Jul 17
Open Thread for Feedback – Insight Into How We Think at AccuQuote
A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in a meeting with Byron (our CEO), George (our EVP), and Tedd (our Director of Sales). We were discussing marking a couple of improvements to our sales process. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. Companies all over the world have meetings like this all the time. The difference, and one that brought a smile to my face, was that we based our discussion on the question, “what improvements can we make that are going to give our customers the best experience possible?” While most companies look at process improvements in terms of cost-saving, we were basing our meeting on what would be best for our customers. As our meeting went on, it made me think about how our entire business philosophy has always been based on this principle. More after the jump…
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July 27th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
I thought your service (three and a half years ago, I believe) was very good. Can’t think of anything to complain about.
On another note: I tried to unsubscribe to your email/newsletter and it just took me to the top of the page again. Please unsubscribe me. Thanks.
July 27th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
Sharon,
Happy to hear that you were satisfied with our service.
Also, thanks for letting us know about your unsubscribe problem. Our IT department is looking into it right now, and I have unsubscribed your email address from our newsletter list.
Thank you,
Sean Cheyney
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development
July 27th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
I bought my policy several years ago and I think I could get a lower cost policy now but no one has called me. Not even AccuQuote. I guess I’m waiting for the next salesperson to call and they will likely get my business. Will it be AccuQuote?
July 28th, 2006 at 8:08 am
I have 2 policies with Accuquote and my wife 3. Why do I get multiple e-mails each time one of your staff gets a good idea that you wish to share? Is it possible you can “Household” your clients to avoid multiple e-mails?
Also, I had to hunt a bit (and still was not sure when I clicked on the respond area of the e-mail) for the area to respond to this survey. You could have made it more clear.
Lastly, by far the most popular product with my friends is the ROP (the Tax-Free Return of all Premiums paid after 30 years) policy. Yet, it seems to be the one you least talk about. Even in the policy language the ROP is poorly outlined. You fail even the most basic marketing classes on this subject. Why can’t you, in these e-mails, have a section (menu) for products and let the recipient choose what they want to look at and the typical quotes for policies (ie. Long-Term care, Term, Universal, children life insurance, etc.).
Thank you,
Mike Loconte
July 28th, 2006 at 8:08 am
I think it would be good if you followed up personally with each of your customers in order to update their insurance needs. I will be cancelling my policy with you as I have updated my program with another company.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:38 am
Attn: Sean Cheyney
Having retired from 30 years (primarily as a salesman)I can assure you that in addition to constantly seeking out new business, another effective way of growing your business is from within the existing client base. I purchased a life insurance policy from your company a few years ago and other than monthly debits to my checking account, I never hear from your sales staff. Although I’ve never sold life insurance, certainly the needs of your clients shift throughout their lifetimes. Take for instance a young married man who needed 50,000 worth of life insurance at the time of his marriage. Well, project forward a few years and usually circumstances change – perhaps this same young man has been blessed with several children and that his income has climbed. Well, how far would that $50,000 death benefit go? We all know, most of it would be consumed in funeral expenses leaving the widow and her children without financial protection. Financial protection that you could have been earning premiums off of had you kept in touch with your client! Trust me on this one: there’s no sale easier than selling something more to an already satisfied customer. I don’t have stats for you but I’d be willing to bet that the closing ratios for sales to existing customers vs. cold call sales are probably something like 50:1…
July 28th, 2006 at 8:40 am
I purchased through AccuQuote several years ago, thought it was a great idea. I will again be shopping for coverage because insurance costs are dropping, why do you not proactively bring to my attention, lower priced and better coverage policies. It is the only way you will keep my business
July 28th, 2006 at 8:50 am
While your service obtaining the policy was very good, I too have not been contacted by anyone since that time. As rates have decreased, why don’t sales people call to say “Let’s upgrade your policy and increase the benefit for a modest premium increase?” As any good salesperson should know, your best prospects are with your existing customers.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:56 am
The service was good, however there’s always room for improvement. One thing that would benefit is to market a good ins. package for teens, especially college kids. This was one of my reason going with your company.
July 28th, 2006 at 9:20 am
I felt like Accuquote was just a numbers machine; get ‘em in and get’em out. When I called after the sale regarding some questions I had about the policy, all my salesperson did was tell me to call the company. Maybe she didn’t have the answer, but she didn’t even listen to the question. Companies like Accuquote talk a lot about customer service, but somebody’s finally going to get it, and they’re going to get a lot of business!
July 28th, 2006 at 9:26 am
I had my physical months ago and I’m still waiting for a response from the insurance company. The process could have been a lot faster.
July 28th, 2006 at 9:31 am
is this true?, that insurance premiums are dropping. My real question would be, can I eventually take a loan on my life insurance policy?
July 28th, 2006 at 10:37 am
Dale,
In response to comment #3, first I’d like to say thanks for your feedback. It looks like the last time you spoke with anyone from our office was about a year ago. I have passed your note to our Director of Sales. Expect a phone call today from one of our sales managers to evaluate if we can save you some money on your policy.
Thanks.
July 28th, 2006 at 10:49 am
I got life insurance recently and I am very pleased with the product and the cost. The only thing I would suggest is for you to give biweekly or monthly updates by email on the status. This can be useful because it takes some time from the first time you apply to the time you get your first bill and policy. Otherwise, I might think it was not approved and I need to shop elsewhere.
July 28th, 2006 at 10:58 am
I have bought from AccuQuote in the past, so I came back. I always compare, so I checked a few competitors. The interesting thing is that AccuQuote was able to get a lower rate on the same policy from the same provider! Nicely done.
On the service side, I had to do the pushing to get it through. A piece of the medical report was missing, but I had to be the one to call and find out why it wasn’t moving. So the med fellow was supposed to come back and take my BP. He never showed…but I had to be the one to call and find out what was wrong and why it hadn’t moved.
My suggestion is that your application processors should have ticklers on their calendar to check the progress of active apps, and chase down the ones that are hung up.
July 28th, 2006 at 10:59 am
Mike,
In response to post comment #4, I’ve spoken with our IT department to see if we could fix the multiple email problem. Currently, we send emails out by case, not household (since you and your wife have multiple policies with us that’s why you’re receiving multiple emails). However, we’re going to work on fixing that. I’m sure the multiple emails are annoying and we apologize.
Thanks for letting us know that it was difficult to find the link for the survey. We made some changes to that email as we’re still sending it out to customers. Hopefully, we will get even more comments as a result.
ROP has been becoming a very popular product and we can see why your friends and family like it. You make a good point. I have shared your comments with our sales directly so that they can make some changes in their presentation.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:00 am
I recently spent a year as an insurance agent (VAs, life, cas, health, LTC), learning a lot but not my niche in professional life. In regards to the world of Term Life, I believe that an online sales process is much more desirable than the traditional alternative. My experience in getting a policy through Accuquote was near perfect. Communications, attention to detail, and responsiveness totally reinforced that I had made the best choice by using your services. Nothing was left to chance and everything was ‘top-drawer.’
scott
July 28th, 2006 at 11:06 am
Ben:
I appreciate your comments (see comment #5). While I’m always disappointed to lose a customer, I respect your decision. As a sales organization, we are always torn between the decision to call our clients all the time, once in a while, or instead wait until they call us. When we call them, unsolicited, we find some people looking to update their programs. We also find a great deal more that view those calls as an unwelcome nuisance. Our original relationship will all of our clients begins with contact from the client to us. So we’re used to people inquiring when they want something. But your point is well taken.
Question: How often would you think is optimum for our clients to receive a phone call for a periodic policy review? Once a year? Every two years? Five years? Your answer will help us understand what our clients want, as it is always our goal to keep you happy!
July 28th, 2006 at 11:08 am
Scott,
Thanks for your kind comments (comment 16). We work hard to make sure all our clients feel as you do!
July 28th, 2006 at 11:12 am
I had no problems, with AccuQuote, and was pleased with the service. The problem was with the physical, after setting an appointment for 7:00PM, the only time she could come, she didnt show up, or PHONE. I then decided to find another company. AccuQuote, called, and I decided to try again with a different nurse. We set up an appointment 2 weeks later at 900:AM. She called the night before, and asked me to call if I could not make the appointment. I could so I did not call. She called the next day at 9:00,when she was supposed to be there, to see if I was home, that gas was too expensive to waste, she was an hour late. Then this 5 foot lady with a carpenters measuring tape tells me Im 5 feet 9 inches tall. Well I must have shrunk a couple inches.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:14 am
I have to say I wasn’t impressed with the service I received. I made an online inquiry to see if I could get more coverage for less money for my wife and I.This is what they advertise. I did an extensive phone interview for myself, and also wanted to improve my wife’s policy. I was very upfront about my medical history, and was told they had so many companies to pick from they would only send me through those who would accept my condition. A medical person came to our place and completed paperwork and did the check ups and samples. The person left out some information on my wife’s app which delayed things. We were busy and a few months went by. Finally I was told the company I was sent to initially changed their position on my condition and either wouldn’t accept me, or I would be rated resulting in a much higher premium. Now, I have to say either I was declined insurance or rated the next time I apply for insurance. I think this kind of thing shouldn’t have happened. Also the qoute he finally came back with was way higher then my current rates so I declined. I was in the insurance field myself a few years ago. Bottom line not impressed.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:16 am
The service was very good. I spoke to a woman in your office. I believe that her name was Barbara. She was very cooperative and efficient. The information that she provided was excellent and was the catalyst that made me end up using your service. Computers are good but people are better.
Richard Yanco
July 28th, 2006 at 11:20 am
Thanks for your comments (Comment #21). We also believe that while the internet is a good mechanism for advertising and distributing information, nothing beats either voice-to-voice or face-to-face communication.
Thanks.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:22 am
The entire application and purchase process was for me a very pleasant and efficient process. My only concern now is that I wish you would have been more pro-active in suggesting that I increase the amount of my policy. When I thought about it later, I realized that no one asked me what I could afford as a monthly payment. I could just as easily pay $100.00 as $85.00 a month; now I will have to pursue this change. All in all, though, I believe that y’all do a fine job.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:23 am
My agent keeps me very informed and is knowledgeable on all the current products.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Your service was very good. I thought you CSR handled
everything very professionally. Will use your service
again.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:35 am
In response to comment #24.
Thanks Jimmy. Great to hear! Looking forward to helping you again with your life insurance or annuity needs in the future.
July 28th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
Hi Jeff,
In response to your comment(#10)- we appreciate your honest feedback and apologize if you felt you weren’t treated like an individual. The sales person shouldn’t have brushed you off like that. We are looking into it because we know that if our customer service is poor, you’ll go somewhere else. Thanks again.
July 28th, 2006 at 12:19 pm
“We’re listening! After all, it’s consumers like you and I that are in control. Our ears are always open and we look forward to your feedback in our comment section.”
I don’t think so, but I’ll try one more time. The application process was unnecessarily cumbersome, slow and follow up non-existent. 90 days to write a simple term policy is outrageous. Only when I called your competitor and was told I could get approved in 10 days and gave you that info, did you snap to and get my very simple policy enabled. No follow up needed, I’ll be using a different search engine next time.
July 28th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
As long as you have employees such as Joel Einbinder assisting those of us who are not insurance literate your company is doing just fine. He’s a “keeper.”
There are two areas of concern with my experience; there was a period when after my physical there was a lapse of communication before I heard whether or not everything was okay. Then I received an email from a case manager saying they were “reviewing” my EKG. I began to wonder if something was wrong with my heart that I was unaware of.
Next I received a telephone call from my sales person to tell me my physical was fine but the amount of insurance I requested was denied (not the salesperson’s decision). This was QUITE disturbing to me (STILL IS!!!)as I wasn’t asking for a million dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So in response to your question; AccuQuote performed satisfactorily. However, I am still disappointed that I was unable to get the amount I asked for.
July 28th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
I am very happy with your company’s ability to find an excellent policy and price for our needs. I first heard your company’s advertisement on Air America Radio and was eager to support their sponsors. I strongly suggest you continue advertising on this network. Thank You
July 28th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
After waiting over 3 months for my application to be processed, I was told that my rate would go up because of my lab results. While waiting for a copy of those results (which only showed a slight amount of protein), I received a notice that my application period had expired and I had been canceled!! WTF?! I wait over 3 months for your company to process my very simple application, but yet, you can’t wait 3 weeks for my lab retest?
I do not reccommend Accuquote to anyone!!
July 28th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
The fiasco I went through with Accuquote and the numerous requests for additional documentation only to drag it out and then ask me to fill out another application was idiotic. I would never do business with you or the Insurance Co. you blamed everything on. I went through much time, effort, and expense for a run-around. I’ll stick with the insurance I have.
July 28th, 2006 at 1:47 pm
David – Thanks for your feedback in comment 15. I’m glad we were able to get you a low rate. We have some incredible sales people that are very know the ins and outs of each carrier. We apologize that you had to push to get things through. We have received some complaints about the company we’re using for the medical exams and we’re looking into it. Unfortunately, these are independent of us however they do represent us and we want our clients to have the best possible experience.
The application processors are in fact suppose to contact you and check on the progress of the applications so we’re looking into your specifice case. It sounds like someone might not have been doing the best job.
July 28th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Regina – In response to comment 29, we’re glad you had a good experience with our sales rep. We’ve received quite a few comments about having a lapse of communication which has surprised us as our case managers are suppose to be following up with clients at least on a weekly basis. This is something we’re definately looking into. We’re sorry if our case manager gave you a scare with your EKG. I’m sure what she meant was that they were still looking at it. The word choice probably wasn’t the right one.
As for the amount that you requested, I’m not familiar with your particular case, but the sales rep may have explained to you that insurance companies will only insure you for a certain amount times your income. Let’s say for example, insurance company A will only insure you for 10 times your income and your income is $50K per year. You would only be eligible for $500K. And, if you already have a policy out for $200K they will only insure you for $300K more. I hope that helps you have a better understanding of your situation. Now, if your income increases in the next year or so (let’s say by $10 or $15K) then you could apply for more.
July 28th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
The process went very smoothly. Thanks
July 28th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
In response to #28- Doug – we’re sorry that you had such a bad experience at AccuQuote. It sounds like we have some work to do with our case managers. They are suppose to be following up at least weekly. We appreciate your feedback because if we didn’t get it, we wouldn’t know we had problems that need to be corrected. Thanks.
July 28th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Mike (comment #8) – We’re happy that you had a good first experience with AccuQuote. We agree that we need to more pro-actively re-market to clients. The key is finding the happy medium of how much contact is too much or too little. Byron, our CEO, asked the following questions to one person who commented in #18: How often would you think is optimum for our clients to receive a phone call for a periodic policy review? Once a year? Every two years? Five years?
As he said, your answer will help us understand what our clients want, as it is always our goal to keep you happy!
July 28th, 2006 at 2:17 pm
Tammy (comment #12) – Yes, premiums have dropped over the past 10 years. As for your question about can you take a loan on your life insurance policy, I’ll have someone contact you to discuss this. Thanks!
July 28th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Joe (comment 14) – Thanks for your comment. We’re glad you were pleased with the product and cost. As we’ve said to others that are suggesting the same thing (more communication) it’s something we have to work on. Our case managers are suppose to be in contact with our clients on a weekly basis and it doesn’t seem to be the case. We’re glad it’s being brought to our attention.
July 28th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
Everett from comment 11 – Someone will be contacting you shortly to provide you with an update on your case. We’re seeing a common trend as a result of posing this question. The trend: we’re not doing a fantastic job at communicating during the application process. We’re going to be working on it – thanks for providing your feedback.
July 28th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Lowell from comment #20 – We’re glad you were pleased with our service and apologize for the trouble you seemed to have with our vendor that does the medical exams. Even though they are independant of us, they still represent us. We’re looking at ways to improve this service. Thanks for your feedback.
July 28th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
Hi John (comment #6) – You make some VERY good points. We haven’t done enough to grow our business from our existing client base. We will be looking to do more and appreciate the suggestions. Byron, our CEO, asked someone who commented on the same thing the following questions. Maybe you could provide some insight as well.
How often would you think is optimum for our clients to receive a phone call for a periodic policy review? Once a year? Every two years? Five years?
July 28th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
This process went very smoothly. Thanks
July 28th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Khrystin (#32) – I’m sorry that you had a bad experience with us. Often times the application process does long run and we do attempt to do everything possible to shorten it. Insurance underwriters are very particular about certain things. They have certain underwriting guidelines and they stick to them. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do about it. I wish I had a better answer for you, other than saying it’s out of our control. Additionally, the insurance companies only allow a certain period of time for the “offer” before it expires.
July 28th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
Why quote rates you can’t deliver? You quote rates based on the best ratings but no one qualifies for the best rating so it becomes a bait and switch game.
July 28th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
I sure hope that in the very near futher that no one has to go through this kind of exam when we go to by car insurance. You know, there’s not one person on this earth that can tell when another person is going to die. Sometimes Doctor’s get it wrong. If you are going to try and play God with someone’s life, then I recomend that you gat alot more practice. Try talking to him sometime. If it wasn’t for the fact that we live in a world built on greed, we wouldn’t need insurance.
It’s very uncomfortable for a lot of people to got through what you require in order to get an insurance policy today. I know that you want to protect your intrest and also make a little money and thats alright too. There has got to be a better way. By the way you still have some of the best rates on the market. I would do it all over again, but for some people, they would have probally called off the whole thing especially after you start requesting all their personnal information.
Let them know up front that this is what you are required to go through in addition to the home visit. It just might go over alot better with a new prospect.
July 28th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
I’ve recently taken a wellness screening exam and received a 30 page report telling me I’m in upmost good health. The program is offered free by my employer. By providing this report to my insurance carrier can I get a reduction on my monthly premium?
July 28th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
It took several months for me to obtain life insurance. This is very frustrating and worrysome. Although you kept in touch with me through email, it was nevertheless a concerning factor that I was uninsured during this waiting period, and had no peace of mind. If there is anyway you could improve on the time frame of the waiting process that would improve relations a great deal.
July 28th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
I’m not sure you will want to see what I have to say, but here goes! I was mislead by your representative as to the price of the insurance I was applying for. In fact I was quoted one low price which I thought was very reasonable, but then when the policy was to be issued the price more than doubled. I feel I was just flat out lied to because your rep stated that the price I was originally quoted was guaranteed to be the price, but then she back-tracked all over the place. I will not do business with a company like that and I will not reccommend your company to anyone, I would even try to discourage others from using your company.
You can reply to this if you like but take me off your e-mail list, your mailing list, and I do not want to recieve any calls from you!!!!!!
July 28th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
I thought your service was OK until I was baited with a low rate only to see it almost double after my physical results – why was it raised?…. my cholestrol was TOO LOW! My doctor thought the reason for the rate increase wss so over the top he laughed. At the initial rate, I would have signed up – at the inflated rate, I walked.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:35 pm
Horrible, terrible service. Once the insurance contract was signed and the medical approved, I had no way to locate anyone to get my policy contract. I assume it is in force… somewhere… as it has already been paid for.
It’s apparent that Accuquote just wanted their commission and then bailed. It makes me mad that I have no idea whether or not I even have the term policy I spent all that money for.
I will never do business with Accuquote after this first try. I also steer friends and family away from the lure, and just have them research the old-fashioned way. It’s just safer I think.
July 28th, 2006 at 11:58 pm
Hello,
Upon taking my physical 6 months ago I had elevated levels of cholesterol (news to me). I have since had cholesterol levels re checked with my own doctor and they have either come down drastically OR the physical i took with your nurse was incorrect. I would like to resubmit ONLY my cholesterol levels to you because this means i would be paying a slightly lower monthly premium for my policy and this is very impt to me. Please let me know via e mail if I can do this and how to go about it. I will be out of town for the next few weeks and unavailable by phone, however, I will check e mail periodically. I thank you in advance. Sincerely, tom
July 29th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
Purchased a policy a month back or so. It was my first policy and so being new to the process, it took much longer than I expected. Other than the length of time, my primary comment of the process overall would be poor communication during the sales process. After kicking off the purchase process with my sales rep, the only communication I received were emails urging me to request records be sent from my doctor. Earlier conversations with my rep about ultimately deciding on a policy value were lost during the process. Consequently, after everything was approved, paperwork was issued for a policy value I hadn’t decided upon. I got the impression this was now a huge pain to change and that it was my fault for not communicating the appropriate policy value. In actuality, it is Accuquote driving the process, so I feel it was your responsiblity to collect the information at the appropriate decision points. I believe I represent the average customer, who, certainly needs life insurance, but also could not care less about internal processess of the business. It’s just another piece of administrivia I need to get off my desk. The communication break down aside, the folks I spoke to seemed very knowledgeable and helpful for the most part and prices seem competitive.
July 31st, 2006 at 9:13 am
In response to comment #31. Thanks Vicky! From a marketing perspective, it’s always great to hear exactly which radio network prompted you to give us a call. I appreciate your feedback. Let us know if we can help you with any additional services in the future. Our ears are always open for you.
July 31st, 2006 at 9:31 am
Karen (comment #36),
Happy to hear that the process worked well for you. Please let us know if there is anything we can ever do for you in future.
July 31st, 2006 at 10:30 am
Eric (#52) – Often times the application process does long run and we do attempt to do everything possible to shorten it. Our case management team is suppose to explain the process and unfortuantely, it sounds as if they didn’t do that, nor did they follow up with you weekely to keep you posted (other than the emails you were mentioning). It appears as if we have some work to do with that department as it’s been a common theme among people responding to our feedback request.
In the end, were you able to get the appropriate amount that you wanted? Please let me know as I’d be happy to facilitate your request with our sales team. I apologize that got lost in the process. It shouldn’t have. And you deserve the right amount of coverage to protect your family.
July 31st, 2006 at 10:37 am
JWB (#50) We’re really disappointed that you had such a horrible experience with us. Your policy is in fact force and paid for. I asked our vice president of operations to look into why you didn’t receive a copy of your policy. I also asked her if we could resend a copy to you. Either myself or someone in case management will be in touch with you over the next day or so. Thanks.
July 31st, 2006 at 10:57 am
Timothy (#49) We’re glad that you were honest with us. Whether it was good feedback or bad, we wanted to hear it. We wouldn’t be able to improve our service if we didn’t know something was wrong.
We apologize if you feel that you were mislead by the salesperson. Our salespeople try their best to determine upfront what the price might be by going through a medical questionairre. However often times something comes up during the medical exam that causes the rate to be higher, which I believe was the situation in your particular case. Sometimes the right questions aren’t asked, but often times people with hold information thinking they might be able to get a lower rate by doing so. Unfortunately, that is never the case. I can assure you that it isn’t within the best interest of our salespeople to mislead customers because they get paid commission and they know that if the cost comes back higher than quoted 9 out of 10 people won’t buy the insurance.
We have taken you off our email lists and put you on our do not call list per your request. Again, I apologize that you had such a horrible experience with us.
July 31st, 2006 at 11:17 am
Tyler (#47)- I’m sorry that no one made it more clear as to what was involved in the medical exam process. This is something our agents are suppose to in fact tell you about. Unfortunately the medical exam is required by most every life insurance company. There are policies out there that you can get without taking an exam, however they cost a lot more costly because the insurance company is taking a much bigger risk by not underwriting it with a medical exam. Thanks for letting us know we have the best rates on the market. We appreciate that.
July 31st, 2006 at 11:21 am
Steve (#47) – As I mentioned in comment #57, our salespeople try their best to determine upfront what the price might be by going through a medical questionairre. However often times something comes up during the medical exam that causes the rate to be higher. We apologize if you consider this a bait and switch game. I can assure you it’s not.
July 31st, 2006 at 11:26 am
Robert (#48) – we appreciate your comments. Unfortunately, the process of obtaining life insurance is a cumbersome one and it’s not entirely up to AccuQuote as we’re relying on the insurance companies to complete the underwriting process. However, we will make it more clear to customers like you that temporary insurance is sometimes available. Basically, you can be insured during the application process. However, not all companies do this and I’m not sure which one you were applying with so it may have not been available to you, hence why you might not have been told about it. Thanks again for your feedback.
July 31st, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Tom (#51)- I spoke with our sales manager. He said since your exam is 7 months old you would likely need to do a new exam and re-apply. There were additional reasons you were approved at Standard Plus (if you’d like to discuss these reasons we can do so off-line). So even though your cholesterol has improved, it’s still very unlikely you would be able to qualify for a better offer. We can try and re-apply to see what kind of offer is made to us from the carrier. You never know and it doesn’t cost anything but your time. Let us know as we’d be happy to help you.
July 31st, 2006 at 1:06 pm
HR (#48) – If your existing policy was issued at a rate worse than your current health would indicate, you have two choices: You can submit this evidence of your current health to your existing carrier and ask for a prospective reconsideration of your rate class. Or, if you always free to re-apply at another carrier to see if you can get a better rate that reflects your new, better health.
July 31st, 2006 at 1:16 pm
James (#51) – We’re sorry that you didn’t have the best of experiences at AccuQuote. I want to thank you for your feedback as well as provide you with some insight as to why your rate doubled after your physical results.
I spoke to my sales manager and he said that it’s unusual to see Chol too low, but it can happen in rare situations, especially when being treated with medication. However, after looking at the particulars of your case, you were quoted Standard and approved at a Table rating due to a certain medical condition. Although our agents try their best to conduct a thorough medical questionnaire, sometimes things are missed that are picked up either during the medical exam or when medical records are requested that cause rates to be higher.
If you’d like to discuss this further, rather than posting specifics about medical conditions on this forum, feel free to call us.
July 31st, 2006 at 5:03 pm
Hello Accuquote,
I purchased life insurance about 8 months ago and the prcess was a bit long but it was all worth it. I was quoted a rate and my case manager came back and gave me a better one.
Thx Alberto
July 31st, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Alberto (comment #66),
Thanks for your comments. We’re happy to have provided great service to you. We understand that the process can be a bit long, and we press the life insurance carriers as hard as we can. If there is anything we can ever do to help you regarding additional life insurance, disability, or annuities, don’t hesitate to ask.
August 4th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
I think AccuQuote is more directed towards the people that have a better understanding of life insurance.
On the other hand, for first time buyers: You will need to have some mechanism in place, like a worksheet by email, so your representative and the prospective buyer are seeing the same documentation as the conversation is done over the phone. Make it as simple as possible and eliminate the worries the prospective buyer has in their mind.
August 4th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
David – When a prospective buyer calls us, we are prepared to spend as much time as is necessary to communicate the information they need in order to make an intelligent buying decision. We believe that the information we provide is actually more detailed, more objective, and better in every way than that which consumers generally get from most life insurance agents. We then send complete documentation with every application, which should be consistent with the information discussed.
This comment is quite unusual as most of our customers (some of them having had NO life insurance buying experience) are gushing about our service.
August 6th, 2006 at 8:21 pm
I bought my policies several years ago and I remember being very pleased with the service provided. All members of your company were very helpful with all aspects of my life insurance polices. If there were any drawbacks I would have to say it was when I started asking questions about long term care insurance. Everyone was bewildered no one was sure who handled that or who could give me more information on that. Other than they thought I might be too young for that. To this day I still have not settled that portion of my future because it’s not a priority but I would still like some information on it. Have you got your act together yet?
August 7th, 2006 at 9:28 am
Vincent,
Thanks for your feedback. We’re happy that we were able to provide you great service on your life insurance policy.
When it comes to Long Term Care Insurance on the other hand, your observation about our lack of expertise was correct.
While we now have a couple of people who have experience selling long term care insurance, it is not AccuQuote’s core competency. Our #1 strength is life insurance, followed by annuities and disability insurance.
In order to provide quality products and service for long term care insurance, we have partnered with Long Term Care Quotes. A brief description and link to their site can be found at http://www.accusource.com/ltc/ltc.cfm . They specialize in long term care insurance the same way that AccuQuote specializes in life insurance.
Feel free to call us anytime at 800-442-9899. If there is a financial product or service that we don’t specialize in, we’ll do our best to point you in the direction of a partner company that we trust will give you top notch service.
August 7th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
I was not happy with my experience and I have not had anyone from Accuquote show that they truely care or are listening about what I feel is wrong. They just want their completed ticket.
I feel I got the bait and switch as well as age and gender discrimination. My doctor and I believe that I am in good health. However I am rated as bad because of a word that is in my records and it is not progressive in any way.
I had two good and helpfull account reps and one that was lets say an unpleasent experience.
August 7th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
Troy,
I’m sorry that you felt your experience with AccuQuote was a bad one. After looking over the notes of your case, I spoke with our sales manager that stepped in and took over your case after it was rated lower than expected. The sales manager fought hard with the underwriter at the carrier you applied with, but they wouldn’t budge.
When it comes to the rating of any life insurance policy, it is entirely dependant upon the underwriting decisions of the life insurance carrier. They have certain underwriting guidelines and they stick to them. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do about it. I wish I had a better answer for you, other than saying it’s out of our control.
August 8th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Five months to write a life insurance policy for $150K. I won’t be thinking about AccuQoute the next time I need insurnace. Definitely was not happy about how my medical exam comments were interpreted by the individual conducting it.
August 8th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
We’re sorry to hear that you weren’t pleased with our service. The process can take, on average, anywhere from 3-12 weeks, but all cases are different. I looked through your case notes and as I’m sure you’re aware, there were multiple reasons why your case was delayed. And unfortunately, all of these reasons were beyond AccuQuote’s control.
As you know, your case had to go back through underwriting in order to get approval on the additional insurance coverage you requested. Then, when we received the policy we noticed your name was spelled wrong and it needed to be corrected by the carrier. Finally, we couldn’t place the policy in force until we had the correct premium payment.
All of these things led to a long drawn out process and we do apologize for the inconvenience.
As for the way the medical exam comments were interpreted, I’m not quite sure what you are referring to. I’d be happy to look into it a bit more if you provide me with additional information.
August 10th, 2006 at 8:52 am
Hi and thanks for the invite to comment. I was actually going to call you and ask a question. I have heard that the rates have continued to fall since the inception of my policy. Can you provide me with a better rate now? I look forward to your response. Thanks.
August 10th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
Hi John – yes, life insurance rates have fallen more than 60% in the past decade. You may be able to save money if you bought your policy a few years ago. I’ll have one of our agents contact you directly.
August 10th, 2006 at 11:37 pm
I thought your site was a fantastic way to get insurance and found that your sales and customer service departments were very thorough as well as courteous. I found everyone I dealt with to be very attentive and quite diligent. I had some special circumstances in acquiring my policy and I was treated with the utmost respect and discretion.
I have barely had my insurance for a year but expected that someone from your company would follow up on at least an annual basis to make sure I am still properly covered. As I am unmarried and don’t yet own a home, I am quite sure I will require additional assurance in the years to come. I would appreciate not having to chase someone down to make changes to my policy.
August 11th, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Koralia – We’re happy to hear that our site and service met your needs. We appreciate the kind comments. I passed your information to our sales manager. He will have someone call you to review your current policy and needs.