Thread regarding State Farm Insurance layoffs

@OP Sure. Get rid of the ONLY department that actually gets its job done🙄

not sure why the 2022 post was bumped here but the OP is spot on. Agents seem to make everything difficult, by not knowing correct processes, then they go full karen mode and just ask for managers to over ride company policy, wasting lots of peoples time.

I can relate to the claims complaint too, have had multiple claims where agents and staff basically pit the customer against claims despite not being able to read policy ect.

Not all are bad, but more than not are.

This sounds made up and not true at all. I think you are a jaded ex-employee making things up.

Just WOW! OP is one arrogant self important little man for sure. My agency phone rings with more claim related problems than anything else. The day the next CAT event occurs will be my final day as an agent, I don’t thing I can deal with that level of incompetence for a prolonged period again. One thing is for certain, without a doubt the only thing keeping this train that is SF on the tracks right now is the agency force, this is well known all the way to the top with the exception of one claim rep who was out back beating off when the memo was sent. If there was a less expensive more effective way to retain our customers than agency we would have all been gone long ago.

You should have actually taken an English class while you were in HS. It is minimum not “minimal.” And it is there not “their.” Maybe you could still get a GED?

@7lwu+1jBG1B6R Exactly you’re not special. No where in the constitution does it say you need to pass a bar exam. You’re entitled to a fair trial.

Believe it or not, you’re taught what you mentioned in high school as a requirement to graduate called civil studies. So I’m not sure why you brought up the bare minimal of American education of sitting their in a court room.

I said I spent many many hours being cross examined in court. I didn’t say anything about it being stressful. But thanks for projecting your own fears and responding to something I didn’t even say,

@3ysj+1jBG1B6R

Everyday people cash checks to keep the machine turning, you’re not a lawyer so being in a court room isn’t necessarily stressful as a good defense/prosecution would prepare you for cross examination, and pre trial questioning. If legal is letting you even have an original thought in that situation I’d be surprised, and I can understand your stress now.

@3ysj+1jBG1B6R- you must have had a special ed claims school if 25% flunked out. My class had 1 dude get shown the door in week 3. He wasn't too bright as the tests were pretty easy. I was having a blast at Tuxedo Junction.

But for the sales force claims & underwriting folks would be eating at St Vincent de Paul everyday. Only a small % of people buy insurance from an app. Those that do don't have much to lose, so they don't need a risk assessment of any kind.

@3zaq+1jBG1B6R

Start a business and keep a majority of the profit, or cap your % earnings selling others products? Most agents I met that were actually successful, and respectable and knew their stuff sold more than just SF policies.

As an adjuster, I’d probably tell most people selling crack, would be a more profitable adventure than being strictly an agent through sf.

This just in: CCC and online make up 4% of our production. The losses on it are so bad that binding by CCC is shutdown in all states, and online binding is shutdown in some.
There goes OP’s entire argument.

Someone’s gotta make the mother load of the pay on the 15th & 30th.
I’m crying all the way to the Bank, keep up the good work nobody gives a sh-t. It’s all about the $$$$$

@3ysj

Cry me a freaking river.

If most of you, or half of you, knew the policy, endorsements, eligibility requirements etc neither claims nor underwriting would have a third of the issues we have coming at us.

The reality is the quality of agents out here is dumpster fire.

Keep it up and I’ll start naming names and locations on the forums of all the cr---y agents I’ve encountered at this company….and believe me I don’t forget nothing.

Working in an agent’s office is nowhere near knowing an agent’s job. When’s the last time you wrote checks from your own bank account to keep things running. We do it all day, every day. My initial intro to the policy was the three week Claim School we used to have—policy exam every morning and about 25% washed out after the first week. The several years of PD Claims, PIP Claims, BI Liability, CAT Duty, another couple of years in Underwriting, and many many hours of being cross examined in court rooms. Forgive me for not quoting the policy here to your satisfaction. A lot of us who made State Farm the undisputed leader are really tired of being lectured by people who don’t have 10% of the knowledge and experience we have….but behave as if they have all the answers.

@3zaq

Op here. Try again dear. I spent my first two years of college working in an agent’s office. I know first hand many of you aren’t worth a damn. And if you have so much claims experience you sure as he-l don’t show it.

Picking up a copy of the policy and actually reading it rather than having someone point to sections of it and hold your hand trying to explain it would help to curve the dislike of you people.

I’m speaking truth to power.

I guarantee if SF actually did an anonymous poll across all departments asking if they should do away with agents the answer would overwhelmingly be yes. Behind close doors everyone knows the agents are a worthless toxic liability.

@1wpn….

1. Agents are wondering where to sign up for those 11-12% commissions you mentioned.
2. With the commissions they DO receive, they employ more people helping customers than State Farm does.
3. Pretty freakin’ efficient.
4. You’re welcome.

OP obviously has no clue how many agents are former Claim Reps…..and make your job easier by selling that settlement that the customer calls us to complain about.
Also, in over three decades, I’ve never met anybody who started as an agent but left to go to Claims. Which means a lot of agents know the Claim Rep job, but no Claim Reps know the Agent’s job.

Should we do away with Claim Reps because there are a few cr---y ones?

Looks like someone that didn’t meet the cut in interviewing for agency

Agents don’t fix problems. They literally create them…especially where claims are concerned.

You guys are so anxious to keep customers’ business that common sense and decency go out the window.

I had an agent call me and ask me to apologize to a customer for denying her claim. Seriously! I should apologize for doing my job. I told him to keep waiting on it.

As I’ve come to see it you folks aren’t looking out for the best interest of SF because you don’t actually work for SF.

As an independent contractor you work for yourself and you’re looking out for yourself.

As far as I’m concerned this is a conflict of interest and for this reason and many others I agree with the OP. Agents need to go.

Stay in our lane? Well, every piece of correspondence that goes to a customer tells them to call their agent if they have any questions. Which unfortunately means we’re expected to drive in every lane there is.

Agents would love to stay out of claims. If Claims would actually communicate with the customer so they don’t have keep calling us….that will fix 99% of it.

Agents need to stay in their lane and not get involved in claims. And pay attention to the system which will literally tell you the godda-n status of the customer's claim. Don't call for status or a rental extension when their policy limit is maxed or the customer has come whining to the office. We have claims to handle, no time for "Just wanted to check the status of the claim".

Out of sight, definitely not out of mind based on the metrics every executive views.

Out of site out of mind
If they don’t know you good luck

Actually, it is the opposite. The WFH group is the most admired subset of the claims workforce. They are less expensive to support vs HUB employees and their experience level is multiples of other employees and their productivity is highest in the claims organization. Wensley loves the WFH group….

Work from home will be the first to get axe

The entire industry loss and combined ratio is terrible. A combination of increased driving/frequency, soaring repair costs (both material and labor) have decimated everyone’s bottom line.GEICO, Progressive and Allstate have delivered horrible results. Because they are stock companies they publicly report to industry analysts. SF’s loss and CR will always exceed their primary competitors because they do not price for a profit-a real luxury because of their mutual company status and exceedingly strong capital base.

State Farm has always been able to grow, or make money. It’s always hard to do both at the same time.
Actual industry data shows that the business State Farm agents are putting on the books right now:

1. Is better quantity and quality than what competitors are adding.
2. Is vastly better than our own online and CCC written business.

You are kicking the agents to the curb, but did you know that the vast majority of new SF business is sold online then once it's purchased, the customer is transferred to the local agent for servicing? The customer lies on the "application", SF offers a soft quote, customer presses the go button, then underwriting takes over, runs the reports and bingo, the revised policy/premium is sent to the insured with a big increase. In the meantime, the local agent gets the assignment and has to clean up the mess. SF should not be releasing "soft" quotes to the customer without running reports first......but that costs $$$ to run those reports. Let the agents handle it from the start.

Right now our loss ratio is running around 90%!!!! Cr-p business! Holy sh-t! With a combined ratio around 127%-128%!! Combined ratio = loss ratio + expense ratio (36%-38%) So you tell me where we need to start making changes ?????? This has been the situation for the last two decades!!!! They f-ck with employees and bring that % up or down a percentage or two to buy business and never address the real problems! MT lined his pockets along with the other scam artists running SF!

11-12%-Agents/Commissions
9-10%- Legal Expenses (LAE)
7-8% -Marketing/Acquistion
4-6% - Employees/Buildings (general expenses)
2%- Taxes and fees

OP you have to be the d-mbest and naive person at the farm

What does a purported violation of the law by one agent have to do with agents ethics in general? Under that kind of thinking every claims person is a criminal because a few claim reps get arrested ever year. TRUTH!

You know it's bad when as a policyholder you get into an agents car with your spouse and the agent has an open container. TRUTH! There's your ethics.

Right. We’re all fortunate to have such a self righteous a-s with all the answers about what everyone else should be doing.

@1pmz

Nope. I expect worthless agents their staff to know THEIR job and STOP doing cr-p that is unethical.

Learn the product you get paid to sell.
Stop writing ineligible business.
Start explaining to customers what they are buying.
Stop telling customers BS that is FALSE.
Stop sticking discounts on applications where they are not applicable and then calling underwriting when the premium increases.
Stop throwing claims under the bus every time some customer comes crying because their claim was rightly denied and stop expecting claims to apologize for doing their job and telling people no.

START HOLDING YOUR OWN NUTS AND LEARN YOUR JOB.

This list can go on and on, but ultimately I’ve concluded it’s better solved by getting rid of these folks.

Get over yourself. Seems you expect everyone else to know your job, even though it’s not what they’re trained for because it isn’t their job.
So I take it you are infinitely familiar with everybody else’s job…though you have no training in it and no access to the systems it requires?

This is one of many examples of leadership failure for lack of training and it's attempt to pay less and expect more at the levels who provide service to the customers. They sit back, get big bucks, and laugh at their minions. Soldiers are well trained, mission orientated and believe in teamwork. If insurance was a war machine, they would lose the war in minutes due to lack of organizational issues

@bne

They can be faulted for not knowing the products and they SHOULD be faulted.

I have had agents call underwriting, ask if something is eligible, get told “no” and still put my alias on applications as giving approval.

Many are flat out dishonest and suck at their jobs.

I have never heard an agent excuse underwriting or claims for incompetence. When either department screws up all we hear is itching and complaining from agents. They shouldn’t get a pass either.

Frankly, I think they should get MORE of the blame for failing to explain coverages, policy, endorsements etc to customers when they purchase these things. He-l, underwriting and claims would have a far easier job if agents and their staff knew the actual product we expect them to write. They need to be held accountable for their failure to learn their jobs.

And just because you sat in claims or underwriting at some point doesn’t mean you were good at your job while there.