As phonebooks inevitably become obsolete, consumers lean on search engines to find local business information like phone numbers and addresses. Beyond that, consumers use the reviews and ratings on these local listings to make informed decisions. It’s important for local business’ to not only claim these listings, but to control and monitor the content...especially the reviews.

So you’ve got a negative review...now what?

Create a Plan
Creating a plan to respond to reviews is often forgotten about until it’s too late. Your plan doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be documented. Remember, plans change, so don’t be intimidated into thinking this is set in stone.

• Determine who is going to monitor reviews
• Ensure responses are going to be written with consistency
• Remember the outlet you are responding on
• Be clear, be concise, be courteous
• Optional – Create a timeline/checklist for responses

Don’t Just Wing It
While a quick response is important, the worst thing you can do is respond off the top of your head. Consistency is key. Consumers may ask the same question ten different times, in ten different ways...so make sure you’re prepared.

• Fully understand the issue, prior to responding
• Don’t be vague, offer a specific answer or fix
• Reassure that future consumers won’t run into the issue

Respond and Fix
You’ve sent a response, now what? Simple, if the issue can be fixed, fix it! Nobody likes negative reviews, but the information obtained can be quite valuable and could potentially make your business better. Oddly enough, a balance of negative reviews and positive reviews can often give greater credibility. Most consumers can sniff out a fake “5-star” review when they see one.

Ignoring the Review Won’t Make it Go Away
The longer you wait, the worse it will get. You don’t always have to agree with the review, heck, you probably never will if it’s negative. Remember, opinions are opinions, and on the Internet...everyone’s got one. The important thing is that you acknowledged the customer, offered a response, and hopefully an acceptable solution.

So where are you seeing most of your reviews come from?

When you think of the most vital parts of your agency, you may consider the sales force or the owners, or perhaps you think about the clients or support staff, but what about your agency management system? The capabilities of today's systems mean it should be an active part of your office's core operations. It's a tool that has the capacity to improve client service, provide a better understanding of your agency's functions and ultimately, allow you to earn more money. If you choose the right one, your management system can transform the way you do everything from generate reports to track carriers to paying commissions.

There's really never a "good time" to switch management systems, but sooner is better than later. You may face resistance from your sales team or IT employees because it's always challenging to learn a new software, not to mention the time and effort it used to take to uninstall the old one, install the new one, back up your data and even just get a person on the phone when you need assistance. With today's cloud computing web-based technology, however, it doesn't have to be such a chore. Consider the following factors to help you determine the best addition to your agency's team.

Web-based vs. Client-based Software 
Your agency management system research shouldn't focus solely on subscription fees because it's no longer an accurate comparison. With conventional, premises-based software solutions, the initial software fees are only a small portion of the total cost of ownership. You also have to consider the resources spent on implementing, customizing, managing and understanding this type of software. Don't forget about the time and money associated with support and training, either. Gartner Inc. performed a study that found up to 80 percent of the cost of deploying and maintaining on-premise applications is not due to licensing, but to additional costs related to hardware and software administration.

The alternative to this cumbersome option is to use a 100% web-based technology, or software-as-a-solution (SaaS) based in the cloud. With this solution, you can access your system anywhere you have Internet access without worrying about installing and managing your own security servers. This gives you more time to focus on your job, your clients and your agency as a whole.

Understand your Training Needs 
Although SaaS (software-as-a-solution) agency management systems are more intuitive and easier to use than previous options, there is still a certain amount of training and instruction required to transition your team from one to another. Before you install a new system, gain an understanding of the required training needs. This will help you determine how much time you need to adequately prepare your team for the switch. Additionally, be prepared to provide additional, on-going training with your team to ensure that everyone is harnessing the power of your new agency management system. It can't be part of your core operations if you think of it as something people will just "figure out." Use your system to its fullest potential to avoid wasted time and money.

When you're searching for a new system, consider investing in one that is as specific as possible to your needs. Using a solution specifically created for your specialty will make the training process even easier. Bulky, module-based agency management systems are like massive templates that require you to install additional pieces to make it fit with your goals and needs. Round hole, square peg, anyone? It's important to work with a system that is as streamlined as possible to avoid confusion and distraction associated with unnecessary components. Make sure you choose a tool that will solve problems, not create them.

Cost and Contracts 
We've talked about the hidden cost of purchasing and installing a CRM but you obviously need to consider "Actual Cost" along with required vendor contracts. First make sure you do not over purchase. Typically there will be a base plan with add-ons that have additional costs for additional features/modules. Make sure the shoe fits! Also, ask about all pricing options and any volume discounts; you can't be concerned only with the purchase or subscription fees, ask about supplemental fees. Is there a setup fee? How about fees for training? Yes, even ask about fees for support. Lastly, ask how long you will be tied into the contract - can you get out after a month, a year, or three years? Make sure with multiple year contracts you are getting exactly what you want.

Selection Process 
The actual selection process is the third factor to consider, not the first. Before you begin to identify the features you need, remember that you can eliminate many providers who are not in line with your financial and training needs as outlined above. Now's the time to start reviewing the most important features that will meet your needs. It's likely that you haven't changed or upgraded your agency management system in several years so remember that are many new features and benefits you haven't considered. Take this opportunity to include your sales team and support staff. If these people will use the technology every day, it's important to consider their wants and needs as well. Make a practical list of "must-haves" that will help you eliminate the systems that don't meet your core needs. Then, create a wish list that shows your secondary needs and things that would be great, but aren't ultimately necessary for your day-to-day operations. This wish list is very important because it will help you break any ties between potential providers.

After all that work of comparing more than up-front costs, considering training needs and then actually looking at the features of each system, you are finally ready to make your selection.

Managing Change 
You've made your choice, so the process is over, right? Wrong. You must manage the change process until your team feels comfortable with the new technology. Give everyone adequate and ongoing training so they are able to include the agency management system in their daily work, reiterating its importance and value. Understand the human element involved in this change and lead your team to success by showing everyone how this can help calculate commissions, track policies and generate effective reports. Work with other supporting staff members to show them how this system will ultimately make their work more efficient and effective. If you've involved key users in the selection process, you'll have even more support when it comes time to make the big switch.

Congratulations! You've decided on a new agency management system. You've done your research, identified new solutions, considered your team, reviewed wants and needs and guided your agency through the entire process.

We know you’re busy.  If you’re not handling a customer inquiry, you might be working on a new enrollment, or trying to answer an agent commission question, or following up with one of your carriers - the list goes on and on.

We would urge you however, to take a quick moment and ask yourself - does my health and life insurance agency have a disaster recovery plan in place? In a conversation with NU Online, David Paulison, former executive director of FEMA said “Small businesses that don’t have a plan in place generally don’t survive after a disaster, whether it’s a flood or a tornado. We see that anywhere from 40-60 percent of those that are hit like that simply don’t come back to business.”  He then added, “The truth is that it’s not that difficult to put a plan together to survive any type of catastrophic event—a disaster or something like H1N1.”

When you hear the term “Disaster Recovery”, you may immediately think of a large event like Hurricane Katrina, but you may be surprised that natural disasters are not the leading cause of data loss.

Take a look at the following results from a study by Strategic Research Corporation showing the leading causes of business continuity incidents:

• Hardware Failures (servers, switches, disk drives, etc) - 44%
• Human Error (mistakes in configurations, wrong commands issued, etc) 32%
• Software Errors (operating systems, driver incompatibility, etc)14%
• Viruses and Security Breach (unprotected systems are always at risk) 7%
• Natural Disasters 3%

Agencies that use AgencyBloc entrust us with their most important asset - their book-of-business.  This responsibility is not something we take lightly - all data is backed-up (in the cloud) to multiple hard drives in multiple locations constantly.  When you leverage our SaaS platform, we ensure all the hardware and other components that run the software continue to function properly.  If one of our agencies were to have to leave their offices, they could still service their clients from an internet connection to access customer contact information, policy information, benefit summaries, etc.

Regardless of your agency management system, every agency needs to have a comprehensive plan in place to ensure preparedness for any major event.  Don’t let the thoughts and tasks be overwhelming; it all starts with education, and thankfully organizations such as the Small Business Administration and FEMA have free and helpful resources:

SBA - http://www.preparemybusiness.org/
FEMA - http://www.ready.gov/

You’ve undoubtedly worked hard to build your insurance agency - don’t lose it to a fire, power outage, earthquake or other disaster. If you’re not prepared, a disaster could put you and your staff at risk, possibly shutting down your agency forever.