Example Insurance Group · Commercial Lines Service · team interview
What the team told us
How the people who do the work describe it: how they decide, what they wait for, what makes a case unusual, and where they disagree. Answers are pooled and paraphrased; a task is only included when at least 5 people answered.
Process policy changes (endorsements)
8 people answered
Apply client-requested changes to an insurance policy (add or remove vehicles or drivers, update locations or addresses, etc.) by submitting them to the carrier and recording the outcome and premium in Applied Epic.
- Starts when: A client emails a change request, such as a new truck, a new driver, a removed vehicle, or a new location. One email can contain several changes.
- Done when: The carrier has accepted the change, Applied Epic is updated with the premium, and the client has new ID cards.
- Order: Open the client's email, log the activity in Epic, submit the change in the carrier portal with the change type and effective date, update the Epic activity status and premium, then reply to the client with the confirmation and new ID cards.
How decisions are made
| Field | How the team decides | Agreement |
|---|
| Change type | Choose whatever the client asks for in the email. If the email asks for several changes, record each one as its own change type. | Most agree |
| Activity status | Set to Completed when the carrier accepts the change online, which is usual for vehicle changes and address changes. Set to Pending underwriting when the change goes to an underwriter, which is usual for new drivers until the carrier runs the MVR. | Most agree |
| Which carrier portal to use | Submit the change in the portal of the carrier that holds the policy (Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Hartford). The answers do not say how this is chosen beyond the policy's carrier. | Unclear |
| Whether to check carrier driver eligibility guidelines | For young drivers or drivers with violations, look up the carrier's driver eligibility guidelines before or while submitting, and send the change to the underwriter. | Most agree |
What cases wait for
- Underwriter review, and the carrier running the MVR for new drivers (25%)
- Payroll information needed first for mid-term changes on audit-rated policies (0%)
Unusual cases
- Driver is under 21 or has violations (not clear. of the four who answered about exceptions, half s): Send to the underwriter and check the carrier's driver eligibility guidelines. Status stays Pending underwriting.
- Mid-term change on an audit-rated policy (not clear (same frequency answers as above)): Get payroll information first before processing the change.
- Information is missing from the request (about 8% of cases have steps redone): The case is picked up again and steps are redone once the missing information is obtained.
Rules and checks
- Never confirm coverage to the client until the carrier accepts the change.
- Record the activity type and change type on the Applied Epic activity, with the effective date.
- Update Applied Epic with the premium after the carrier accepts the change.
- Follow the carrier's driver eligibility guidelines for young or high-violation drivers.
Why extra steps happen
- Some cases use the Liberty Mutual portal (about a third) or The Hartford portal (about a quarter) instead of or alongside Travelers, depending on the policy's carrier.
- Driver changes involve looking up the carrier's eligibility guidelines, which is the stated reason for the Liberty Mutual portal visits.
- Details are moved by hand between Outlook, the carrier portal and Applied Epic. Retyping is common, at 56% from Outlook to the Travelers portal and 81–90% from the portal back to Epic. This adds time and some mismatches, up to 7.5% for Travelers to Epic.
- Some cases open Microsoft Edge, adding about 3 minutes of work. The reason was not explained.
Where people disagree
- Activity status is described two ways: by change type (new drivers pending until the MVR, vehicle changes completed right away) and by carrier outcome (completed if accepted online, pending if sent to an underwriter). The two are probably consistent, but the answers don't say so.
- Exception frequency is split among those who answered: half said almost never, and the other half said sometimes or often.
Still open
- How is the carrier chosen, and why do only some cases use the Liberty Mutual or Hartford portals?
- How are cases pending underwriting followed up and tracked? The answers to that question repeated the eligibility-guidelines answer and said nothing about follow-up.
- What does the client receive after processing, besides ID cards, and is there standard wording?
- Where are the rules written down, and are any approvals required?
- What is the reason for opening Microsoft Edge in some cases?
- What payroll information is needed for audit-rated policies, and who provides it?
Issue certificates of insurance
8 people answered
Produce and send an accurate certificate of insurance (COI) to the holder who requested it, showing only coverage and wording the client's policy actually provides.
- Starts when: An emailed COI request, usually in the shared inbox, from the client or a general contractor (often before a job starts).
- Done when: The certificate has been sent to both the holder and the client, and the activity is closed in Applied Epic.
- Order: Read the request in Outlook, open the Proof of Insurance in Applied Epic, set holder type, additional insured, waiver of subrogation and description of operations, then return to Outlook and send the message.
How decisions are made
| Field | How the team decides | Agreement |
|---|
| Holder type | Set it to whoever is asking for the certificate (general contractor, landlord, lender, or vendor/customer), based on the request email and, where available, the contract, which usually names the holder. | Most agree |
| Additional insured | Yes only if the contract requires it and the policy carries the blanket additional insured endorsement. In practice that means Yes for general contractors (almost always) and landlords, and for vendors/customers only when their contract says so. Never for lenders, who get loss payee instead. | Most agree |
| Waiver of subrogation | Yes only when the contract asks for it and the policy has the blanket waiver endorsement. This is mostly general contractor jobs, sometimes landlords. It is rarely used for lenders or vendors/customers, and it is almost always No when Additional insured is No. Check the forms schedule first. | Most agree |
| Special wording or endorsement requests from a contract or l | No consistent rule was described. Answers say it depends on the request and is left to individual judgment. | Unclear |
Unusual cases
- The client asks for coverage they don't have (described as the most common unusual request; unusual reques): Tell the requester no; do not show coverage the policy lacks.
- Rush request, e.g. Friday afternoon for a Monday job (occasional): Not described beyond the fact that it is treated as non-standard.
- Primary and non-contributory wording is requested (occasional): Needs the endorsement on the policy, and sometimes a check with the carrier.
Rules and checks
- Never show coverage the policy doesn't have.
- Certificate wording must match the policy endorsements.
- Check the policy forms in Applied Epic for the blanket AI and waiver endorsements before granting them.
- Send the certificate to both the holder and the client.
- Close the activity in Applied Epic.
Why extra steps happen
- About 29% of cases add an extra visit to Applied Epic (about 1.8 extra minutes of work) to check the policy forms for the blanket additional insured and waiver endorsements.
- About 16% of cases re-edit fields (message body, description of operations, holder type), mostly because the general contractor wanted different wording or a different address and the certificate is reissued.
Where people disagree
- Wording on additional insured differs a little: some say it follows holder type (GCs and landlords), others say it follows only the contract and endorsement. These are consistent with each other, but the answers disagree on whether the holder type alone is enough.
- Some answers say vendors get additional insured only when their contract says so; others do not mention vendors at all.
Still open
- How to check whether the policy can meet special wording or endorsements, and what to do when it can't. Every answer was just 'use judgment'.
- How rush requests are handled and what turnaround is expected.
- When primary and non-contributory wording requires contacting the carrier.
- Where the rules are written down. No one named a document or source.
- Which rule applies in the roughly 25% of general contractor cases where the waiver of subrogation is not Yes (likely contract or forms schedule, but not confirmed).
- Why the holder name and address are retyped in about a third of cases rather than copied.
Check issued policies against the proposal
8 people answered
Confirm that each issued new or renewal policy matches what was proposed and bound, so errors are caught and corrected with the carrier before the policy goes to the client.
- Starts when: A new or renewal policy arrives in the IVANS download.
- Done when: The checklist is complete and any discrepancies have been sent to the carrier for correction.
- Order: Open Applied Epic, then the policy declarations PDF, then the checklist in Excel, and finally record the Checking result. This is the observed main path.
How decisions are made
| Field | How the team decides | Agreement |
|---|
| Checking result | Mark "Discrepancy found" if the issued policy differs in limits, forms, named insureds or locations from what was bound. Otherwise mark "No discrepancies". | Most agree |
| Type of discrepancy found most often | No single rule. The answers only describe which types are most common: coverage limits or deductibles lead, then other types, then named insured/address details and premium/billing differences. | Split |
Unusual cases
- The policy is missing an additional insured endorsement, which the team names as the most common problem. (answers are split: about half say unusual cases almost never): Record it as a discrepancy and send it to the carrier for correction. The answers do not describe any other special handling.
Rules and checks
- Every new and renewal policy is checked before it goes to the client.
- Discrepancies go to the carrier for correction before the check is closed.
- Observed: about 76% of checks result in no discrepancies and 24% in a discrepancy.
Where people disagree
- Frequency of unusual cases: half say almost never, while about 38% say often (1 in 10 to 1 in 3).
- Most common discrepancy type: no clear majority. Coverage limits or deductibles lead at 43%, followed by other types, named insured/address details and premium/billing.
Still open
- Who is contacted at the carrier, and how is a discrepancy tracked until it is corrected? The answers only repeat that missing additional insured endorsements are common.
- Which items beyond limits, premium and forms are copied from Epic to Excel, and do they vary by policy?
- Where are the checking rules written down, and are there approval or who-can-do-what requirements?
- What counts as a discrepancy in the "Other" category?
- What is done differently for unusual checks, other than missing additional insured endorsements?
- Do any checks wait on carrier responses, and how long do they take? No waits were observed.
Renewal review and remarketing
8 people answered
Review each upcoming policy renewal, market it to other carriers when warranted, and give the client a recommendation (usually renew with the current carrier or move) so the renewal can be bound.
- Starts when: The account appears on the renewal list in Applied Epic, 60 to 90 days before the policy expires.
- Done when: A marketing summary with the team's recommendation has been sent to the client and the renewal is bound.
- Order: Open the renewal in Epic, review the ACORD application, enter it into carrier portals (Hartford, then Liberty Mutual where used), record results in the Renewal Marketing Summary with a recommendation, send it to the client, and bind.
How decisions are made
| Field | How the team decides | Agreement |
|---|
| Recommendation | Stay with the incumbent carrier unless another carrier is at least 10% cheaper for the same coverage. Some answers say the choice also depends on coverage and on how the carrier handled the client's claims. Renewing with the current carrier is the most common outcome (about 65% of cases). | Most agree |
| Whether to remarket to other carriers | Accounts with an increase over 15% are always remarketed. Beyond that threshold, answers only say it is a judgment call based on the request, with no stated criteria or approver. | Unclear |
Unusual cases
- Clients who changed operations mid-year (not clear. the pooled answers range from almost never to oft): Not described in the answers.
- Accounts with big losses, where most carriers decline (same pooled frequency as above. it is not given separately.): Not described. The answers only note that most carriers decline these accounts.
Rules and checks
- Renewals with an increase over 15% are always remarketed.
- Stay with the incumbent unless a competitor is at least 10% cheaper for the same coverage.
- The answers did not say where these rules are written down or whether any approvals are required.
Why extra steps happen
- Application data (revenue, payroll, locations, drivers, losses) is retyped by hand from the ACORD application PDFs into each carrier portal. It was retyped in about 87% of Hartford entries and 91% of Liberty Mutual entries. The reasons given are documents that are scanned or not copyable (most commo
- Quote results from the Liberty Mutual portal are retyped into the Renewal Marketing Summary spreadsheet.
Where people disagree
- Some answers base the recommendation purely on the 10% price rule. Others say it also depends on coverage and claims handling.
- Reasons for retyping differ: scanned or uncopyable documents, a need to check or change data, or other reasons.
Still open
- What exactly triggers a decision to remarket, other than the 15% increase rule, and who is involved?
- How should mid-year operations changes and large-loss accounts be handled differently?
- How often do exceptions occur? The answers conflict.
- Where are the 10% and 15% rules documented, and does any approval apply?
- Why do only about 55% of cases use the Renewal Marketing Summary and only 71% use Liberty Mutual? The answers do not say how carriers are chosen.
- Which carriers get the submission, and what decides that?
Resolve billing questions
8 people answered
Answer client questions about invoices, double charges and past-due notices by checking the billing records in Applied Epic and, where needed, the carrier's portal, then replying to the client and requesting any refund or correction from the carrier.
- Starts when: A client asks about an invoice, a double charge or a past-due notice. The answers describe the question but not the channel it arrives on. The observed work starts in Outlook, so email is likely.
- Done when: The client knows what they owe, and any refund or correction has been requested from the carrier.
- Order: Open Outlook to read the request, check the account in Applied Epic, visit the carrier portal if needed, then reply to the client in Outlook.
How decisions are made
| Field | How the team decides | Agreement |
|---|
| Whether to visit a carrier portal's Billing Center | Open the carrier's agent portal when Applied Epic does not give the answer. Which carrier's portal depends on the policy's carrier (Liberty Mutual, The Hartford, Travelers). The answers do not give a precise trigger beyond that, and the one answer on The Hartford's portal says only that people look up how to do something there. About 40% of cases involve Liberty Mutual, 36% The Hartford and 28% Tr | Unclear |
| Where to look first for carrier billing details | People most often start in Applied Epic. The rest start by calling or emailing the carrier, or by going straight to a carrier portal. | Split |
| Whether a refund or correction is needed | If the review shows a double charge or an error, request a refund or correction from the carrier before closing. The answers do not say what counts as an error or how the request is made. | Unclear |
Unusual cases
- Urgent requests from leadership (split between sometimes (under 1 in 10) and often (1 in 10 t): The answers do not say how these are handled differently, for example whether they jump the queue.
Rules and checks
- Follow the team's knowledge base (KB) for billing questions. The answers do not say what it contains, and no approval rules are described.
- Look up the carrier's record using the invoice or policy number from Applied Epic.
Why extra steps happen
- Visits to the Hartford and Travelers portals and, less often, the Liberty Mutual portal happen when the carrier's own billing record is needed. These visits add little or no time overall.
- Details are carried by hand from Applied Epic to the carrier portals. They are retyped in roughly 40-55% of transfers, and no mismatches were observed. The reason given is looking up the invoice or policy number on the carrier site.
Where people disagree
- Where people look first for carrier billing details is split: Applied Epic (43%), calling or emailing the carrier (29%), or a carrier portal (28% combined).
- How often unusual cases come up is split evenly between 'sometimes' and 'often'.
Still open
- Which channel do billing questions arrive through: email, phone or something else?
- Exactly which cases need a carrier portal visit, and what is looked up there?
- What is the exceptional handling for urgent leadership requests?
- What does the team KB say about approvals, checks and who may request refunds or corrections?
- How is a refund or correction requested from the carrier (portal, email or call)?
- Only the leadership-urgency exception was named. Are there other cases that don't fit the usual handling?
Report new claims (first notice of loss)
8 people answered
Record a client's reported loss in the agency system and report it to the right carrier so a claim number is issued and passed back to the client.
- Starts when: A client calls or emails to report a loss.
- Done when: The carrier's claim number is recorded in Applied Epic and sent to the client.
- Order: Read the client's report in Outlook, open the claim in Epic and set claim type, write the loss description, submit to the carrier portal, then record the claim number and status in Epic and send the number to the client.
How decisions are made
| Field | How the team decides | Agreement |
|---|
| Claim type | Choose by what happened: loss involving vehicles is Auto, damage to the building is Property, injuries to customers are General liability. | Most agree |
| Whether to report a loss near the deductible | When the loss is close to the deductible, ask the client whether they want to report it. This was described by only a minority of answers and conflicts with the same-day reporting rule. | Split |
| Reporting channel | Injury claims are reported to the carrier by phone the same day, in addition to the online portal. All other claims go through the carrier's agent portal. | Most agree |
Unusual cases
- A claim involves injuries (not separately measured. most people said unusual cases almo): Report by phone the same day, not only online.
- The loss is close to the deductible (same as above; the frequency of unusual cases is not broken ): Ask the client whether they want to report it.
Rules and checks
- Report every loss the same day, even if the client is not sure they want to claim.
- Record the claim in Applied Epic (claim type, loss description, claim status).
- Carry date of loss, description, policy number and contact details from Epic into the carrier's claim form.
Why extra steps happen
- Details are moved by hand from Epic into the carrier portals (Liberty Mutual, Travelers, The Hartford), and often retyped. Reasons given: field formats differ between systems, copy and paste is unreliable or slow, details come from the client rather than Epic, and the portal has no import or link fr
- Several application switches (Outlook, Epic, Edge) occur in the main path.
Where people disagree
- Most say to report every loss the same day even if the client is unsure, yet some say to ask clients with losses near the deductible whether they want to report. How these fit together is not stated.
- About 7 in 10 say unusual cases almost never occur and about 3 in 10 say often, so the frequency of exceptions is unclear.
Still open
- Where are the same-day reporting rule and other policies written down, and who owns them?
- What is the deadline and process for the injury phone report, and which carrier numbers are used?
- How are claim types beyond Auto, Property and GL chosen (for example workers' compensation)?
- How is the carrier chosen for a claim, and does the carrier determine which portal is used?
- Why do about a third of people give 'other' as the reason for retyping?
- How is the claim status in Epic chosen, and what values are used?