Alberta Risk Advice by Cielito Villanueva

In today’s era of fast-food, instant online quotes, and video-on-demand, we tend to forget about the simple things, like good service. For instance, what are the qualities of a good insurance broker? I’m not talking about a great broker, just a plain and simple good broker. Here are some qualities to look for:

Prompt replies. A good broker responds to emails, faxes or voice messages by at least the next business day.

Answers every question. A good broker should never skip over any of your concerns.

Documents your requests or needs. This supports the last trait because a good broker doesn’t need to have a photographic memory, but they should be genuinely concerned and writing it down is a sign of concern for your needs.

Always seeking your satisfaction: A good broker will always ask how satisfied you are.

Keeps you “in the loop”: A good broker should give you an estimate on when you can expect an answer, a resolution, policy documents, etc, .They will also follow up with you if they foresee any delays.

Respects your time: A good broker will place high value on your time. This means showing up for an appointment on time, giving you sufficient notice for delays or cancellations, and during your meeting, a good broker will let you know how long the meeting should take and let you know when the meeting has gone past the proposed conclusion.

No excuses. A good broker should not bombard you with excuses, no matter how true. A good broker will also take accountability for their actions with a sincere apology and not play the blame game.

Simple and straightforward. A good broker will be honest about what is needed, when it is required, and what the possible consequences are for not complying. A good broker will communicate this in a simple and straightforward manner.

With all that in mind, a good broker is also human and mistakes can happen, but as long as they are consistent with the above qualities, everything else is secondary.

Cielito V