Download prior to customer setup

[DebAmstutz]

Is it an E&O problem if a policy is downloaded to an agency before ANY customer setup is done?  This happens every once in awhile here.  There is no prospect, no customer, but we receive a policy for which we submitted an app.  (Once in a great while Progressive assigns us a policy but I'm not concerned about that since we didn't ask for it.)  There is nothing on TAM regarding anything about the app/underwriting/etc.  I don't know if there is a "set" procedure for writing new business.  It really bugs me when I see it happen, but it doesn't seem to bug anyone else. 

[Jan Regnier]

If an application is being sent to Co for a policy there SHOULD BE A CLIENT file set up!  How does anyone F/U to be sure the policy is processed and received?  What if the person responsible for that file is out for whatever reason (like illness or injury) - how is anyone going to know they need to be looking for that policy? THAT could be an E&O exposure but  I don't know how getting the download would be an E & O exposure....but then I am not very well versed on that topic.

[GeorgeW]

Drives me crazy!  We have 4 new business policies in suspense right now. Trying to find out who wrote these policies when you have people in 30 offices is always fun. No one claims them!

[Jan Regnier]

Drives me crazy!  We have 4 new business policies in suspense right now. Trying to find out who wrote these policies when you have people in 30 offices is always fun. No one claims them!

Except when the commission isn't received by the agent....then someone will claim them!

[DebAmstutz]

I don't know what kind of notes they keep regarding what they've written through a company website. 

This part isn't E&O, but what if one of those people call in and the receptionist can't find them in TAM and they don't remember who they talked to?  There are days when everyone in a department is in a meeting and the receptionist we have right now might tell them they have the wrong agency!  She's fairly new and inexperienced.

[Jan Regnier]

In meetings we have had with staff over the years one concept we review every now and then is the "Mack Truck" rule..... If YOU were hit by a Mack Truck today would we know what you are working on? what you are waiting on? Who you have spoken to regarding issues or claims or prospective clients or whatever?

Staff should be respectful enough of the agency that they provide all the information that would be needed to handle their accounts IF they didn't show up for any length of time.. activities, notes, correspondence, follow ups etc.  Of course, nothing would be 100% complete but at least there would be track to run on and only a few things will fall through the cracks.

[Hans Manhave]

Drives me crazy!  We have 4 new business policies in suspense right now. Trying to find out who wrote these policies when you have people in 30 offices is always fun. No one claims them!

Put yourself in as a producer and claim them.  Kind of like those extra pennies from rounding at the bank.  Siphon them all to your account.   

[Debbie Fuson]

I have used a lot of tricks in the past to hunt down download mysteries.  Very rarely has the client not been entered at all.  Usually it turns out that the client is in the system but under a name and policy number that doesn't match what downloaded.  Sometimes, it is way off.  Like, "how the heck was anyone ever supposed to find that" off!

I guess it's bad, but I've gotten to where if I'm completely stumped on a policy, I'll let it sit in suspense for a week.  By that time, the account manager either fixes the name and policy number on her own so I can find it, or she's asking me where her download is, and we can discuss why I could not locate it.   Or once in a while, the policy was issued in error, and the flat cancel will download by that time.

[DebAmstutz]

I've let the item sit in suspense a few days and usually whoever is looking for it finally enters the client.  It bugs me that absolutely NO activity is entered prior to the policy being downloaded.  Someone needs to ensure that workflow is followed by everybody. 

(I'm probably on the bad list now.  I ran the monthly open activity report yesterday morning and pointed out to the owner those who had multiple pages of open items - one person had OVER 30 PAGES, some being quotes from over a year ago, and there was a meeting yesterday afternoon and the offenders were told to go over and close and another report would be run Friday to observe progress.  I'm thinking that someone would accept or reject a quote within a month, and people are just to used to seeing a full homebase screen of activities they just don't care what's there anymore.  But, they might start to care if the owner keeps an eye on it.)

[Coral]

Or a new service manager! You don't dare have past due open activities here.