Trade Winds | Fall 2023

Trade Winds

How to Achieve Strong Retention in This Unprecedented Market Responsiveness as a Differentiator

A Tribute to Our Dear Friend, Bob Dowling And More!

Putting People First

What a year it’s been. As we closed out the summer, weather was the big story—2023 has already broken all kinds of records. There is no doubt about it, extreme weather is having a significant impact on our industry nationwide. As carriers feel the sizable pinch of increased catastrophic activity and losses, reinsurance costs have skyrocketed, putting pressure on consumer premiums. But weather is not the only story. Although inflation has cooled a bit, the frequency and severity of auto accidents are rising at alarming rates, and the cost to repair cars and homes has never been higher.

Jim Hyatt

Despite these market pressures, Arbella’s experienced underwriters continue to pick up the phone and work with you to find prompt solutions to your customers’ needs. You have made it clear that this is differentiating us in the marketplace.

The Arbella brand has never been stronger. Our new business premium and policy count growth and retention are all ahead of plan so far this year – thanks to you! We continue to grow in Connecticut, where we’ve increased the number of our Personal Lines partner agents to almost 50. You can read more about these successes throughout this issue, as well as how HUB Insurance, one of our long-time agency partners, continues to grow and retain their customers in these unprecedented market conditions.

Although industry-wide rate increases may continue into next year, Arbella will likely remain in the middle of the pack continuing our cautious, measured approach to pricing. We are quite pleased with the quality of our book of business and will continue to find ways to grow with you.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in navigating today’s industry challenges. We will continue to make communications with you a high priority. As always, please contact your underwriter, territory manager, or me with your questions and suggestions.

Sincerely,

Jim Hyatt

Executive Vice President & Chief Underwriting Officer Arbella Insurance Group

(617) 689-2337

Arbella Agent Lunch Meetings

Look for our emails to register

10/19 Wakefield, MA

10/24 Quincy, MA

10/31 Warwick, RI

11/1 Northampton, MA

11/6 Cromwell, CT

MESSAGE FROM JIM HYATT

Resources and Reminders

TRAINING RESOURCES

The Arbella Agent Learning Center is a free training platform for you and your agency to learn more about Arbella products and industry best practices.You’ll find webinars and self-guided modules on topics like:

• Top Hiring Practices for 2023

• Insurance to Value

• Arbella Quick Claim

• And More!

SOCIAL MEDIA MADE EASY

Arbella’s Agent Social Media Toolbox offers you a one-stop shop for shareable social media content. Simply click the toolbox icon on Arbella Connect, choose an image, and click to see your download options. Images are sized for both Instagram and Facebook (but can be shared to other pages, too) and come with pre-written captions you can copy and paste into your post.

HURRICANE BINDING REMINDER

As a reminder: During this hurricane season, no new or additional windstorm liability should be accepted, nor will coverage be granted, under binder, policy, or endorsement after the U.S. Weather Bureau has declared a “Hurricane Watch” in the risk’s area.

Achieving Strong Retention in an Unprecedented Market

More than 15,000 employees in 44 states make HUB International the 5th largest insurance broker in the U.S. And despite marketplace challenges raising premiums almost universally, HUB’s 28 New England offices are achieving PIF retention of approximately 95%.

We spoke with HUB International New England’s President, Personal Insurance, and President, Western New England, Timm Marini, to learn more about how HUB continues to lead the pack—despite unprecedented challenges in the insurance industry.

“Customers are reacting to a double hit—the increase in insurance to value, and the increase from reinsurance,” said Timm. “The market is more firm and difficult to maneuver than I’ve ever seen.”

Marini, who has worked in insurance for 36 years, said the best thing his team can do for customers during these tumultuous times is to communicate “early and often, and find resolutions and solutions... First and foremost, that means taking care of customers in the first call,” he said.

NATIONAL RESOURCES, LOCAL SERVICE

“When a call comes into HUB, we take care of the customer immediately. Our Directors of First Impressions get the customer to the right team — whether that’s the Arbella Service Center, the surplus team, the Spanish-speaking team, or other trusted advisors. We get the work into the right people’s hands.”

HUB’s teams have access to a lot of brainpower and tools across their footprint. Marini knows, though, that it’s not just the resources that keep customers happy. The key to successful service, especially in today’s market, is investing in relationships.

PUTTING PEOPLE AND PARTNERSHIPS FIRST

“It’s the people—people taking care of people,” said Marini.

HUB’s leaders and employees have built a culture of caring for one another, and for their customers. They focus on continuous education, adaptability, career pathing, and more. In turn, HUB’s employees give that same care and attention to their customers.

“There’s no secret sauce,” said Marini. “It’s having a level of discipline that some might be uncomfortable with, and doubling down on taking care of our employees.”

“We’re leaning into our carrier partners who will go the extra mile for us too,” added Marini. “We know which markets want what, and we’re early to negotiate and remarket. Our remarketing team has grown, and we’re out there aggressively protecting our retention numbers. Arbella is certainly one of our favorite partners.”

“We’re the largest personal lines agent in this part of the country because we strive to be the best. We are all available to help each other and we believe that not one of us is as smart as all of us.”

Timm Marini

“The key to successful service, especially in today’s market, is investing in relationships.”

Customer Service is More Important Than Ever

Marketplace conditions have made customer service more important than ever. One experience can make the difference between a happy, long-term customer, or a bad review and lost business.

We talked with our Arbella Service Center (ASC) experts, Michelle DiPietro, Director, Contact Centers, and Claudia Gonsalves, Service Center Manager, about serving customers during these stormy times:

BE THERE WHEN YOUR CUSTOMERS NEED YOU. Responsiveness is key. Customers need timely responses to their questions and appreciate speaking with a live person. Insurance is a complex product, and people want to talk to an expert about it. Being available and attentive to the customers’ needs is a differentiator.

Consider offering expanded availability and providing your customers with different communication methods. For example, the ASC is staffed 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday-Friday, and 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturdays, and offers communication options such as chat, phone, and email.

PERSONALIZE THE EXPERIENCE.

LEARN FROM A WIDE RANGE OF RELATIONSHIPS.

In the ASC, we have a passion for service. Maintaining open lines of communication with not just our customers, but our agency partners, colleagues, and more, is part of our success strategy. These partnerships can offer more insight into customers’ needs and help us provide them with thoughtful recommendations.

MAKE SURE ONGOING TRAINING IS A PRIORITY.

Well-trained professionals provide better service. In the ASC, when we bring on a new team member, we customize their onboarding and training to the current needs of the market. We don’t put people on the phone unless we know they’re confident in the content, and we make sure our leaders are available when questions arise. Our leadership team has extensive knowledge in areas such as claims, underwriting, and agency experience. Every team member, including our leadership, is licensed in MA and CT.

“The Arbella Service Center is one of the best, if not the best, service center. We hear that through customer feedback, surveys, and frankly, our employees.”

A personalized interaction can go a long way in a customer service experience. Getting to know each customer helps you better understand their preferences, so you can design policies, tailor coverages, and meet their needs. Knowing your customer as a person—by holistically looking at all of their policies, their lifestyle, their preferences, and more— reassures them that you are a trusted partner who has their back.

Education doesn’t stop after onboarding, either. It’s important to continually assess the market and the training needs to ensure the team is prepared to respond.

In the end, providing knowledgeable, experienced, and thoughtful customer service is the most important key to strong retention. Especially when the marketplace is rapidly changing.

- Timm Marini, HUB Insurance

Michelle DiPietro and Claudia Gonsalves

A Tribute to Our Dear Friend, Bob Dowling

“As a kid you don’t get to choose your parents,” said Paul Dowling. “But we won the lottery.”

When Bob Dowling Jr. and Paul Dowling, now leaders of Dowling Insurance Agency, were growing up, their father almost never missed their sporting events. Even if that meant he had to take a flight from Chicago, or drive two hours both ways from Connecticut.

“When I was 13 years old,” said Paul, “He got transferred from CT to MA. I had 40 hockey games that season. He only missed one. I’d always look up into the stands for him, and he’d be there. He wasn’t someone that just showed up—he was a real part of our lives.”

“He had a drive about him that never gave up,” said Bob Jr. “Right up until they day he was in a wheelchair, he wanted to walk. He wanted to take care of himself. He was a fighter, to the end.”

BUILDING A BUSINESS

Bob Dowling founded the Dowling Insurance Agency in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1982. He’d spent the previous 29 years at Kemper Insurance, working side-byside with agents in the marketing department. Starting a new business brought an initial cut in pay, but Bob was committed to his dream, and committed to doing it right. Despite the tight budget of his fledgling business, he made sure that his two part-time employees had 401(k)s and health insurance.

“They were family to him, he cared for them as far more than employees,” said Bob Jr.

“He treated everyone the way he would have treated us,” Paul said.

At the same time he was building his agency, Bob Dowling was helping to build Arbella. He was an original member of Arbella’s Board of Directors and, as Planning Committee Chair, helped create strategy that launched the company and sustained its success for 35 years. Bob’s stature in the industry, his reputation, and his relationships with agents were all critical to gaining the support Arbella needed.

“Bob was extremely successful, but for all his success, he never lost sight of the importance of how he made people feel. It was a talent, and it was genuine. He really, really cared about people,” said Bill Hughes, Vice President, Commercial Lines at Arbella. “When I applied for a job here at Arbella, my first interview was with Bob Dowling. I knew him from my Kemper years but didn’t think he’d remember me. When he called me back, he remembered where I went to high school, what my favorite sport was, and more. That’s just who he was.”

A LEGACY OF GIVING

Whether in the business or the community, when something needed to be done, people counted on Bob to do it.

“He was one of the few people out there who only cared about giving—not getting.” said Paul. “He did everything because he wanted to give and help.”

“We probably didn’t know 90% of what he did for others,” added Bob Jr.

Bob was driven by his values and led by example. When Boston MedFlight came to him for insurance advice almost 40 years ago, he fell in love with the cause. He became one of their biggest cheerleaders and largest donors. Even now, Dowling Insurance is one of MedFlight’s most significant supporters.

“He just had so much compassion for people,” said Paul.

THE DOWLING LEGACY

Bob Dowling passed away at the age of 90 in May. He was many things to many people—a boss, mentor, hockey coach, golf buddy, and fellow board member. He was an entrepreneur—always learning, always 10 minutes early, and always as prepared for a board meeting as he would be for a final exam. Bob was an incredible leader in our industry and a tireless advocate for independent agents across New England. To Paul, Bob Jr. and their siblings, he was Dad. To the rest of us who were fortunate enough to have known him, he was a good friend, and made us all better.

If you’d like to continue Bob’s legacy of service, consider donating in his name to Boston MedFlight.

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PEOPLE TO KNOW

I Chose Arbella Because...

“I chose Arbella because of its great reputation and the work-life balance. I’ve had a great support system from management and colleagues to help me excel in my career. The company also supports employees and the community by offering donation matches to our favorite non-profit.”

– Kaylee Ferreira, Underwriting Technician, Personal Lines Underwriting

“I chose Arbella because of their reputation as one of the best places to work in the area. Volunteer opportunities, supportive management and colleagues, and exceptional work-life balance are a few of the many reasons why I enjoy Arbella.”

– Thomas McDonald, Underwriting Technician, Personal Lines Underwriting

“The Arbella Insurance Foundation is well known for being a true community partner. That strong reputation is one of the reasons I was so excited to join. I am honored to be part of this team of talented and generous leaders, employees, and independent agents. I look forward to meeting our agent partners and to supporting their philanthropic efforts.”

– Robin Jones, Executive Director, Arbella Insurance Foundation

Kaylee Ferreira, Thomas McDonald, and Robin Jones

Bob Dowling

“Bob was a mentor and a trusted advisor for me and for generations of independent agents across New England. People went to him for advice on starting their agencies, growing profitably, and building relationships with their customers and carriers. He was so generous and willing to share that knowledge—even with people who competed directly with him. Bob was an incredible person with an incredible career.”

John Donohue, CEO,

Arbella Insurance