Industry Magazine Grand General Agency Spring 2016 | Page 6

5 GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSE YOUR WHOLESALER CAREFULLY

5 Good Reasons
To Choose Your
Wholesaler Carefully
WHY A WHOLESALER IS IMPORTANT

AFTER spending 25 years in the insurance
industry, I have had the opportunity to
work with many wholesalers, some pretty
good, some not so good. After starting an
independent agency in Florida back in 1993,
it didn’t take long for me to realize that I
needed to be active in commercial lines.
There was a lot of low-hanging fruit to pick
since the contractors and Mom & Pops
were being under-served in my area. I, like
other new agency owners, had delusions of
grandeur that I could get appointed by the
likes of Travelers, The Hartford, Safeco,
and other well-known brands that had
great rates and solid service. It didn’t take
too many rejections to convince me that I
needed a wholesaler to have access to the
markets I wanted.
Jump 25 years into the future and I still
find myself depending on my wholesaler.
Some are very responsive while others
want to do everything their way, and that
means “cookie cutter” to me. Many do not
have enough licensed underwriters on
staff which means you will be working with
someone with little experience, who may
be unable to answer questions without
talking to a senior underwriter who may be
pressed for time in the first place. I could
easily list the wholesalers I have fallen out
of love with, but that wouldn’t be fair. I can,
however, list my five reasons to change and
recommend the company that can meet
your needs in every category.
1. Quote Turn-Around Time
This one is critical for any agent who is
competing for business. If my prospect is
looking for an accurate quote in a few hours,

SPRING 2016

I expect my wholesaler to make that happen. It is a waste of my time
and my prospect’s time to take a week to get an accurate quote.
Certainly, I understand that sometimes the nature of the business
can make things difficult and sometimes an E&S carrier is our only
hope, but for main street businesses and small contractors, the
quote is simple and shouldn’t take a week.
After speaking with the folks at Grand General Agency, I am
confident that the majority of their quotes will be in your in-box
in just a couple of hours. The reason for their speed is simple; they
can quote the majority of the markets in-house and their staff of
experienced underwriters understand the agent’s needs. Even if
they send it out, they will typically have it back in 24 hours.
2. Service Standards
How many times have you called your wholesaler only to get
stuck with an “associate” who has little knowledge of insurance and
were told that they will check with the underwriter and get back to
you? I want to speak to the underwriter!
Susan, the Marketing Director at Grand General Agency, assured
me that only licensed underwriters handle service requests and
their staffing is sufficient so that you need not go through a “junior”
or “associate” underwriter to get things done. Even with the advent
of email, texting, online quoting, and phone trees, Grand General
Agency still chooses to answer their phones when they ring!
3. Markets, Markets, and Markets
Have you ever quoted a business and you ended up writing their
BOP, Commercial Auto, Workers’ Compensation but didn’t have a
market for their Professional Liability? This opens a gaping hole in
the account if they have to go to a different agency for coverage.
Certainly, that other agent is going to attempt to take all that
business at renewal, you simply cannot be in that position. Grand
General Agency eliminates this situation by making certain they
accommodate all the various risks for each account you submit for
quoting.
While discussing product availability with Jeff, Grand General
Agency’s Field Sales Manager, I was reviewing their website and
looking at their product listing. On the right side of the page was
their very long list of commercial classes and on the left was a very
long list of personal line products (perfect for cross-selling), and all

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