• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Contact Us
  • Sponsor An Email
  • Post A Job
  • Merger & Acquisition Services

Agency Checklists

Massachusetts Insurance News & Job Opportunities

You are here: Home / Insurance Insights | Massachusetts / InsurOp-Eds / How do You Create Customer Loyalty? Why Do Consumers Stay with a Particular Agent or Carrier for Years?

How do You Create Customer Loyalty? Why Do Consumers Stay with a Particular Agent or Carrier for Years?

October 17, 2022 by Bill Wilson


My personal lines account has been with the same insurance agency since 1973, almost 44 years as of this blog post. How I initially connected with them was through my mother who was employed at Al Phillips Insurance Agency in Nashville (now a part of Brown & Brown).

So, why have I been with the same agency across five decades? Do I stay because they’re the cheapest? Do I stay because they are the best? Because they’re easiest to do business with? Because they have a nifty phone app? What is the source of my fierce loyalty? Let me tell you a short story…

Just over 35 years ago, my mother was diagnosed with small-cell carcinoma, a very rare and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. She bravely fought this disease for over a year through debilitating chemotherapy and surgery until she lost her battle on May 13, 1981. So, what does this have to do with customer loyalty and insurance agencies?

During the period my mother was dealing with her health issues, she could only occasionally work at the Al Phillips agency. She would go months without being able to work, then might be able to go in for a half day a few days a week, then back home to recuperate from more tests, chemo and surgery. She was unable to work far more often than she was able to go into the office.

So, what did Al Phillips do? He mailed her full paycheck every two weeks, regardless of whether she was able to work or not. And her co-workers? They picked up the slack and took over most of her work, visited, brought food that she could tolerate, and otherwise took her mind off work and her condition.

I got a call not long after midnight on May 13 that my mother was being rushed to the hospital and that I needed to get there as quickly and safely as possible. I was with her when she took her last breath. And who was at the hospital when I got there in the dark wee hours of the morning? Al Phillips and his wife Jeri, weeping as hard as I was.

This is why I’ve been a lifetime customer of the Al Phillips Insurance Agency. Maybe my experience is unique and/or extreme, but I believe it’s what customer loyalty is all about. Customer loyalty is not about price. It’s not about convenience. It’s not about ease of doing business. It’s not about “brand.”

Real customer loyalty is all about emotional connections and relationships. It’s about an organizational culture that is palpably familial. My story is just one example of how such emotional connections can be created. I’m sure there are many other ways, some big, some small, but cumulatively powerful. The key is the people, their individual and collective character, and the organization’s culture that puts the welfare of employees and customers first. Always.

Does your organization create such emotional connections, on some scale, internally and externally at every opportunity? It’s really not difficult. Character and culture are like a steel cable…you weave a strand of it every day on every occasion and soon it cannot be broken. Neither can the emotional bonds you create with your staff and the people you serve.

This post first appeared on Mr. Wilson’s blog in 2017.

Agency Checklists, MA Insurance News, Mass. Insurance News, Bill Wilson, Insurance Commentary

Bill Wilson, CPCU, ARM, AIM, AAM

Founder at InsuranceCommentary.com

Mr. Wilson retired from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America in December 2016 where he served as Assoc. VP of Education and Research and was the founder and director of the Big “I” Virtual University for over 17 years.

He is the former Director of Education & Technical Affairs for the Insurers of Tennessee, and, prior to that time, he was employed by Insurance Services Office, Inc.  He is a graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology with a B.S. degree in Fire Protection & Safety Engineering.

Copyright 2016-2021 by InsuranceCommentary.com. Reprinted with permission.

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Filed Under: InsurOp-Eds, Latest News Tagged With: Agency Checklists, Bill Wilson, InsurOp-Ed, Mass. Insurance News, massachusetts insurance news, New England Insurance News

    Primary Sidebar

    Massachusetts Division of Insurance Announcement

    Sponsored

    Latest Agency Sales

    Gallagher Snaps Up Eastern In Sale Worth 5-Times Commissions

    Salem Five Insurance Acquires Philbin Insurance Group

    Salem Five Insurance Acquires Philbin Insurance Group

    More Agency Sales

    Career News

    Fred C. Church Hires Accomplished Higher Education Risk Management Professional Damual Greaves As Client Executive, Commercial Lines

    New Hampshire Insurance Department Announces Confirmation of DJ Bettencourt as Insurance Commissioner

    New Hampshire Insurance Department Announces Confirmation of DJ Bettencourt as Insurance Commissioner

    NAIC Now Accepting Applications for 2024 Consumer Representatives

    Boston Bruins Defenseman Hampus Lindholm Joins Plymouth Rock Assurance as Brand Ambassador for 2023-24 NHL Season

    Boston Bruins Defenseman Hampus Lindholm Joins Plymouth Rock Assurance as Brand Ambassador for 2023-24 NHL Season 

    Charles Symington Becomes Big ‘I’ President & CEO

    The Hanover Appoints Stephanie E. Seibold and Arthur J. Barrett to Key Specialty Leadership Roles

    Michelle Raue, SVP & Chief Claims Officer for Preferred Mutual Insurance Company Appointed to Rise Advisory Board of Directors

    Fred C. Church Announces Key Personnel Changes to its Education Team

    Kaplansky Insurance Appoints Peter Kenyon as Chief Acquisition Officer

    The Hanover Appoints Charles F. Hamann to President of Small Commercial

    View More Career News

    In Memoriam

    Robert J. Barnat

    In Memoriam: Robert J. Barnat, 1946-2023

    In Memoriam: Bernard Gitlin

    In Memoriam: Pauline R. Gifford, 1936-2023

    CAR News

    DOI Approves CAR’s Changes in Massachusetts Auto Insurance Claims Handling

    3rd Look At The 2023 Commercial Auto Marketplace in Massachusetts

    Ballot Law Campaign Opposes Industry-Backed Auto Repair Agreement

    View More CAR News

    Massachusetts Law Updates

    Claims-Made Policy Snares Another: Preservation Trust Loses Coverage For Late Notice

    Strict Construction of Claims-Made Policy Strikes Again

    Agency Checklists, MA Insurance News, Mass. Insurance News

    Appeal Denied: Allstate Agents’ Wrongful Termination Claim Falls Flat

    A case involving two former Allstate agents allegedly misusing confidential customer data after their termination.

    Harvard College Sues Zurich to Overturn A Late Notice Denial of A $15 Million Policy Claim

    The Pitfall of Late Notice: Harvard’s $15 Million Coverage Loss

    The lawsuit over Harvard’s admission policies discriminating against Asian-American applicants.

    Agency Checklists, MA Insurance News, Mass. Insurance News, GEICO, Largest Auto Insurance Cos. in Massachusetts

    GEICO Faces Legal Battle as Captive Agent’s Lawsuit Advances

    A Captive Agent’s Suit Against GEICO Can Proceed on Claims of Breach of Contract, Renewal Commissions Owed, Unjust Enrichment, and Employee Misclassification

    More Mass. Law Updates

    DOI News

    Home Insurance Report Part III: Policies by Massachusetts County

    MA Homeowners’ Insurance Premiums Topped $2.8B in 2021

    Massachusetts Remains The 14th Largest Insurance Marketplace As Ranked By Total Premium Volume

    Facts & Figures For New England Insurance Departments & Insurance Producers | 2023

    View More DOI News

    Insurance Fraud

    Prison For A Year-And-A-Day in $14 Million Payroll Tax and Insurance Fraud Case

    Greed & Betrayal: 67-year-old Advisor Gets 4 Years For Annuity Thefts From Vulnerable Clients

    Physical Therapy Assistant Sentenced in Massachusetts Auto No-Fault Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Surprising Survey Results Show Many Americans Think Insurance Fraud Is Not A Crime

    More Insurance Fraud News

    Footer

    Agency Checklists

    Contact us

    Advertise on Agency Checklists

    We offer a variety of ways to get help promote your company or product.

    Announcements
    Email Sponsorships
    Partnerships
    Custom Collaborations

    *Affiliate Disclosure

    Please note that any of Agency Checklists’ articles might contain one or more affiliate links. This means that any subsequent purchase resulting from these links may result in a commission for us, but at no additional cost to you. For example, as an Amazon Associate, Agency Checklists earns a commission from all qualifying purchases. By working with affiliates we can continue to keep Agency Checklists subscription free. Thank you for your support.

    SEARCH OUR SITE

    Explore Our Archives

    Copyright © 2023 · Agency Checklists · All rights reserved.

     

    Loading Comments...