When looking for insurance coverage, risk management services, and specialty products, agents and insureds want an insurance company that's easy to do business with and on their side.
They're looking for a company that's using streamlined processes with self-serve options that can save them time and frustration. But they also don't want to sacrifice personal interactions when they need them. And they're not alone. A recent survey showed that insurance technology is most effective when it is used to enhance and support relationships, not replace them.
"We thought long and hard about what ease of doing business with us would mean to our customers," says Bob Pottle, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategic Operations Officer at Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY). "It always came back to focusing on three simple things: people, products, and services. We're in the business of protecting people from risk, and everything we do should center on providing the best solutions: quickly and easily. So we're making sure you have access to people whenever you need it and access to technology when you don't."
How People, Products, and Services are Handled Differently at PHLY
Eliminating pain points was our primary focus. Freeing up agents and brokers to do what they do best - take care of their clients - rather than burdening them with frustrating and time-consuming requests and paperwork took priority.
What did we do to eliminate these pain points?
1. We offer a variety of self-serve portals and processes that have streamlined quotes and applications for several popular programs and products:
- Quick Quotes and E&S Small Business Solutions
- You can now have two quick quotes opportunities for liability coverage for your small business clients
- Depending on the process, you'll be contacted within 12-24 hours and have a quote, decision, or request for more information within 48 hours. You can read more about both small business solutions and the information you'll need to provide here.
- Commercial Bond Express
- For your clients that need proof of bonding, you can get a surety bond online in minutes with Commercial Bond Express
- Special Events Portal
- From social events to music fairs to tradeshows, our Special Events Portal provides information and coverage applications on more types of events than you or your clients can imagine
- Premium Indicator for Sports Leagues and Camps
- Agents can use this to get a fast estimate for their clients
- Storage Tank Environment Policy Quote
- Insureds find our Storage Tank Environmental Policy is a solid solution to meet federal requirements to take financial responsibility for remediation expenses and claims in the event of risk exposure such as contamination or injury. Existing producers can use this to get a quick quote
"These five services are just the start," Pottle says. "New automated or shortened quotes and applications for other popular products will be rolled out later in 2021 and 2022." Online bill payment is also a convenience already enjoyed by customers that will be enhanced with a new PHLY app coming soon.
2. Next, we've continued to reassure and support our customers with our strong personal interactions.
While insurance technology has gone a long way in removing paperwork, we haven't removed the human element at PHLY. This is especially critical at two points: during claims adjusting and underwriting.
First, to our clients, the most important service we provide is our claims management. Our customers count on us to be professional, fair, and prompt when adjusting claims.
"For the second year in a row, our claims department has the highest Net Promoter Score in the company and overall PHLY's score is 67.0 [see chart below]," Pottle shares, referencing the customer experience measurement score used across industries. "That shows our dedication to making the best decisions we can for our customers when the unfortunate happens."
Next, agents speak directly to underwriters, not to MGAs or MGUs who don't have enough information or can't make decisions during underwriting when you have questions. This saves agents time and frustration, along with developing a solid connection you can trust to have your back and provide the answers and assistance you need.
3. Last, as always, we're committed to developing industry-leading coverages and looking for the next customer risk exposure and need.
Protecting over 120 niches shows the breadth and depth of our experience. With all of that experience, we don't offer cookie-cutter coverage. There's something different about each of our customers, and we use flexible endorsements and applications to tailor protection that's the right fit for each need.
- We work fast to make accommodations or changes quickly when the need arises, such as during COVID-19, where we've been watching the impact of telemedicine services and telemed liability on mental health organizations
- We also created an endorsement to cover dispensing Naloxone (or an equivalent) in response to overdose situations
- And we've held several seminars to provide an overview of how suicide prevention methodologies such as Zero Suicide can effectively reduce suicide rates in a variety of organizations and settings
And, at PHLY, it's about more than coverage. Our risk management services also provide a variety of programs to help protect customers from risk exposures related to:
- Employment practices lawsuits
- Driver safety
- Sexual abuse
- Cyber liability
- And more!
Ease of Doing Business Is the PHLY Difference
"When you consider the ways all of us at PHLY are using technology and personal service for the best customer experience - not just using technology for technology's sake - we think it makes a difference. In fact, we think of it as the PHLY Difference," says Pottle.
The PHLY Difference is all about:
- Exceptional customer service
- Complimentary risk management tailored to your situation and exposures
- Best in class claims management with industry and type-of-loss claims specialists and in-house recovery and subrogation
- The TEAMPHLY approach that includes staff from marketing, underwriting, and account management advocating on your behalf
- Industry-leading coverages and industry-specific coverage enhancements
Check out the videos and testimonials from agents like you to learn more about how all of PHLY is dedicated to making it easy to do business with us through these critical deliverables.
Find Out For Yourself How Easy PHLY Makes It
With nearly 60 years providing coverage to customers small and large in over 120 niche markets, PHLY is a company that values our historical perspective and welcomes what the future brings. If you are ready to experience the best of the newest insurance technology with the best personal service, take advantage of one of our many options:
And, of course, talk to your PHLY rep today. We look forward to making it easy for you to do business with us.