Many in the insurance world believe the price of insurancebecomes more important to the client in the absence of value. Howmight a customer service representative add value to theinsurance-client relationship?

Consider expectation and entitlement–there's a clear differencebetween the two. Today, our society has shifted from expectation toan attitude of entitlement. In some situations, the feeling ofentitlement is self-inflated, while in others, the feeling is justand true…most especially when there's financial loss (or gain) atstake.

For instance, as soon asPresident Barack Obama was inaugurated, expectations to deliver onhis well-articulated promises began to intensify. Then attitudesshifted toward entitlement, when taxpayer money largely becameinvolved and corporate bailouts were handed out quicker than paperplates at a family picnic.

Anxious taxpayers (such as myself) feel entitled to a successfulplan, product and future now more than ever.

Similarly, the insurance world shares this trend. Any client whoinvests in an insurance program is entitled to a sound product,service at a high level, and even to be coddled. To achieve this,insurance professionals should remember the promises made whencourting a client.

Some ways a CSR can help fulfill said promises and add value areto:

o Build a genuine relationship with their client.

o Establish mutual trust.

o Evolve through education and exposure.

o Acclimate themselves to changing technologies and consumerbehaviors.

o Promote value-added marketing.

In car sales, soon after the negotiable item is exchanged andthe ink-dried contract filed, a customer can instantly enjoy theirshiny new car. Unfortunately, insurance is a product that fails todeliver this type of instant gratification.

At best, the client is issued a certificate of insurance that isnothing frame-worthy. As a result, the chase for the elusiveMinimum Premium becomes overly important, whereas a policy's trueworth becomes a distant second place.

One method to counteract such a distraction is for a CSR tobuild a genuine relationship with their client.

Hawaii, they say, is a melting pot. We're exposed to people ofall walks in great quantity. I've learned that regardless ofethnicity, nationality or orientation, a genuine relationship isthe basis of all joint accomplishments.

Once the relationship is established, mutual trust is aby-product. With these at hand, a CSR can understand a client'swants and needs on an instinctive level. Any adjusting or adding ofcoverages will come with a natural blessing.

Our business should be more than just markets, invoices andpayments. And although premium is measurable, a qualityrelationship is beyond price.

A CSR's evolution through education and exposure is vital forlongevity–vital not only for the CSR's career, but also for thebenefit of the client. Continuing education keeps a CSR abreast ofan ever-changing industry and list of dreaded exclusions. Withexposure to the market, a CSR gains knowledge of the variousunderwriting guidelines and techniques.

Perhaps the most valuable is exposure to each underwriter'sidiosyncrasies. Knowing their underwriter enjoys a daily coffee isone thing, but knowing to phone after they've had their morning Joeis another–truth be told, it could mean a favorable response to yetanother rush inquiry.

Education coupled with field exposure helps solidify CSRs andcompels them to grow wiser. Through these experiences, a savvy CSRcan emerge to guide the client at a higher level. The price of aninsurance policy simply cannot top an astute CSR.

The rate at which we exchange information is remarkable. We livein the age of the iPhone, BlackBerry, Bluetooth, Facebook,Twitter–and, of course, e-mail. Acclimating to changingtechnologies and consumer behaviors is a must.

It's impossible to fathom efficiency without utilizingtechnological innovations. More and more consumers prefer toexchange information through an electronic medium because it's lessdaunting and it minimizes interruption in their daily business.Seamlessly adjusting to the client's behaviors adds a whole newdimension of doing business.

In the end, the main benefit here is time. Affording your clientmore time to attend to their trade would, in turn, allow them togenerate more revenue that would've been otherwise lost if a CSRwere to resist changing with technological advancements andbehaviors. Sometimes achieving a certain policy price is not asvaluable as having a CSR who helps a client become moreefficient.

More value-added marketing will allow the CSR more opportunitiesto be in front of the client and opportunities to nurture therelationship. It will also evoke important thought, and if doneusing a contemporary medium such as an e-mail newsletter, a CSR canevoke thought in an accessible and very cost-effective manner.

Evoking your client's thoughts is mutually beneficial. A clientwill either learn they're properly covered (thus building a genuinerelationship and trust), or they'll identify deficiencies and willseek greater coverage at long last (thus creating a salesopportunity). Value-added marketing takes those who are fixated onthe cheapest price and transforms them to realize that qualitycoverage is far more coveted.

Protecting the things that are important in life is a full-sizedresponsibility. Simply meeting an expectation half-heartedly won'tsuffice. Our clients are entitled to something greater than asmaller premium.

A CSR should address a client's exposure as if they wereprotecting their own. Once CSRs can envision themselves and theirclients as one-in-the-same, only then will the feeling ofentitlement resonate in their minds.

Ronie Foronda, CISR, an account manager forFinance Insurance Ltd. in Honolulu, was named “2009 Outstanding CSRof the Year,” a program run by the National Alliance for InsuranceEducation & Research. This is his award-winning essay.