
should be encouraged to check and deal with their e-mails every
morning. The priority of this practice needs to be very clear
and understood. E-mails should be handled the same as you do
an incoming call. When your staff checks their e-mail, on those
issues where you may not control the binding of an exposure,
the staff should explain to their client (back in an e-mail
or by documenting a call or by electronically date stamping a
letter from their system) that no coverage is bound until
the matter is taken care of. As long as this is handled within
a reasonable timeframe (this really means “immediate”),
the agent should feel comfortable that they have managed this
appropriately and thus reduced their exposure. Not handling this
matter promptly (not checking your e-mails or communicating
back the issue of coverage not bound) raises the possibility
of your client saying, “no news was good news and I am
covered because no one told me that I was not.”
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When designing your system it is important
to factor in the possibility of staff being out due to vacation, illness,
etc. Establish a procedure
for e-mails to be forwarded to a colleague who handles them as if they
were their own as described above. This way all e-mails are dealt with
fairly to the client.
Meet with your staff and talk this issue through. It is important that
you do business with your customers the way they want you to do business
with them and since e-mail is very popular, be certain that all staff
members know how your agency handles this method of communication.
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