Overworked CSRs painfully unaware of three easy WinRater timesavers

During her March WinRater training sessions, our Quote-to-issue Expert Judy Fanelli was shocked – SHOCKED! – to learn of CSRs’ shameful work conditions:   these WinRater users are working their fingers to the bone, slaving over their keyboards spending unnecessary time and energy searching for and rekeying quotes and submissions.

“It was terrible,” Judy said.  “The chipped nails, the bloodshot eyes, the dark circles and the  broken spirits…all the wasted hours.”

Are YOU guilty of these crimes against efficiency?  Will you click on the links below to learn the easier, faster ways – before it’s too late?

Three crimes against WinRater efficiency and how to solve them:

1. Saving a customer’s various LOB quotes “willy-nilly.”  To see the solution, click here.

2.  Creating – but not saving – endless versions of the same quote. To see the solution, click here.

3. Rekeying mounds of data for Commerce and Hanover HO submissions.  To see the solution, click here.

So please, don’t let Judy stay up all night, worrying about you while obsessively organizing and reorganizing her sock drawer.  Give her – and yourself – a break.

How to export for Commerce/Citation
• In the Premium Summary screen, highlight the line for that carrier.
• Go to the bar underneath the “Rate All” button and select “Export.”
• A Quote Export screen will open up.
• Under the Export Type dropdown menu, select “Commerce HO XML upload)
• A WinRater Web Services Screen opens.
• Enter your agency/producer code.
• Your User ID and Password should be the same as the ones you use to log into Commerce’s Homeowners portal.
• On the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, click “Connect.”
• You will end up in Commerce’s HO portal.  Most of the data you typed into the quote will be there on the screen!
• Judy recommends you review all screens and make changes necessary to issue the policy.

How to export for Hanover/Citizens/Mass Bay
• In the Premium Summary screen, highlight the line for that carrier.
• Go to the bar underneath the “Rate All” button and select “Export.”
• A Quote Export screen will open up.
• Under the Export Type dropdown menu, select “Hanover Submission (to POS)” and click “OK.”
• A WinRater Web Services Screen opens.
• Enter your agency/producer code.
• Your User ID and Password should be the same as your Hanover Point of Sale User ID and Password and Click OK.
• You will end up in Hanover’s HO portal.�
• We recommend you review all screens and make changes necessary to issue the policy.
• If you have any questions about what you should do once you’re in the Hanover portal, please call your Hanover support person.

Are you creating all these different versions, only to not save them and have to start over from scratch every time your client changes his mind (or makes a final decision)?   Try this:

In any line of business, once you’ve completed your quote and you’re ready to create another version:
• From the toolbar, choose File, and from the dropdown selection list select “Save Quote As”:
• In the Quote description box, type in a brief summary that will help you identify this quote later (e.g. 250/500 limits Auto, or 1,000 deductible Home).
Do this for each version of the quote you create for your client.

Now, when your client makes a decision,
• you just go back and look in Recent Files (on the top right of the screen in red) or in your client quote list.
• You’ll see a list of all those saved versions; the descriptions you created will tell you right away which versions of the quote they are.

Just click on the desired version of the quote and you’re all set!

• When you’ve started a new business quote (Auto, Home, etc.) for an existing client, complete the client quote information, and click the “Client” button at the bottom of the screen.
• The Client tab will open.  Click the “Attach this quote to a previously saved client” button.
• A Client Search box will open.  Follow the instructions (type in the client’s last name, etc.)
• The “Select a Client” box featuring matching client names will open.  Highlight your desired client from the list and click “OK.” (If you want to confirm that this is the right client, click the “View Client” button.)
• Save the quote.

Now, when you go back to review this quote:

• From the WinRater Start menu, select “Open Quote.”
• Type in the client’s last name and click OK.
• A Quote List box will open.  Underneath the Quote List heading, you will see the following words in blue:  “Filter and Display Information (Click here to set a Quote Filter).”  Click the “Click here” text.
• A new box will open. Here you will see a “Display Settings” dropdown menu that lets you select how the clients display in the quote list.  Important:  select the “Client Quotes Tree” option.  (Trust us – you want the “tree” display.)
• Click “OK” or close the filter.
• When you do this, you will see all the client’s quotes together in a “tree” hierarchy; that is, you will see the client’s folder with a plus sign + next to it.
• Just click the plus sign + to see the titles of all the individual quotes in that folder displayed underneath.

Now isn’t that better?

Upcoming multiple-LOB screen will be easier to use
Saving and viewing the quotes this way will really make your life easier when you get our Spring WinRater release.  This newest version of WinRater includes a Presentation Center feature (previously known as Comparison/Proposal Center) that lets you view all a customer’s LOB quotes on one screen for easy comparative rating.

If you save and view your quotes for a customer’s various LOBs this way, when you open the Presentation Center, all the customer’s LOB quotes will automatically load in the Policy Type area.  How sweet is that?

We have polled every one of our companies and NONE of them has any interest in us submitting these longer forms. I completely disagree with your assertion that it is not possible for you to use the “old” form. Are you saying that ACORD dictates which of their products you use? We are your customers! Your loyalty should be to us!

Anonymous isn’t the only one who feels that way.  We’ve gotten a number of calls from agents who are, shall we say, less than pleased with the new form.

Here’s our response:

We feel your pain!  We know the new HO App is complex. 

Our first loyalty is to agents and, believe me, we strongly advocate for agents whenever we interact with ACORD.  Last week, in fact, we hosted ACORD representatives here at our offices and the new HO App was our first topic to discuss.  (They took down all of our suggestions and are working them through their change procedures.)  I should also point out that we waited 18 months to release the updated HO Form even though, at the time, we were contractually obligated to release it much earlier.

Over the years we’ve learned a couple lessons when it comes to Forms.  First, don’t implement them until the noise from the Agents gets loud enough to justify the change.  Second, make sure the Form gets updated in WinRater before it’s too late and a carrier rejects the old ones. 

In the case of the HO App, we had requests from agents dating back to early 2011 and throughout the summer.  They informed us that carriers were indicating a need for the updated Form.  (We keep track of the volume of calls so we don’t react too early.) 

By the summer, the calls had increased and by November 2011 it was clear that many agents needed the new Form.  We felt like we struck a good balance between waiting to introduce an unwelcome change against the risk of fallout should an application get bounced from a disagreeable carrier (this would be painful for you and your insureds).

As far as supporting multiple Forms, this is a technical issue.  We have never had a situation that required us to support multiple editions of a Form so we’ve never had to build this functionality in the WinRater.  This would be a relatively significant project for us. 

We’d love to hear more from agents — what do you think?  Please write a comment or suggestion.  ACORD does not control our products, but they do control which Forms are supported.

We (along with more than 400 Mass. independent agencies) watched Project CAP’s recent “Streaming Live” session about recapturing market share from you-know-who (hint:  Poofy-haired Hussy and Runty Reptile).  The presentation was professional and thorough, and painted a compelling picture of how independent agents can win back what’s rightfully theirs.

We thought the “Streaming Live” technology was pretty cool, and it allowed for a lively post-presentation Q&A between presenters and agents.  Now on to the content:

What CAP said

Basically CAP is saying what we have been saying for a while now:

• We (independent agents) need to bring the fight to the direct agents’ battlefield; that is, we’re crazy if we don’t hit the digital streets and tell consumers why they should do business with us.  And we need to do it pronto.  This means we need to:

          o make sure each of our websites is more visible in online search results (technically speaking, this means we have to maximize our Search Engine Optimization or SEO).

          o combine the collective SEO of all the independent agent websites. The old “united we stand, divided we fall” idea — the new CAP portal is a tool to help us unite.

• Yes, price is important and we need to be competitive, but we don’t need to be the lowest priced in order to steal some of the thunder from direct writers (see next bullet).

• Yes, consumers want to see quotes online, but mostly they want value.  And the real value that local, independent agents provide is choice and personalized service and  expertise and advocacy.

• The new CAP portal:

         o will make IIABA’s “Trusted Choice” logo as identifiable as the Ditzy Diva and the Cockney Cockroach;

         o Is designed to show customers why they need independent agents’ expertise (features like the portal’s FAQs will explain what an independent agent can do for customers);

         o Will provide online shoppers with an instant quote and access to local agents.

Our mood:  cautiously optimistic

We at Boston Software agree:  independent agents can play on the big boys’ playing field, luring shoppers online.  This is why we built our SinglePoint Online Consumer Quoting (OCQ) product (used by nearly 200 MA agents) and why we plan on connecting with the CAP portal  to deliver instant quotes.

We’re pulling for Project CAP, and believe it will give independent agents another tool in winning market share back from the direct writers.  But as software developers, we also know how very ambitious the CAP Portal project is.  We’ll be watching closely as this project moves from design to implementation.  We can’t help but be cautiously optimistic that CAP can accomplish this Herculean task at the level they’re describing.

Bottom line

Independent agents can’t be (and don’t want to be) just like the price-based, commodity-shilling, direct writing behemoths.  But who says we can’t grab their megaphone and tell consumers why we’re a better value?

To see the CAP presentation slides, click here and here.

What do you think? Call us or comment on this post.

Ever been sprayed by a skunk? Yeah, me neither.

But you know who has?  Terry Peterson, our captain of Tech Support.

He let his almost four-year-old black lab, Lucy, out the side door of his house at dawn a few days ago just as he does every morning.  But instead of a peaceful morning, you know what was waiting to greet him?

Pepe le Pew!  That’s right, a big ole skunk.  Before Terry or Lucy could say “Ruh-Roh”, old Pepe had lifted tail and sprayed them down like they were in a wet-tee shirt contest.  Talk about stink!

While Lucy got to spend the day at the groomer to get her all cleaned up, poor Terry had to throw out his clothes, take a couple of showers, open up a new bar of Irish Spring,  and then take couple more showers before hustling into work.

Says Terry, “I was late for work.  But everyone seemed to like my new cologne.  So I guess it all worked out.”

MAIA Board Chairman Ray Gallant, Charlie Walsh, and MAIA President & CEO Frank Mancini

As we’ve  said for many years now, we’re all partners…us, agents, and carriers.  Raising awareness of the true value independent agents provide to consumers is a cause near and dear to our hearts.

That’s why we presented another big phat check to MAIA President & CEO Frank Mancini and MAIA Board Chairman Ray Gallant to support the 2012 Agent Awareness efforts.  Specifically, this will help fund the ongoing radio campaign featuring the character “Jimmy Rizzo” currently running on many popular radio stations.

Speaking of supporting worthy causes, we here at Boston Software are taking up a collection for Charlie’s Rogaine fund.  The poor guy has lost nearly all of his hair and, with it, his mojo.  It’s downright sad.  Together, we can help.  Send in your tax-deductible donation ASAP so we can restore some self-esteem to this once proud man.

In short, either your SinglePoint User ID or SinglePoint Password is incorrect.  You can check them by going to the “SinglePoint” tab at the top of the WinRater screen and choosing “SinglePoint Login.”

If you know your SinglePoint User ID and are just unsure about your password, it’s very easy to reset your password on your own.  You’ll be back up and rating within a couple of minutes — literally.  Here’s how:

• From the toolbar at the top, choose the “SinglePoint” tab again; but this time select “Reset Password.”
• Enter your SinglePoint User ID, your email address and the CAPTCHA code (wavy, distorted numbers/letters) you see.
• Click on the “Send email” button and send yourself an email.
• Once you’ve received the email, promptly open it and click the link in the mail (this link is only valid for a short time).
• Follow the instructions in the link to create a new password.
• Once you have created the password, go back into WinRater (if you’ve gotten out of it) and resume quoting!

If this doesn’t work, you don’t know your SinglePoint User ID, or you are getting a different error message in the info bubble, please call us at 781-449-8585 and we’ll be happy to help!

1. “Lapsed Days Last 12 Months” option fixed.  As we reported a few months ago, NGM’s real-time rating was returning “Quote Error” if the “Lapsed Days Last 12 Months” option in WinRater’s Underwriting tab was set to anything other than “0”.  We worked closely with NGM to track down the issue and finally resolve it.

This means that now NGM will return an accurate real-time rate if/when you enter any value — Unknown, N/A, 0, or 1 or more days — in the WinRater Underwriting tab’s field.

2. “Operator Continuous Coverage” option has new name; needs to be answered less often. While we were at it, we enhanced your NGM workflow too.  You’ll now notice in WinRater that the “Operator Continuous Coverage” option has new name and it needs to be answered less often.  The new name for this coverage option (found on the Driver tab or Motorcycle tab) is “CIC/NGM –Op not insured or had Lapse w/in 12 mos”.  You only need to answer this updated Driver option when a Driver is newly insured or has had a lapse in coverage within the last 12 months.

By the way, this was a great example of the partnership among Boston Software, agents and carriers:  BSC put the original NGM WinRater process out into the field, agents identified the issue, and BSC worked with NGM and its vendor, CGI, to solve the problem.  If you encounter a WinRater problem with any of our carriers, please let us know immediately.