Thread regarding State Farm Insurance layoffs

@1Wanb….I was a claim Rep who timed my CPCU for the Hawaii trip. I took that trip while I was in Agency training. I have attended numerous Agency Conventions. But in my early Agency years I missed a few because I was so broke I couldn’t possibly afford to go on the “free, lavish trip.”
There’s a long running joke among agents that they can’t afford more “free stuff” from State Farm, since it gets grossed up on our income at full retail value and we get double taxed on it.
There are a lot of comforts one gives up to go into agency. One of those is a predictable paycheck. I don’t feel an ounce of guilt over the once every few years Convention.

Okay sure -- I understand the importance of the convention (more or less) and why it's in Vegas.

But then, of course, for employees we used to get the free trip with a guest for industry education. When CPCU chose Hawaii a few years back and so much of SF completed it for that trip -- SF first leaned on CPCU Society to never chose Hawaii again and then pretty much cut the trip entirely for any designation. Sure, you get money, but that trip really felt like something special.

Did some folks take advantage of that trip? Yep, sure did. But it's kind of the bu-----t employees keep feeling these days when we see the lavish trips and conventions agents get.

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A few simple economics points for the reality impaired:

1. You can’t call up Motel 6 and ask for 20,000 centrally located rooms.
2. The Vegas strip is probably the ONLY place it’s even possible.
3. The cheapest flights and hotel rooms are in Vegas….it’s almost like they expect to make money some other way once they get you there.
4. There really would be no other possible way to do this that would cost less. Travel and rooms are cheap here, and they have multiple, viable options for even venues. Very few places could even do it, let alone for a good price.

But you got a nice mouse pad. We can tell what the company values. Off to dinner and Luke Bryant.

Paris is a cr------d price at $109 today on any site. Caesar’s Palace is $178 during the week but you have to move extra Life policies for that one. Hope your not paying and paying taxes on any of that to get Tipsy with Tipsy there Allstar.

LOl Peon. You don’t even know TC is using 7 different hotels. Paris is nice too, stayed there last time. Just glad I am not at Caesar’s too much traffic there. What kind of cookie did you get😂

The Wynn is not big enough for all the superstars. You lucked up. The rest got the Tickets at Work special. You did as well. The rate at the Wynn on a random Tuesday in blocks of rooms is $200 at best. Resort World? A basic google search reflects $115 a night. Impressive.

Nah, nice room at the Wynn and a free concert with Garth Brooks. And some nice food too. Enjoy your cookie.

Bigot Farm hooking the Agents up with $200 a night tickets at work rooms and they get to meet Jake. Nice!

@1Vdn….If GJ Mecherle were alive, he’d be thrilled that his little Mutual Company not only survived but went on to become THE dominant player in the business for 80 years and running. And he’d love that Warren Buffet is totally confounded by it. And he’d have no problem with throwing a celebration meeting for agents.

Somebody’s information is made up OR selective. Been to several conventions, including this one. Have stayed at MGM, Mirage, Bellagio, Wynn, and Paris over the years. This many rooms are scattered all over. For agents, this is literally the only time we get together and see anybody else from State Farm in person anymore. It’s a nice little event with hotel room and final night event covered. Partial travel expense reimbursement IF we actually attend the meeting.
Agents spend quite a bit of their own money on this, and get good information about what’s coming and what it’s going to look like. Meanwhile, we’re still paying for all of our employees (and we employ more people than State Farm does) to take care of the customers for a few days.
The cash value of this to each agent is not enough to equal your 401k match or a month of most of your pensions. So just get over yourself.

Well, they booked Resorts World Las Vegas one of the top properties in Las Vegas. One hotel is Hilton another is the Conrad and the last one is the Crockfords.

So break down the money numbers 20mm spent for a party of 20,000 that’s 1,000per invit.

And on top of that claim reps getting a mouse pad, pen and some stale cookies in the mail for 100years is a waste in money and postage. That money would have been better served increasing hourly wages for employees that bust their a-s on the daily. Or how about supplying us a monthly allowance for home internet and power usage since some of us are work from home 100% with no office to go into anymore since Covid.

If State Farm was a public company who answered to stock holders and investors instead of policy holders non of this would be going on. I am sure if George Mecherle was still alive he would not be happy as this not a good neighbor action.

JD Power just released their latest customer satisfaction report and for the first time in 5 years the agency model had higher satisfaction than direct. With exclusive agents being the highest in customer satisfaction.

@Wnqq…..so……leave claims and become an agent if it’s so easy and so lucrative. Thousands of us at Convention did just that.

Garth Brooks concert is free for agent and guest.

Are they selling tickets for this event

“All expenses paid”-NOT. You get a hotel room for yourself and a guest. You arrange and pay your own travel, and can be partially reimbursed for that. The final night event is covered for yourself and a guest. If your ID badge doesn’t pass through the doors of the meeting, that travel allowance disappears.
It’s kind of a cool deal; not a fully paid vacation by any means. But few agents attend all of them, even though they have been once every three to five years. It still costs money and you have to find time away.

The agents produce income , claims produces a pain in ar-e.

The company doesnt care about claim handlers. The company cares about its agents. One gets a party in vegas, the others get a video we can watch between calls and a backpack.

Its not complicated.

Well, I always liked the ideas and ideas preached by State Farm, but the reality is mixed and imperfect. It was that way when I worked there 30 years ago. The reason? They they hire humans.

Is Mr Rust going to be invited to celebrate the 100th?

Evidence indicates agents might not want any part of this. Final night event (Garth Brooks) has gone from “ you can invite one guest” to “you can bring two guests” to “you can have 4 guests at $475.28 apiece”.
You can’t make this stuff up.

If it weren’t for agents, where would the revenue or income come from to support the entire organization? I try to think about that and stay in my lane. I’ve heard they are just as frustrated as we are dealing with lack of support and appreciation.

@1kwh. Operations is supposed to be keeping the promise but hasn't done so for several years now.

No operations employee has ever gone bankrupt because their job expenses exceeded their job income. Happens to new agents all the time.

For one thing, Convention is most definitely NOT “ all expenses paid” as somebody said here. If most of you were to be invited, you’d be whining to no end about SF being too cheap to pay for all your travel, meals, shuttle rides, etc. So it’s just as well that you’re not being insulted with an invite.

The folks that post here are barely making it in the current role at best. They love to talk about how badly they are treated but take no responsibility for their circumstances. Meanwhile the company will post outstanding results in a couple of weeks thanks to the agents and employees that are not wallowing in self pity.

@3tif…..absolutely true. The folks who think it’s easy and overly lucrative just don’t have a clue. But those folks don’t usually like to be bothered with facts or data.

@3oks very true however I can't even count the number of aspirants who became agents, lost everything and were gone in a few years. They don't have time to come here and complain because they are busy dodging the bill collectors and trying to avoid bankruptcy.

The REAL difference between agents and employees is the focus on how to adapt and improve our own situation. No whining about what somebody else might have.
You never see an agent start a thread here to complain about employees getting raises, bonuses, or job perks. Never.

@2bqc-your boy will soon be behind bars, no chains required.

OK whiners……”.part of the bigger picture” means “not out here on this island where I spend all my time”. Agents are super isolated out here these days. We do our thing for a company that we really have no contact with anymore. No “co workers”; the company pits us against each other, different contracts cause animosity, meetings are ancient history; we don’t actually talk to anybody in State Farm. We wait on chat lines where we’re #107 in queue. Once every 4 years or so, we get to see that there are others and maybe we aren’t totally alone. Has nothing to do what I think should or shouldn’t happen in Operations (which is also where I started).

Never ever trust any man who thinks it's ok for me but not for the. That's the message agency and executive is sending while preaching inclusiveness. Like your boy warned you. ...."they're gonna put y'all back in chains...."

And they use the word team? Hypocrisy! More of their BIG LIE.

Boondoggle

Agents are so funny, their days are numbered and they don’t even realize it. Yes , let’s get rid of all the claims staff, just like Allstate…

@1nxo Don't threaten! Do it and see what the outcome really turns out to be. If you throw a punch, don't expect someone to not fight back. It's remarks like that that really shows what kind of people are in leadership. Self centered? Yup! That's for sure. Too lazy to address truth while the people in operations deal with it daily.

@jug "Agents get to feel like they're part of the bigger picture...." Operations doesn't deserve that? Operations is not part of the bigger picture? More hypocrisy in the preaching of inclusion when in fact it is discriminating against the employee who keep both the company and the economy running. They will see when the shelves are empty, they will be unable to smash and grab just like the street thugs. Operations....You are the trucker that brings the goods and services to market......don't forget.

Is there any group of employees more self centered with an unrealistic sense of worth than claims? They think they are the center of the universe. Perhaps Allstate has it right just ship all those jobs off to India.