How does your Agency handle mailing of policies?

[Kenny Cruzan]

With more and more carriers sending customer policies electronically, do agencies still send customer copy via snail mail?  Our agency is still printing out CL policies and then sending them in the mail to customers.  I am trying to get some feedback to take to principles because I think we should be emailing policies.  If they are huge accounts, I would like to put them on usb pen drives with our company logo and deliver that way.  Any thoughts?

[Andrew Carrick]

We' like to send more by email. We were talking to a firm which sells exclusively over the net here in the UK, DayInsure.com, (not a TAM user) and they actually charge any clients who want paper docs a fee for doing this. Of course very few do want paper these days, and in this niche market, but try telling that to the older generation customers!

[Jan Regnier]

We still mail....matter of fact...depending on size of acct - we put the policies along with a spreadsheet premium comparison (current yr vs last year) in a linen folder (small client) or are bound with tabs for larger clients.  Supposedly this is so the client has at their "fingertips" their policies when questions arise about coverage.

[Hans Manhave]

We email as many as possible.  A lot goes to agents (we're an MGA) and agents better have email nowadays.  Sadly, some have rebranded Yahoo etc mail which could very well be on blacklists.  That does not really have an effect on us sending, but it does have an effect on agents communicating with us. 

[Ray Alvarez]

We don't just automatically start sending policies to clients, but we do offer it to all of our clients as an "added service" to them so that they can use the Adobe Find feature.  If a client signs up for electronic policies, we use UserField 3 in the Customer Detail screen with the code EM - Email Policies.  We've also set up all of our policy mailing letters (includes endorsements) with an IF statement that notifies the CSR if this client is to be emailed the policy.  That way the CSR doesn't have to check for each client.

[Lance Bateman]

Some of the direct bill carriers (Commercial Lines) require email from customer for everything. If it's not given, copy does come to us to send out.  Otherwise, all is email.

We offer email, but will send snail mail if not accepted (commercial again).

Personal Lines - direct bill all done by the carrier.  If agency bill, we snail mail (not many that are AB though).

[TrishaOurs]

We have started to send more and more policies via email.  If the client comes back and says that they would prefer a hard copy of the policies we then offer to put it on a CD for them.  For the most part we do not get a lot of pushback from clients.

[Sara Lieser]

How do you deal with producer signatures on the emailed policies? 

[Gene Foraker]

How do you deal with producer signatures on the emailed policies? 

Are you under the impression that the policy is not valid w/o a signature?

[Sara Lieser]

I am just trying to anticipate questions - it is a new endeavor for us.

[Jeff Zylstra]

You might want to check with your state Big "I" or PIA associations, but like Gene, I doubt that the agent signature has any bearing on whether the policy is valid or whether or not there is coverage. 

The only time I've ever seen it have any relevance is when there was counter-signatures required.  And that was more of an issue for resident and non-resident agents than it was the insured.  I think that the insurance bureau of the state in question just wants some agent's hide to tan if some insurance regulation is broken.