Who is the most valuable person in your agency?

It isn't the founder, owner/principal, head of finance oraccounting, IT/social media guru, claims person, head of HR, or thehigh-profile producer with the biggest book of business.

It's the customer service rep — the CSR.

Today, CSRs may have titles such as Account Manager or AccountExec, Senior CSR, Relationship Manager, or others, but they allrefer to that special person who performs many key, difficulttasks. The CSR role I'm referring to can be at an independentagency, wholesale broker, captive insurance company, or any retailinsurance provider that has relationships with customers.

At our agency, we respectfully referred to the CSR as “TheMother of the Account.” The CSR had full authority over all of the functions and services related tothe customer and had full authority over the producer as well.The CSR was often taken on joint client visits with a producer toenhance relationships and to get a firsthand grasp of the totalaccount.

For support, I interviewed two savvy professionals whose rootsare firmly embedded as CSRs in the business, and with whom I'vepersonally had the pleasure of working.

CSRs are 'essential' to your success

Laura Senn ([email protected])states clearly that the CSR is essential to an agency's success.She says CSRs were originally order-takers who have evolved to thelevel of an account manager to help customers understand theirinsurance needs, and the CSR is now the front-line relationshipbuilder. Laura adds that the important traits and skills a CSRneeds are the following:

• Technical skills

• The ability to see and understand a person's or business' needsand exposures, and know what is important in their lives

• Strong, two-way communication with management

• Commitment to continuing education and an interest in takingprofessional courses and becoming licensed

• A desire and passion for growing and taking advantage of theagency's career path

• The ability to work closely with producers, especially on jointcalls with VIP customers

• The ability to work closely with the client to identify ongoinginsurance needs and not perpetuate the “sins” of the prioragency/carrier

Laura began her career as a CSR, rose to supervisor, thenpersonal lines department manager. She eventually became an SVP, anagency principal and one of my partners until the agency wassold.

Don't micromanage the CSR

Selecting Melissa Van Schaick ([email protected])to interview was easy as she epitomized who and what the essentialCSR should be. Incredibly, Melissa has retained customerrelationships for almost 30 years — many long after the originalproducer (including me) has moved on. Melissa agrees that when itcomes to service, agency management should draw a line in the sandbeyond which a producer cannot cross so as not to interfere withthe CSR — who should never be micromanaged by the producer. Melissaalso feels strongly that management can help CSRs be more effectiveby:

• Providing the best available IT/agency management system formaximum productivity,

• Consistently reaffirming the agency's culture to all staff,

• Having CSRs accompany producers on selective joint calls toenhance relationships and retention,

• Encouraging CSRs to take professional courses and education,

• Providing the opportunity for CSRs to become licensed and to bepaid for new business production, and

• Embracing CSRs as part of the sales team and including theirparticipation in sales meetings.

Melissa feels that the most essential traits needed to be a great CSR are:learn to listen, reassure the customer, answer questions directly,have empathy and compassion, and spend time talking with thecustomer.

CSRs are the infantry, on the front lines every day, in thefoxhole, never knowing what the next phone call or email will askof them. They are always there, every day, doing what they do toprovide the best service they can to satisfy the customer.

Barry Seigerman ([email protected]) foundedThe Seigerman Agency in 1975 in Long Island, N.Y. Now,he is an independent broker/producer.