News
News & Views: Less is More
Newsletter – Wednesday, May 1, 2019
I have a lot of gray hair to show for my 38 years in this business. You may think I’m an old man but really, I started working for Bill Tuscano when I was but a lad! The more I work and the older I get, the more stuff I seem to accumulate. My garage is full of vehicles, the wine cellar is full of bottles, and the agency – well the agency keeps growing too. Contrary to current societal values, I was never out to be the biggest Insurance Wholesaler, nor do I desire to die with the most toys. In fact, I think I am getting to the stage where simple is better and less is more.
I have come to the realization that more just means more work. The more cars my family drives, the more maintenance is required – inspections, oil changes, registrations, and the like. Just last week I made the effort to fix the taillight on my son’s car just because I was tired of running cars back and forth to the garage. I did get it done but not before I had to remove both taillights just to make sure I knew what I was doing! A few generations back, any self-respecting head of household did 75% of their own car repairs. So what does that tell you?
Anyone who has been in the business half as long as I have can tell you that we are as busy with work as we have ever been. I would challenge you though that we are accomplishing more. Personally, I believe we do a lot more work for the same outcome.
Before 2000, (the olden days) we could quote a truck over the phone. Today, nearly every truck submission needs a CAB report, a copy of the IFTAs, a Safer report, prepared loss summaries and yes, we still run MVRs. All of this for the same account we used to phone quote. On most P&C risks Tuscano quotes, underwriters are pulling up Google maps to confirm the location and running an internet search to confirm the online description of the risk. Why you may ask? Because we know our carriers are going to do it if we don’t; they expect us to have the answers before they ask the questions.
In 20 years, and with all of the technology at our fingertips, a typical underwriter still quotes the same number of risks each week. Sure, we can now quote a risk online in minutes which has to be better and faster than flipping through an ISO manual! But the truth is our customers (on both sides of the transaction) expect more and Tuscano aims to deliver it.
Speaking of delivering more, our Small Business Unit does just that. They get more done in less time. You can get SBU quotes quick and easy online or the phone. Don’t forget we are about relationships so pick the phone and call in on your next risk. We are here to support you even when you quote online. We’ve gone big on Tree-Trimmers this year. Tune in to our SBU webinar on May 28th for expert advice from Jamie Willcox on Top 10 Tree Trimmer Tips.
Here at Tuscano Agency, we are growing not only in production, territory, and staffing but in knowledge, customer service skills, and insurance expertise. We love the business we are in and the business loves us back. It’s a simple choice – grow with us!