IS YOUR BUSINESS PROTECTED?

According to a recent insurance company survey, “One in three Americans believes that businesses are not doing enough to protect them from workplace discrimination and identity theft, according to a recent survey on behalf of Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Nearly one-third of the people surveyed noted that, compared to a year ago, companies are less likely to protect employees from gender discrimination (30%) and other workplace discrimination (32%).”

 

 

Bogle Agency can help protect businesses against workplace discrimination and identity theft. Since we are an independent agency, we represent many insurance carriers and the various types of programs they offer.  We can custom fit what’s right for you!

The policies we recommend are tailored to the individual business need and are quite affordable.  Feel free to contact us for a free survey of your business exposures and a no obligation quote to protect your business. We can be reached at our state-of-the-art website at:  www.bogleagency.com, or on our Facebook Fan Page at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bogle-Agency-Insurance/171280236234707.  Or you can just give us a call at our conveniently located Lyndhurst, NJ office, 201-939-1076.

One of the great things about the Internet is the sheer amount of free information available — much of it from federal agencies. This maxim certainly applies to personal lines insurance and risk management.

For example, you can quickly determine if your clients or prospective clients live in a high-risk flood zone. Go to www.floodsmart.gov and look on the right side of the home page under the heading “One-Step Flood Risk Profile.” Enter the client’s address to see if he or she is in a moderate-to-low-risk flood zone or in a high-risk flood zone. The website also provides an estimated premium for contents only, building only, or both. In addition, flood maps for most communities are readily available on this website.

The U.S. Geological Survey offers valuable information for determining if any of your clients live in an area prone to earthquakes. Go to www.usgs.gov and follow these steps:

1. Select the orange rectangular box titled “Hazards” at the top of the page.

2. Choose the earthquake hazards link near the top left side of the page.

3. Select “Earthquakes — Info by State” at the bottom left side of the page.

4. You are then presented with state options.

5. Select a state, such as Tennessee.

6. Under the “Maps” heading, select “Seismic Hazard Map of Tennessee.”

A quick look at this map indicates that the area to the north of Memphis is the
higher-risk part of the state for earthquakes. This type of information can be very
helpful in making the proper earthquake insurance recommendations to your clients.
Sinkholes are another peril to consider for certain states. Sinkholes cause the most
damage in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and
Texas. The USGS has a map that shows the areas of the country where certain rock
types may be susceptible to sinkholes.

Other perils for which the USGS website provides excellent information are volcanoes and mudslides. The site offers detailed information and maps for the state’s most exposed to volcanoes — Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. For example, the USGS provides a map of the western U.S. volcanoes monitored by the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

Taking advantage of these free resources is an effective way of standing out from other insurance agents who are simply “personal lines insurance order takers.”Serving as your client’s risk manager in this way will assuredly improve your retention, customer satisfaction, and customer service.

Travelers Personal Insurance Honored as AIMS Society

Personal Lines Company Partner of the Year

Local Support, National Initiatives Cited as Key Factors

RICHMOND, VA, March 18, 2011 – Travelers Insurance has been named Personal Lines Company Partner of the Year by The American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society. The award, presented during The AIMS Society’s Annual PRO-to-PRO Executive Retreat in Tampa last month, was based on extraordinary support the company provides agents to help them sell and market better.

Phil Bogle, CPIAL, president of The Bogle Agency in Lyndhurst, N.J., nominated Travelers based on the support and tools the company and its people provide independent agents. “Travelers has made great strides in becoming a significant force in the personal lines arena,” Bogle says. “Their electronic tools allow agencies to easily quote, bind and submit new business electronically, without the need for paper submissions—saving time and money, and helping agents sell more and serve clients better.”

Bogle recognized Travelers Personal Lines Marketing Representative Martin Taylor, CPIA, who received the award on behalf of the company. “Martin goes out of his way to bring new ideas and suggestions to monthly meetings with me and my staff,” Bogle said. “By sharing ideas that help us increase production and improve retention, Martin truly represents the ideals fostered by The AIMS Society: professionalism and sales excellence.”

“Being named Personal Lines Company Partner of the Year was both a surprise and an honor,” Taylor said. “As a long-time AIMS Society member and as someone who holds the CPIA designation, I value the organization’s support of sales and marketing expertise within the industry. The Society is a source of ideas I use every day as I work with agents in the field,”

In addition to practical agency-company interface and good agency-company relationships, Bogle cited other factors that help agents and brokers. “Travelers’ innovative use of Facebook for local marketing and prospecting has provided quite a few leads to our agency,” he said. “Their Concierge Claim Service allows for high-tech, high-touch claims management, which reduces time spent by staff on claims handling and results in enhanced customer service.”  

Taylor added, “I’m proud of the culture at Travelers, which really stresses teamwork among our various business units. By working together, we’re able to develop and deliver agent-focused sales and service solutions that help our agents grow their business and serve clients better.”

“Strong partnerships between companies and agencies definitely contribute to agency success,” says Jim Gosselink, CPIA, CIC, LUTCF, president of The AIMS Society and of Pella, Iowa-based Tulip City Agency, Ltd. “We’re pleased to recognize Travelers Personal Insurance for its local and national efforts to help our members and other agents thrive in today’s fiercely competitive market.”

About AIMS Society: Founded in 1968 as The Firemark Society, The AIMS Society (www.aimssociety.org) is a national, member-driven organization that provides practical training, information and networking services designed to increase the personal and agency sales production of property and casualty insurance agents. AIMS Society was the first organization to honor property and casualty agents for sales excellence and to establish the industry’s only sales-based insurance designation—the Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA). Completion of the CPIA designation requirements is not necessary to qualify for AIMS Society membership.  

Thanks for visiting our brand new Virtual Insurance Office. Please feel free to call us or contact us with any questions or comments.