COVERED insurance carriers , including State Farm , Nationwide , Farmers Alliance , to name a few . So I ’ d estimate over my career that I handled between 800 and 1000 insurancerelated cases .
Dave : When you look back over your career , what are some of the things you are most proud of ?
Will : I never had a huge interest in making a whole lot of money , but I did want to be respected for the job I did . I really wanted to be respected by my peers , clients , and the people I worked with daily . I believe I ’ ve achieved that , and , frankly , that is most gratifying for me .
Dave : What are some of the most notable changes from when you started working in the insurance industry to now ?
Will : In terms of my focus within the industry , which was handling lawsuits , the biggest change I ’ ve seen is that carriers within the past 10 to 15 years are much more involved in managing litigation than they were before . When I first started , carriers used to assign a case and basically say , “ Let us know what happens .” In more recent years , there is much more reporting to carriers and coding of activities . It seems like there is more micro-managing being done by the carriers .
Dave : What do you feel like the most significant or most notable changes to the association have been ?
Will : I think the most significant change has been all of the acquisitions and mergers . When I first started , the association had 500 or 600 members . Now we have approximately 320 members , and the reason driving that is M & A activity . The decrease in members is not anything the association has done ; in fact , I think the association does as good a job or better at serving members than when I first started .
Dave : Do you have any advice for agents based on what you ’ ve learned over the years ?
Will : One thing is never procrastinating when dealing with difficult situations . If you think there is a potential claim , report it to your E & O carrier as soon as possible . If your carrier is Swiss Re , they will not increase your rates for reporting potential claims . If you realize you ’ ve made a mistake , but it is not a potential claims situation , deal with it right away . I know it may be uncomfortable , but picking up the phone and calling your customer , and getting the problem fixed immediately will go a long way in maintaining your credibility .
37