ORLANDO, FLA.--Maintaining a positive attitude within an organization and focusing on communication will improve an insurance company's reputation among consumers, according to an insurance executive.

In a keynote address here at the 12th Annual ACE (America's Claims Event), Roger Looyenga, chairman and chief executive officer of Auto-Owners Insurance Group, said that just one person with a negative attitude can affect the entire organization.

Not only does the negative attitude weigh on fellow employees, but if that person speaks to a consumer in any capacity, the consumer will form an opinion on the entire company based on that contact, Mr. Looyenga said.

As an example, he said that if a person has a bad experience with a server in a restaurant, that person generally tells friends about how bad the restaurant is rather than just the individual server.

In general, Mr. Looyenga conceded that how a person feels will generally affect the way they act, and having a bad day can cause a person to act poorly, but he stressed the importance of maintaining a positive attitude even through these times.

In his view, "the better you feel, the better you will act," and "the better you act, the better you will feel." Ultimately, Mr. Looyenga said that people have a choice regarding what attitude others see.

Proper communication with consumers is also critical, he stressed. When a client has a claim, it is better to tell them that someone from the company will be there in three days rather than saying nothing and showing up in one day, said Mr. Looyenga.

The reason, he explained, is that the customer is informed. If that customer is told three days, then they can either agree to that, or let the company know they need quicker service, and a compromise can be reached. It is important, Mr. Looyenga said, to communicate immediately and continually with consumers.

Mr. Looyenga cited the Walt Disney World amusement parks operation here as a good example of proper communication. When customers are waiting to go on a ride, he noted, the wait times are posted at the end of the lines. Furthermore, the times are updated as the customers advance through the line.

For leaders within companies, Mr. Looyenga said that knowledge is the key. A good leader, he said, must know when to lead and when to support others who have knowledge of a certain situation.

Leaders must know when to be players, when to be cheerleaders, and when to be fans in the stands, said Mr. Looyenga. He added that people will stop following a leader that tries to lead all of the time.

Special Reports /

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