Building Trust With Clients Amidst Insurance Scams

Yesterday I had an appointment with a client that has been with me for years.  Halfway through our annual renewal meeting, the CEO told me a horror story about how after twenty years with his personal lines broker, he decided to shop around.  He received a mailer from what seemed to be a legit operation.  He even went to the insurance broker's office.  Everything seemed to check out just fine.

My client did all the right things.  He even consulted with his current agent on the quote the other agent had provided.
His agent of twenty years couldn't come close to the other agents rates and my client ended up going with the new, unknown agent.  Now fast forward three months.  My client could no longer get a hold of the agent and hadn't received his policies.  My client knew something was wrong, filed a complaint with the Department of Insurance and found out that this guy had been scamming many people in the same area.  The twenty year veteran agent took my client back with open arms.  In my meeting with my client he vowed never to leave his personal lines agent because you can't put a price on "trust and honesty".  

And then it hit me, how do I continue to build trust among my clients and prospects when our industry is riddled with scams?  It's always disheartening knowing that opportunists and criminals step up their scamming games after a natural disaster or catastrophe.  They kick people when they're down and in turn, the legitimate, hard working, trustworthy brokers and agents end up getting rolled into this bad wrap.   

A few disciplined practices have given me a leg up on fraudulent insurance brokers.  Here are a few that I find are most important to my clients:

1. BE RESPONSIVE.  Put yourself in your clients shoes.  If you didn't receive a call back from a trusted advisor or consultant within 24-48 hours, would your trust begin to waiver?  Even if I don't have an answer for one of my clients, I still respond and acknowledge I received their message.  Once I look into the issue for my client, I always try and give them a timeline of when this should be resolved by or when we should be receiving the answer.
2. BE PREPARED.  When a client calls for a meeting or asks if you have time to chat in the afternoon, be inquisitive.  Finding out a little more information goes a long way.  It shows my clients that I care about their needs when I prepare ahead of time and answer most if not all of their questions.
3. BE DEPENDABLE.  In short, do what you say you're going to do.  If you say you will call or get an issue taken care of, do it.  Your client will rest easier and build up rapport with you much faster this way.  

My client was right.  You can't put a price on trust and honesty.  

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