Overview:
SFM (Smith-Feike-Minton, Inc.) is an independent insurance agency in Ohio with nineteen employees, committed to securing personalized risk management solutions. The company started over 130 years ago with a farm policy and continued to grow over the years through several purchases, mergers and name changes. Today they have expanded to five locations and are trusted advisors to customers in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and beyond.
Locations:
SFM has five convenient locations in Ohio: Wilmington, Delaware, Chillicothe, Springboro and Mason
Names of Owners and AppX Retention Leaders:
Brian Smith is currently the President of SFM. John Luttrell is currently the Personal Lines Manager and Sales Agent
Participants in the Program
SFM has five personal lines insurance account managers who participated in the AppX Retention program.
Types of Insurance Sold
SFM specializes in writing commercial, personal and agricultural policies as well as advising in the areas of life and health insurance.
Reasons They Invested in the AppX Retention Program
- The agency had lagging retention rates as they acquired several books of business over the past years
- The team felt consistently overwhelmed with remarketing and inbound client work
- Generation of new policies and increases in coverage from the current book of business was not optimized for results
- Team morale was lagging as they were dealing with rate increases and frustrations from clients as they were focused on a reactive service model
About the AppX Retention Program
Employing AppX Retention training for your team has been proven to increase client retention, account rounds and remarketing numbers. This six-month program will encourage everyone to be on the same page with being proactive in calling clients annually to review their accounts. It will also train agents to ensure thorough documentation and work to increase referrals and account coverage, all while boosting retention and decreasing workload. These training workshops and bi-weekly calls will teach your team to be in better control of client communication and reduce the number of re-shops, inbound calls, complaints and questions. Additionally, annual client calls personalize the insurance relationship, fostering trust and loyalty. Let AppX Retention show you the difference a great retention rate makes to your overall business.
AppX Retention includes the following:
- Training
- Two Onsite Training Days
- Designed Content
- Interactive Session
- Tracking
- Bi-Weekly Tracking
- Tools
- Scripts
- Role-playing
- Worksheets
- Coaching
- Bi-Weekly Coaching Calls
- Workbook
- Plan of Attack
SFM’s Results for the AppX Retention Program
The agents at SFM are knowledgeable, experienced and great at what they do. They worked very hard juggling the demands of their other responsibilities with learning and implementing the AppX Retention process, and all that effort clearly paid off! Check out these impressive numbers the SFM team achieved with AppX Retention:
The Important Stuff! Team Feedback
Initial Responses:
Initially, three of the five agents surveyed were apprehensive about the new process, and didn’t think they would have time to incorporate it into their routine. This is an understandable response. It’s normal to be anxious about how time consuming a whole new way of doing things will be. Two of the agents were excited to try a new process which may improve the insurance experience for clients. One even remarked, “This is just what we need.”
How They Felt a Few Weeks Later:
The response after employing the new process for a few weeks was overwhelmingly positive. Four of the five agents were finding more account rounding and increased coverage opportunities and three felt that they were providing better service to their customers. As far as time management was concerned, two of the agents felt that finding time for the new process got easier as they gained experience. Three found that being able to update clients’ contact information during the renewal calls would save time in the long run. Another time saver that two of them remarked upon was a decrease in inbound calls from customers upset with their rates or renewal.
What Was the Hardest Part?
The survey responses to what was the most difficult part of the new process were varied, but most related to finding the appropriate way to present the idea of increased coverage to the customers. There was some uncertainty about customers’ reactions, which can make the process daunting. One agent who mentioned that in the beginning making the calls was nerve-wracking, said she felt more at ease later on, not only because of the experience and comfort with the program she was gaining, but also because the customer responses were more positive than she had anticipated.
What Was the Best Part?
The team of agents at SFM recognized the great benefits of AppX Retention for themselves as well as their customers. They commented that they formed a more personal rapport with their customers while doing the necessary work of getting information updated and attempting to increase coverage. The decrease in angry calls was remarked upon by two agents. The team also appreciated the more proactive approach, as well as the consistency that everyone using the same process brought.
- “Everything [is the best part]! We are creating a more personal rapport with our customers, giving them better service while reviewing their insurance needs. It’s a win win!”
- “They know who we are and that we care.”
- “We are proactive and not reactive.”
Recommendations to Other Agents Starting the Program:
As noted above, there were agents who were nervous about how customers would react to the renewal calls. One agent, who said that the calls she did in the beginning were nerve-wracking, was surprised to find how many customers appreciated the calls. Another agent, who was worried about how time-consuming adapting to the new process would be, said that in the end it was worth the effort.
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“Don’t be intimidated by the renewal calls. I was amazed how many customers thanked me for checking in with them.”
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“You will find the time and it is definitely worth the effort in the long run.”
Working with the AppX Team:
All five agents at SFM who completed the program loved working with Kelly Donahue-Piro, President of AppX. They responded that they appreciated her encouraging them and staying positive throughout the entire six-month program. They recognized and valued that she was upbeat, knowledgeable, supportive, and always willing to help.
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“Kelly is great—knowledge is abundant and encouragement amazing.”
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“I like that you are upbeat, try to let us know we are too hard on ourselves at times. Positive attitude.”
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“You guys have been great to work with. You are always supportive of our team and provide solid advice. You delivered on what was promised.”
