BIG ‘ I ’ RESOURCES
WHAT NOW ?
What agents can anticipate going gorward in six key areas and how the Big I ’ s ACT and VU resources help .
The following article is based on a presentation and notes by Ron Berg , Executive Director , Agents Council for Technology ( ACT ), and Chris Boggs , Executive Director of the Big “ I ” Virtual University ( VU ) that took place during the Big “ I ” Virtual Legislative Conference .
What a year 2020 has shaped up to be so far . Regardless of the pandemic , it ’ s clear there isn ’ t a single aspect of our industry that hasn ’ t been impacted . In particular , for agencies , the changes to remote work processes and customer service , alone , have been both swift and steep . And there ’ s no doubt of the lasting impact COVID-19 will have on insurance coverages .
Amid all this change , some key areas come to light that agencies would do well to focus on now and coverage trends to anticipate . There are also some weighty resources via the Agents Council for Technology ( ACT ) and Virtual University ( VU ) to help members navigate these changes and implement Best Practices procedures .
DIGITAL AND MARKETING The focus on digital interactions will only increase going forward – as will the need for speed on available functionality .
Consumers use digital channels an estimated 85 % of the time now , and COVID-19 has only served to increase digital channels . Almost all suppliers are now offering digital ordering and / or delivery capabilities .
Our insurance company partners are driving this forward as well . National , super-regional and regional carriers reveal ways they are evolving their digital environment and service models to help agents , particularly on business recovery .
Agencies will need to focus even more closely on resources to elevate their game on digital , SEO , websites , social , and the overall marketing strategy . To avoid E & O issues , agencies must have a privacy policy posted on their website . And if their agency website isn ’ t ADA compliant , that needs to be a primary focus now .
� AVAILABLE RESOURCES :
ACT Customer Experience Planning website Independentagent . com / ACTCX
Agency Website Privacy Policy ( Downloadable , “ Brand & Use ”) independentagent . com / legal-advocacy / membersonly / memoranda / default . aspx
ADA & Accessibility Independentagent . com / ACTADA
REMOTE WORK Before the pandemic , 16-25 % of our nation ’ s workforce was able to work from home . Now , remote work has become the de facto standard option and we ’ ll likely not return to “ business-as-usual .” As a result of both economic pressures and employee expectations and needs , many businesses will be forced to diversify their work locations . Going forward , agencies and companies need to know remote work best practices and have policies firmly in place regarding roles , practices , communications , reporting , security , and documentation .
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