In Benton, Kentucky, a town of 5,000, about three hours west of Louisville, you’ll find an agency with a true competitive advantage. Customers of Peel & Holland have round-the-clock access to their account information, certificate issuance, claims information and online help —or, if they prefer, a real person to answer their questions any time of the day or night.

In today’s world, true service means giving your customers options," said Roy Riley, principal at Peel & Holland. "In June 2001, we decided that an after-hours recording with emergency phone numbers was simply not enough. We needed new capabilities to remain competitive."

Riley researched his options and discovered that CSR24* offered all the capabilities the customers of his 35-person agency needed. CSR24 fulfilled Peel & Holland’s customer service requirements for easy Internet access, as well as 24-hour telephone support. Now, Peel & Holland’s clients can easily issue certificates of insurance, review their policies, and get all the information they need whenever they need it. Although clients have access to their specific database information, CSR24 gives Peel & Holland the ability to control what information customers see and which customers can access that information.

Instead of a recording with agents’ home numbers, Peel & Holland’s after-hours phone systems now contain a prompt for 24/7 customer care. This prompt transfers customers to CSR24’s call center operators who answer the phone "Peel and Holland" and can access specific policyholder information through the Internet to easily solve problems. Peel & Holland has also defined some escalation procedures for the call center personnel that ensure the right people on staff are immediately notified if the situation warrants.

One great example of this escalation plan in action is a call we received on Christmas Eve," said Riley. "One of our customers had a total fire loss to their home. We were able to quickly respond, get our insured into a hotel that night, and send our adjuster. None of this would have happened so smoothly without our new system."

As expected, the reaction from Peel & Holland’s customer base has been overwhelming. The company held a training session to walk their larger customers through the Internet options, and show them the benefits of these new customer service features. "Our 24/7 service enhances our professional image as an agency," said Riley. "More important, it helps us do what we’re here for - serving our customers, whenever they need us."