Progressive Adds Spanish To Web Site

Mayfield Village, Ohio-based insurer Progressive has announced two technology developments to make life easier for agents and expand customer access to its products, with the development of a Spanish language Web page.

The company launched its new Web site, espanol.progressive.com, designed specifically for Spanish speaking customers. The site, said Progressive, allows customers to obtain the full range of information about Progressive, including how to find a local authorized independent agent who has at least some Spanish-speaking personnel, said Matthew Collister, a spokesman for Progressive.

Spanish-speaking customers visiting either the new site or progressive.com can get names and contact information for up to five local independent agents participating in Progressives “ProLeads” referral program.

The company said that after the customer has entered a ZIP code and request for product, he or she receives a list of local agents, the agents contact information, and links to individual agent Web sites, if available. If there are no agencies within 100 miles of the customers location who speak Spanish, the customer is offered a list of non-Spanish-speaking agencies.

The company said that since the launch of “ProLeads” in May of 2001, the site has helped agents sell approximately 30,000 policies from referrals.

Agents who are interested in enrolling as one of the Progressive sites need to contact a local territory sales manager, Mr. Collister explained.

The company also announced expanded service from its agent-dedicated Web site “ForAgentsOnly.com” (FAO), which it redesigned earlier this year. In addition to improved navigation abilities and security upgrades, the site is now moving to replace its desktop-based rating system “ProRater” with a Web-based quoting system.

The new rating system would give agents the most current rates and software, the company said. Agents would also have direct and immediate access to information in Progressives systems. Since the program is Web-based, there would be no need for downloading new programs. All of the information would be stored at the FAO server.

The company said it began limited quoting over the Internet on July 1 with some agents in Ohio. More agents are to be added to the system throughout the year as the company receives feedback from agents and makes adjustments.

Mr. Collister said there is no timeline for the expanded rollout of the quoting system. However, the company does anticipate it will have full nationwide functionality by the end of this year.

The FAO site is designed to be a one-stop shop for agents to do all of their contact work with Progressive, the company said.

Progressive insurance products are available nationwide, except in the states of Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, September 23, 2002. Copyright 2002 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.

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Progressive Adds Spanish To Web Site

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