At the recent Big I Young Agents' Conference, the Agency Council for Technology's Strategic Future Issues Work Group held a roundtable session with 10 young agents to see how they view customers' changing expectations and the best ways for agents to implement the kind of technological tools needed to meet customers' future needs. The agents said that staying abreast of the latest uses of the Internet, carrier web sites, and the efficiency offered by the ability to communicate by e-mail is crucial to remaining competitive. But along with those changes, the agents said agencies needed to re-examine the kind of value-added services they can provide customers that extend beyond just the price of a policy.

Young Agents' Profiles

The agents who participated in the roundtable were between 20 and 30 years of age and were primarily focused on providing consumers with commercial lines coverage. Most of the agents came from family agencies both large and small that were located in rural and suburban locations. The agents noted that they are operating on tight deadlines and are seeking ways to create more opportunities to spend time with their families.