For decades, technologically sophisticated agencies have literally been begging insurers to provide real-time capability for handling transactions between agent and carrier. Now that some insurers have been offering such technology, however, the tables have turned.

The burden has shifted to independent agents to use the tools provided, with insurers complaining that agents have been slow in adopting the technology--and some warning that they won't continue to offer the option if they don't get a better response.

"To those carriers, I would say, hang in there and work with us," said Kim Favreau, newly elected chair of the Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet), in an interview with National Underwriter in Orlando during the group's recent annual conference.

"Keep the dialogue [with agents] open. You have to sell real-time to some agents and get them to use it," she added.

Asked why some agents have been reluctant to embrace real-time, Ms. Favreau--who officially takes office on Jan. 1--noted that agents are "traditionally resistant to change." In a smaller agency especially, she added, "change can be daunting."

She suggested that some agencies may be waiting for real-time transaction technology to be "perfected" before making any change. She also speculated that busy agents may tend to put the idea of real-time adoption on the back burner while they attend to more pressing matters.

"If we don't embrace real-time now, what will happen with the next generation of customers who will expect 24-hour/7-days-a-week service?" asked Ms. Favreau, who is the commercial lines manager for Connell & Curley Insurance Agency in Natick, Mass.

"This will hurt the industry as a whole. It's hard on carriers, too," she noted, adding that some insurers are becoming frustrated with agents who don't use the technology that is being offered.

Still, despite the snail's pace in adoption thus far, she believes that someday agents will be able to do even more with real-time transactions. "We'll be able to tell customers, 'I can do everything for you,' including a lot of things that are carrier functions now," she said.

"Having to send customers away from our agencies to carrier Web sites cuts down on the relationships we're trying to build with those customers," said Ms. Favreau.

"To agents who haven't adopted real-time where it is available, I would say, take a step back and think about it," she added. "If we all work together, it will happen faster. We need to work with the carriers on using it and on solving the problems--together."

The biggest hurdle when it comes to agent adoption of real-time technology is educating those who are uninformed, according to Ms. Favreau.

"The message carries more weight when another agent tells you," she explained, noting that industry events--both national and local--offer prime opportunities for agent-to-agent education.

Meanwhile, at the same conference, Linn Wheeling, CEO of ASCnet, told a general session audience that "hundreds of agencies and more than 80 carriers are using real-time interface to reduce transaction times for customers and to enhance the productivity of their employees." She added that the agencies "are experiencing incredible results."

According to Ms. Wheeling, higher customer expectations are driving the implementation of real-time.

"Our customers don't have different expectations for their insurance provider than they do for many of their everyday services," she explained. "The leap has been made. They want instant access--and ease of doing business. They want it, and they want it now."

She added that real-time adoption could also help attract talented young people to the insurance industry by demonstrating that insurance is a "technologically advanced" business.

"The industry has the technology," said Ms. Wheeling, "but we know we can do more. We need more agencies and brokerages to use real-time, more companies to support it, more industry leaders to lead the charge."

During the conference, ASCnet also presented awards to several insurance companies in recognition of their work to implement download and real-time interface technology with appointed agencies and brokers.

Ohio Casualty Group was the top winner, being presented with the Ease of Doing Business (Gold) Award, and being named Personal Lines Interface Carrier of the Year. In addition, an Ohio Casualty field marketing representative, Byrin Bratcher, was given the 2007 Carrier Field Representative Award.

Frankenmuth Mutual was honored with the Ease of Doing Business (Silver) Award, and ACUITY was presented with the Ease of Doing Business (Bronze) Award.

Finally, Selective Insurance was honored as the Commercial Lines Interface Carrier of the Year.

Special Reports /

New ASCnet Chair Looks To Keep It Real

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