An Introduction to Insurance Lead Generation

It is vital that insurance salespeople have a steady stream of leads. Often, people dont even know about a particular type on insurance and it is up to a salesperson to explain it to them. The salespeople must have good leads in order to know who may be more open to purchasing certain types of insurance.

Insurance lead generation is done in a couple of ways. One common strategy is the use of a list service. A list compiling company generates the leads by gathering extensive information on people and then selling either the entire list or individual leads to the insurance salesperson. Insurance companies also offer free quotes in order to create awareness and interest in their services. Of course, advertising is another insurance lead generation technique.

List compiling services sell their lists to insurance companies. These lists often have pretty in depth information. For example, if someones address is located within a known flood area, the insurance salesperson could offer him or her flood insurance. The list services sell the leads in a number of ways. They sell the leads individually, sell the entire list once, or allow the insurance company to subscribe. When companies subscribe, they get a new list with fresh leads at certain time intervals.

Free quotes are a great form of insurance lead generation. People become interested in the prospect of saving money when the insurance company offers free appraisals and quotes. Often, the insurance company will offer their rates along with the rates of some of their competitors.

Advertisement is a major insurance lead generation technique. It seems that all media, including TV, radio, and print are flooded with ads for insurance companies. These ads create awareness and consumer interest in the company. These ads come in a variety of forms, from serious to comical.

Everyone needs some types of insurance. It is vital that insurance companies capitalize on the need that people have for insurance by capitalizing on leads. Insurance lead generation guarantees that the insurance salespeople have a steady stream of potential customers.

Customer Service Comes First!

Customers always appreciate businesses that go out of their way to make their customers feel special. If possible send them a card on their birthday or anniversary. Or send them a holiday card along with a special discount or sample. Customers love freebies and chances are they will leave your customers wanting more of your wonderful products. An added bonus to keeping in touch with your customers is that it keeps your business fresh in their minds. Taking extra steps in customer service will make your customer feel special.

If you deal with customers face to face always remember to dress professionally, greet them with a firm hand shake and most importantly SMILE! There is nothing more comforting than a warm friendly smile. When speaking with customers on the telephone make sure you are using a friendly, pleasant tone in your voice. Even if your only communication is through emails you can still come across as being friendly by the choice of words that you use such as a kind greeting or wishing them a wonderful day.

Always be easily accessible to your customers. There is nothing more frustrating than having a problem with an order only to reach a voicemail or receive an auto responder instead of an actual email from you. Make sure your customers can reach you right away should they need to contact you. Make it a habit to check and reply to your emails several times a day. And if you must use voicemail for your telephone be sure to check messages regularly and return phone calls promptly. Its also a good idea to post your contact information where your customers can easily find it. Knowing that you are easy to reach and when they should expect a reply is always comforting to customers.

In this day and age, where everything is automated, and you cannot speak to an actual customer service person on the phone unless you endure half an hour of easy listening tunes and a never ending series of press this and press that recordings, its a welcome relief for customers when they come across a business that puts customer service as their number one priority. When you go above and beyond to treat your customers the way they would like to be treated you will be rewarded with a very satisfied customer for life.

New York Locksmith

New York Locksmith has a team of mobile service vehicles providing 24 hours 7 days a week service for our customers in the New York area, every day of the year, rain or shine. Our technicians have been bonded, insured and certified to work on all makes and models of locks, safes, transponder keys, remotes and ignition locks. New York Locksmith security expert technicians are certified and qualified in installations, repairs and maintenance of CCTV Surveillance, Access Control Systems, Burglar Alarms, Buzzer Systems, and Window Gates. At New York Locksmith our customers are top priority and we guarantee every request is met with courtesy, professionalism, and integrity. Every customer receives the same high level, quality service. We are proud to offer a 90 days warrantee on every service and product available from New York Locksmith.

Our Services Include: Lockout Service for Emergency Situations Replacing/Repair of All Automobile Ignitions and Keys Home/Auto/Business Lockout Service Break-In/Burglary Lock Repair/Replacement/Installation High Security Locks/Panic Bars/Door Closers/Push Plates/Install/Repair/Replace Keyless Entry Systems Safe Opening File Cabinet Locks Opened/Repaired/Replaced Replacing Missing VAT System Keys/ Transponder Keys Install/Repair/Replace/Re-Key All Lock Mechanisms/Systems Car Keys Made On-Site/Broken Key Extraction/Laser/Transponder/VAT/Cut Keys AND Much More

New York Locksmith Commercial Services:

New York Locksmith has proven over the years, unique locksmith and security satisfaction of our commercial customers. New York Locksmith guarantees to resolve any commercial locksmith needs you have, in a timely, affordable manner. New York Locksmith offers a 90 day warrantee on every service and product. Our technicians use their experience in all aspects of commercial locksmith and security environments from a simple re-key of an office door to the full installation of high-tech security systems. You will always receive the best from New York Locksmith, and that includes the availability of name brand products delivered by knowledgeable technicians.

Residential Services:

You never have to worry about waiting around for hours because you are locked out of your house, we have technicians 20 minutes or less away from any neighborhood in the New York area. Our expert technicians can be there to open your lock, repair a lock, or replace a Master Lock system after a break-in. New York Locksmith is there when you are flustered, in a hurry, or frightened and can install top of the line security systems in your home to prevent further criminal activity. New York Locksmith carries a wide selection of name brand products from top of the line manufacturers of locksmith and security products. We know how crucial the safety and security of your family, home, and property are to you.

Automotive Services:

Performing at the highest standard possible our technicians re-code and replace your automobile keys and gain access to any vehicle. We have the resources and products for the latest technology in key requirements for any car or truck. When you are locked out of your car, you can count on a quick response from our mobile service vehicles. New York Locksmith has the largest inventory in the New York Area, experience, cutting edge equipment, capability, and the latest technology; all in the hands of our dedicated locksmiths. Call New York Locksmith today for your locksmith and security needs for a free estimate at (888) 990- 9980 or visit us online at NYLOCKSMITH247.COM.

Retail Point of Sale Software as a Service

Many retailers, such as clothing or apparel, footwear, and sporting goods companies that have multiple locations require retail point of sale software systems. The type of system required in today’s up-to-the minute world is immediate. Real-time information can make the difference between a sale and a loss. Being able to get the right items at the right time and place are invaluable to such companies. However, especially in the current economic climate, one doesn’t want to have to pay through the nose for such services.

Finding a company that offers software as a service is the ultimate for retail point of sale system software. Affordable service with highly trained technical support is essential. A business needs to have all of its locations linked together with the ability to easily manage the operations of each store without wasting time. Being able to immediately know what is on hand, in transfer or on order is essential to such system software. The benefits of this instant information include increased sales. One can see that if a customer is interested in a particular item in a particular size he wants it now. If it is not in the current location but you can immediately know where it is and how long it will take to get it in, you are more likely to retain that customer at that retail point of sale.

Another benefit of retail point of sale software is reduced costs. If double ordering can be eliminated through instant knowledge of real-time inventory, this is an immediate cost reduction. Knowing what is selling and what is not selling on a day-to-day basis throughout all locations is invaluable. Being able to order ?on-the-fly’ items that are hot sellers will reduce costs and increase profits. Lack of information is often costly, so having everything you need and want to know at your fingertips can also greatly reduce costs. As sales are increased and costs are reduced, then profitability goes up.

Rather than paying through the nose for a high priced company with expensive hardware and long-term contracts, one can hire a reasonably priced company that has short-term contracts and a minimum of hardware required. Such a retail point of sale system software company can offer easy support as they manage your system and allow you to manage your business. Short-term contracts allow you to better manage your money without being tied into a system that you have never tried before. As you research the retail point of sale system service companies, you will also want to use companies that have an excellent track record with thousands of worldwide installations.

Making certain that your current system is compatible with the retail point of sale system that is available is extremely important to you. Whether you use Windows, Java or UNIX applications, you want to be able to interface with them. If you use a PC or a Mac, you will want your new real-time inventory system to work with the computer operating system that you know and understand. This is all possible, and once you have begun using your newly integrated retail point of sale system software, you will wonder how you ever got along without it.

point of sale software, retail point of sale, pos retail

Critical Call Center Metrics And What They Say About Your Business

Information technology can be a powerful tool or a great burden on a company, and call center reporting applications are no exception. Reporting is important but it’s also vital to track the right information. The most important call center metrics for your company may differ from those at another organization, but here are three metrics that are essential for nearly any telephone customer service operation.

First Call Resolution

A study by the Service Quality Measurement (SQM) Group found of all call center metrics, one of the strongest correlations with customer service comes from First Call Resolution (FCR). For example their study showed only 3% of customers who have their complaints resolved on the first call ended up defecting to a competitor, compared to 38% of customers who required two or more calls for resolution. Increasing FCR means lower call volume and lower operating costs. It also means higher employee satisfaction because a customer who is forced to call back is more likely to be hostile.

Low FCR can be an indicator of problems in the customer service system. Agents may not be sufficiently trained, may not have enough authority to resolve simple problems, or there may be software problems that prevent changes from correctly propagating through the system.

Forecasting Accuracy

Ideally call centers are staffed exactly to the number of calls received, but in reality this is difficult to achieve. Call volume fluctuates over the course of the day, week, month and year. When the center is understaffed, agents are stressed by the heavy workload and customers are frustrated by the long hold times. When overstaffed, the company is wasting money on agents who have little to do.

Examining past call center metrics allows managers to see how call traffic changes and staff accordingly. While they may never know why traffic always peaks the Thursday morning after a full moon, at least they can have enough agents on the phones to handle the calls.

Response Time

The longer someone is on hold, the less satisfaction the customer feels. Long hold times make customers feel they aren’t important and give them plenty of time to think about switching to a competitor. Slow response times are also bad for your agents, since they are more likely to get customers who are angry over the long wait. When call center metrics show high response time, either the center is understaffed, agents are not handling customers efficiently, or both.

Customer Satisfaction

We said we’d show you three important call center metrics but there is one more that is the most important of all. Just because the above numbers are good doesn’t mean your company is doing the job right. Maybe response time is down because agents are abandoning calls before resolving the problem. Maybe FCR is down because customers are taking their business elsewhere rather than calling back a second time. Never get so focused on the numbers you forget the real goal of customer service is customer service.