Sometimes the most difficult thing for an agent to do in the wake of a major loss event is explain to clients that they have no coverage for it. To avoid that scenario, an agency, as part of its disaster preparedness plan, should explain to personal- and commercial-lines insureds that they will be covered for flood (or earthquake or windstorm) only if they buy a separate policy for it. The agents should then offer such coverage, answer the insureds' questions and document the conversations. Then, if a catastrophe occurs, customers who have purchased coverage will expect to be indemnified and will file claims, while customers who have not will know they're not covered because they chose not to be, and will be less inclined to file E&O claims against their insurance agents.

How can agents find time to meet with all their clients and discuss coverage for floods and other natural disasters? Agency owners can help producers and CSRs free up more time for client contact by providing them with technology that allows them to perform administrative tasks faster and more efficiently–and making sure they use it. One way your staff can whittle hours off their workload, often with a single mouse click on an icon, is by using your agency management system's real-time inquiry feature.

If you've tried unsuccessfully to implement real-time inquiry with a carrier, don't give up. It took us three months, with help from our management system vendor, to work out some of the bugs in our real-time inquiry from a remote office. With patience and perseverance, though, we finally discovered that one file wasn't in the correct Windows folder on the terminal server–a problem easily solved. Now our agency enjoys real-time billing inquiry with our top four companies, representing over 80% of our total agency volume. Verifying the status of a claim, submitting a billing or policy coverage inquiry, or obtaining a complete set of loss runs takes less than 15 seconds. Find out how often these tasks are performed in your agency and how long each takes, then calculate how much time your staff could save if each action took only 15 seconds.

Once you start using real-time inquiry and see how it improves workflow, you'll want all your company partners to offer the capability. As we told one national carrier, ease of doing business, which real-time inquiry fosters, is an important part of our relationships with both our carriers and our customers.

For years, agent volunteers have worked with vendors and carriers through the IIABA's Agents Council on Technology (ACT) to turn technological possibilities into realities. Many companies now are focusing more on technology development, but they still need incentive to spend the money required. They want to see agents taking advantage of the tools already available to them.

By adding real-time inquiry to your agency's repertoire, you save time not only for your staff but for your companies' employees as well, and your agents can use that extra time to educate insureds about flood insurance. Doing so can help you shine the next time you and your clients face a disaster. It can also help you provide better service overall and reduce E&O exposures.

There are lots of reasons to embrace real-time inquiry. Pick whichever one you like best and just do it!