The Insurance Center
T.I.C., Inc. (The Insurance Center) Deploys Technology to Create New Customers, New Employees, and New Business
Having solid technology can absolutely bring an agency new business if the agency is proactive and makes a point of selling the benefits. T.I.C., Inc. proved just that with a new client they brought on board.
T.I.C., Inc. has been in business since 1966. They have 125 employees who work full time in the agency, and they have another 90 or so independent producers who could write their business anywhere, but choose year after year to stay with T.I.C., Inc. With 13 offices throughout Wisconsin (which makes them one of the largest independent agencies in the Midwest), the primary reason for their success is that their people are unique. T.I.C., Inc. staffers are heavily involved in their communities and schools, and this volunteerism accounts for a large portion of the business that is written and that stays on the books, renewing, year after year. The Challenge
Having solid technology can absolutely bring an agency new business if the agency is proactive and makes a point of selling the benefits. T.I.C., Inc. proved just that with a new client they brought on board.
Early adoption of technology stands out
In the Wisconsin insurance industry, T.I.C., Inc. has long been ahead of the curve on technology. While some agencies choose not to test drive and experiment with new computer-based concepts, T.I.C., Inc. dives in head first and masters new tools rapidly with a keen eye toward the potential benefits to their clients. For example, T.I.C., Inc. was one of the first agencies in Wisconsin to have a fully functional and effective Website that communicates, educates, interacts, and provides real value to their customers. Additionally, T.I.C., Inc. can make their own changes to their Website through the WebEngine technology developed by Artizan. Not only does this self-service ability save them time and ultimately money but, it offers immediate gratification as updates are made in real-time.
Steve Kopp, IT Director for T.I.C., Inc., then began looking for a way to allow their policyholders the ability to perform some tasks online themselves to enhance the overall customer experience. One of his interests included removing the need to wait for copies of certificates by way of the insured’s being able to log in and print them themselves.
The Solution
Having CSR24 helps bring a new client to the agency.
Recently the insurance professionals at T.I.C., Inc. were working on a large prospect they were trying to wrestle from a competitor agency. They worked to deliver the right product, the right package, and at a very competitive price. But critical to the project was the fact that the client had good service history through the competitor agency In the midst of the presentation to the prospect, T.I.C., Inc.’s marketing representative was able to log into the CSR24 system, view policy data and populate some certificates to show how quickly and efficiently certs could be processed online. The policyholder was more than impressed at having online and immediate access to their policy information and the empowerment T.I.C., Inc. would extend them by enabling the policyholder to process their own certificates. The fact that T.I.C., Inc. not only used CSR24 but was able to assist the client in understanding how to better utilize the power and functionality of the product put the agency over the top and they won the business.
“In this technology case, specifically Artizan Internet services, provided not just a tool in a tool belt for the producer but really a truckload of options,” said Steve Kopp. “Some of our sales executives in the agency are beginning to use technology as a competitive advantage to reach the next generation of consumers who require technology and competent Websites to deliver information.”
The Result
Additional technologies help fill gaps and bring new ways to interface with the community.
Something that initially surprised T.I.C., Inc. about their Website was the level of communications they received from prospective clients, prospective employees, and potential partners of the agency. The Human Resource folks were very pleased at the caliber of potential employees who were seeking out the agency over the Web, and the marketing reps were able to get more information from prospective clients willingly offered. It made their jobs easier and more productive.
Each night T.I.C., Inc. backs up their data so even if some kind of natural (or manmade) disaster were to strike the agency, they will have solid, confirmed backups to keep the agency up and running. Additionally, with the CSR24 system, the agency’s most critical information is available on Artizan’s servers should disaster strike – the data is available from anywhere the agency staff has Internet access. These are just additional ways the agency can prove to their clients, their solid commitment to customer service by using cutting-edge technology .
By offering all lines of business, Third-Party Administration (Section 125) services, and a large life and group health practice, T.I.C., Inc. is truly a full-service agency. By investing in technology and Web offerings that provide real value to their clients, T.I.C., Inc. continues to position themselves for growth in the future, and at all demographic levels.
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