It is essential to have a good insurance agent who can really advise us, finding suitable products for our needs. And also to help us and be on our side when things happen. How can we choose it? Here are some characteristics that we should look for in it.
1. The first and most important
thing: that you show us your identity card issued by the National Insurance and
Bonding Commission, which is the document that authorizes you to operate as
such. If you don't have it, let's run away.
2. That he knows not only the
policies he sells, but the insurance market in general. Extensive
knowledge of the business, the laws, the risks and the establishment of an
insurance culture in general is something that simple training does not provide
and it is difficult to acquire, but it is essential for adequate advice.
3. That he knows how to earn our
trust. That you are aware of the importance of insurance within our
personal finances (and our business); in general, of the role they play in
our life as a patrimonial protection mechanism. We must be aware that in
order to choose the best insurance scheme, we will have to entrust our
financial situation, our concerns, and so on.
In this sense, it is good that
the agent himself has his own privacy notice, in which he communicates what is
the treatment that he will give to our personal data (it must be confidential,
because some may be sensitive). There are insurance agents who hide behind
saying that the insurance companies have it, they even give us that of the
insurer, but they must also have their own because they are independent
professionals, they are not employees of the insurers.
4. As far as possible, that he
works with several insurance companies and that he can explain to us why one is
better than the other in a certain field. Many insurance agents receive
special bonuses or commissions for increasing their sales with a certain
insurer. We must verify that our agent gives us compelling reasons and
arguments and that the choice of company is based solely on the fact that the
terms and conditions offered are the most appropriate for our needs.
Many times a small company that
can offer us very competitive life insurance in medical expenses may not have
the coverage and the hospital network necessary to offer direct payment service
in any institution. We must always choose the insurance company that
offers us the highest added value in each branch, not the one that gives our
agent the best commission.
Nor is it necessary that all our policies be
contracted with the same insurer. There are those that are generalists,
offering all lines of business, while others are specialists in certain
branches and may have a much higher value offer.
What is usually important is
continuity and establishing a long-term relationship with our
suppliers. Especially in medical expenses, it may not be easy to change
insurance if we have or have developed a condition, so choosing well from the
beginning is essential.
5. Know how to earn your
commission. The income of the insurance agent must be based on his
capacity and quality in the advice, that is, by the added value that he can
provide, and not by his sales volume. If our agent is not willing to put
our needs before his commission, it is better to find someone else.
6. That you provide us with an
excellent service, that you have the disposition to clearly explain all our
doubts, the scope of the coverage, the exclusions, etc. Make sure you look
for a meeting with us at least once a year, in advance of the expiration of our
policies, in order to discuss the points related to renewal.
In the event
that our payments are split, worry about notifying us in advance and charging
us promptly, since if our payment is delayed for a single day after the legal
deadline and a claim occurs, the insurance company will be completely free to
reject it. . That you know perfectly what the procedures are in case of
disaster and that you have the ability to advise and represent us in the event
that one occurs.
7. It is desirable that our
insurance agent be affiliated with the Mexican Association of Insurance and
Bond Agents AC (AMASFAC), since this trade association offers a lot of market
information, additional training, access to conferences, among many other
activities.