Insurance Documentation: How Important Is It Really?
Today’s tip is absolutely essential to becoming a Ridiculously Amazing Agent in 2021: insurance documentation.
“The bottom line is to me if it’s not in that management system, it did not happen. And you can’t use “I’m so busy” as the excuse. You’re also so busy trying to remember what the heck you did on a file last year.”
Insurance documentation can be frustrating to keep up with, and may not be intuitive for many agents, but it’s something that’s absolutely non-negotiable. This is such a widespread issue, that nearly every agency we work with expresses frustration around documentation in their management systems.
Documentation is not only crucial for your agency, but it’s also important for your customers. If your insurance documentation is sloppy, you’re going to be hard-pressed to provide an excellent experience for your customers. Here’s how you can tighten up your insurance documentation, for both your agency, and your customers:
1. More than a Tweet, but less than a book
If you’re struggling with insurance documentation, keep this first tip in mind. Your notes should be more detailed than a Tweet (which is, of course, quite short), but you don’t need to write a novel either. Provide just enough detail, without going overboard. And on that note, you probably shouldn’t be using any nicknames, shorthand, or acronyms, unless the terminology is universal at your agency. That sort of documentation will make it harder for other employees to understand.
2. Document before you hang up
When you call your cell phone provider, does that agent take notes after you hang up? No, definitely not – they take notes while still on the call, which is exactly what you should be doing. Make sure you take notes while your customer is still on the line, or else you might forget what was said, or get distracted. Plus, you can repeat back the information as you take note of it, to confirm what you’ve heard.
3. Ditch the notepad, grab your headset
How you’re taking notes matters, and unfortunately for fans of pen and paper, you should almost always ditch your notepad. Handwritten notes are ineffective because they can’t be easily shared with your coworkers, they can be lost, and they can be sloppy. Always use a digital note taking system on your computer. And on that note, you should be using a headset to be handsfree. While it may take a little adjusting, it’ll make things much easier in the long run.
The bottom line is that if it’s not in the management system, it didn’t really happen. Proper insurance documentation is crucial for both your agency, and your customers, and some small changes can really help you level up your game. Plus, if you feel like you’re too busy to properly document, head over to our post about feeling busy versus feeling productive. By switching to a more effective insurance documentation system, you’ll be freeing yourself to be more productive during the day.
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