Reduction of the asymmetry between Policyholders and Insurance Companies. Increase the appearance of consultation and of transparency. Increased use of insurance coverage. Bid supplementary pension.
These are the themes in the interview to Dr. Claudio Demozzi, President of the SNA (National Union of Professional Insurance Agents).
What can the Professional Insurance Agent to reduce the information asymmetry between the insured and the Insurance Companies?
It can do a lot, much indeed! It is professional Agent, Indeed, reduce this asymmetry information to a minimum, providing the consumer with the information needed for a proper assessment of the risks to which it is exposed and insurance products that may limit their consequences. Of course this onerous task can not be done by those who reject this professional role and identifies its activity with that of a seller of any pre-packaged products. Anyone who sees simple distributor of policies, more than professional Broker, rejects the logic behind the obligations in the field of pre-contractual information and fails to glimpse the real opportunity for growth, development (and survival on the market) which is offered to our figure of professional Agents, the new regulatory framework of Italian. The comparison of the products and prices available on the market, eg, by an industry expert what is the professional Agent, who knows, at the end of this analysis, adequately advise the client, represents an opportunity for all Agents, without distinction between mono or multi-firm, between young and old in the industry, as long as they are able to grasp the significance, the magnitude, the strategic importance.
In which phases of the insurance relationship Professional Insurance Agent can make all the difference compared to other sales channels?
At every stage. In phase acquisitive, making a correct, transparent, fair comparison between the products on the market, in order to identify those most suited to the needs of the customer and highlight any critical product that was intended to offer but, eg, following the analysis, should be not in line with expectations. In the post-sale, in all matters regarding the management of the contractual relationship. Variations during the contract, changes, but also receiving reports of damage and the management of the assessment and claim settlement. The Company, in this phase, are in many cases incomplete and overly formal, related to old patterns of behavior that often leave the customer dissatisfied. The work of Agent Professional, in this delicate phase, almost always allows the client to feel after, at ease and to fulfill the formalities that the average consumer ignores, normally, but that sometimes, if not strictly observed, may affect the compensation.
Make sure you "transfer risk" by the Insured in-chief to the Insurance Company. Given the lack of use of this tool by the Italian, that role can the Professional Insurance Agents, to increase the use of insurance?
There are many areas in which insurance instruments should play a greater role, but that historically the average citizen neglect, as well as make, unfortunately, most of the Italian Companies and Intermediaries. There are market niches waiting to be discovered, which at the moment do not affect the large national companies, but that the agents will be able to attack with the new tools made available by the recent legislation of the government Mountains (DL development / bis). I refer in particular to the possibility, for Professional intermediaries, collaborate with each other and then to have a wider catalog of offer, without having to go under the “Fork Caudine” the prior approval of the Company and therefore represented in absolute freedom of enterprise. This allows the Agent professional to have new weapons trade, that is, an innumerable number of products to be placed on the market, able more easily to meet demand from its customers, that is, to meet the specific needs of each client. Consumption insurance will only increase, as well as the level of confidence in our Occupational and to the entire industry, which in recent years has not benefited from a great public image.
Several research studies show that in Italian households on pension issue is a source of uncertainty and insecurity about the continuing legislative changes, what are the ideas that Sna (National Union of Professional Insurance Agents) proposes to bring citizens closer to the supplementary pension funds?
By the same logic, the elimination of the exclusive agreement between Agent and Enterprise, also in life insurance, would allow to make, Agents, the quantum leap that today fail to do. In this way they could offer to customers as true insurance consultants, able to make a correct analysis of customer needs, of the features and prices of various products on the market. Agents will need to gain the maximum technical and professional skills, in order to provide our customers with an adequate after-sales service in this area. Today, in life insurance, in particular asset management, often after-sales service of the Companies flaw and this compresses the application, as well as compromising the reliability and the industry's image. Agents professionals can still say a lot in this segment, as long as they let loose to adequately express their managerial skills and managerial.
Alex Gaetani