Phillips Named CSR Of The Year
NU Online News Service, Aug. 5, 2:05 p.m. EDT?Ruth E. Phillips, a licensed agent and customer service representative at the Morrell Agency Inc. in Magnolia, Miss., is the winner of the 2004 "National Outstanding CSR of the Year" award.[@@]
Ms. Phillips was one of 33 state champions competing for the national award. After five finalists were chosen, a blue-ribbon panel of four judges?including Sam Friedman, editor-in-chief of National Underwriter?evaluated the finalists.
The judges made their recommendations based on individual contributions to the insurance community, as well as the strength of essays on: "Four Ways CSRs Can Make or Break an Agency."
Based on those evaluations, the Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives and the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors selected Ms. Phillips as the winner.
Ms. Phillips is a licensed resident agent and a surplus lines retail agent, performing CSR as well as agent duties. She is a member of the National Association of Insurance Women and the Professional Insurance Agents of Mississippi. She was selected NAIW's "National Rookie of the Year" in 2003.
"Since her entry into the insurance industry in 1999, Ms. Phillips has shown a continuing quest for knowledge and an enthusiasm for education that sets an example for those around her," said William T. Hold, president of The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research in Austin, Texas. "As chair of the Education Committee of her NAIW association, her commitment to education makes her an excellent emissary for CSRs and everyone within the insurance industry."
In her essay, Ms. Phillips chose customer service, knowledge, trust and personality as the four main "make-or-break" areas that determine a CSR's success within an agency. She emphasized that "a strong CSR knows that customers are never interruptions. Insureds are the reason for our work."
Ms. Phillips receives a cash award of $1,000 as well as a gold and diamond lapel pin, and will have her name inscribed on a sculpture on permanent display at National Alliance headquarters in Austin, Texas. A scholarship will be awarded to her employer, Morrell Agency Inc., for participation in any National Alliance program.
In addition to the selection of Ms. Phillips as the national award recipient, the other four national finalists, who each receive a special gold and garnet lapel pin, were:
? Sarah F. Barber, Lyman & Sheets Insurance Agency, Lansing, Mich.
? Susan M. Emile, Liberty Mutual, South Easton, Mass.
? Dana J. McDaniel, Messer-Bowers Agency, Enid, Okla.
? Keri Morris, Legacy Texas Insurance Services, Plano, Texas.
The Society of CISR is a member of The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research. For more information, go to www.TheNationalAlliance.com.
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