“I’m proud to recognize these employees and their commitment to supporting workplace equity at Nationwide,” said Nationwide CEO Kirt Walker. "Their efforts and contributions are aligned with our long-standing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Employees like these are strong role models who make our company great."

The following honorees were nominated by their peers and selected by the All Women Employee Resource Group:

• The Shelley Brazeau Temple Mentoring and Professional Development Award: Carol Alvarez
• Resiliency Champion Award: Ryan Nolan
• Trailblazer Award: Kimberly Schremp
• Inspiration Award: Jennifer Silverthorn
• Inspiration Award: Crystal Wilson
• Collaborative Ally Award: Jeff Rommel
• Lifetime Legacy Award: Gale King

“As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we reflect on the contributions women have and continue to make as we work to advance equity for all,” said Angela Bretz, Nationwide’s chief diversity officer. “By working together, we can inspire hope and change for women at Nationwide and beyond.” 

The carrier announced that Nationwide Express is now compatible with comparative raters EZLynx and PL Rating, allowing an agent who chooses Nationwide from their rater to now easily bridge to Nationwide Express to close the sale faster.

“Nationwide Express will save agents a ton of time and make the quoting and binding process much simpler,” said Sam Nudelman, Firefly Agency. “I appreciate the way you are asking for our feedback on Nationwide Express. I don’t think there are many other carriers that are going as in-depth in asking for agent feedback on these types of things as Nationwide is right now, and that speaks volumes.”

“This capability is a big deal for our agents to close more sales,” said Jeff Rommel, Nationwide’s SVP Sales & Distribution. “The comparative rater integration with Nationwide Express makes it incredibly easy for agents and provides a fast experience for their customer.”

Nationwide Express now delivers:

• Faster check out – data entered in your comparative rater and what Nationwide can gather from third parties is automatically pre-filled in Nationwide Express
• Simpler multi-lining – it’s always been fast to quote home and auto insurance, now you can add umbrella with just one click
• Easier bind process - close the sale with one payment for multiple products, then any needed trailing documents are sent automatically

“The speed at which we’re enabling an independent agent to sell is unique among carriers, and a big advantage for our agency partners,” Rommel added. “At the end of the day, independent agents are the experts on their customers' needs and Nationwide Express is a great solution to meet those needs.”

Today, Nationwide introduced a new Nationwide Express mobile app, which allows agents to scan a driver’s license to complete an auto quote in as little as 60 seconds. Agents can also add a renters policy with just one click. The launch of the new mobile app now puts the power to generate quotes on the go into the palm of an agent’s hand.

“As a leading independent agent carrier, Nationwide Express is one way we’re facilitating the success of our independent agent partners,” said Jeff Rommel, senior vice president of property and casualty sales for Nationwide. “Nationwide Express was built with the independent agent in mind. This tool is leading-edge in helping agencies to efficiently grow their business.”

Findings from Nationwide’s Agent Authority research show that nearly a third of consumers (32%) cited that the length of time it takes to receive an insurance quote is a challenge. The Nationwide Express mobile app was designed to help agents work faster, from wherever it is convenient for them. It’s as easy as scanning a driver’s license with a mobile device or tablet. Once the quote is stored, agents can choose to bind the policy in Nationwide Express, complete it later when they’re back in an office, or send it directly to customers and let them complete the bind process when it’s most convenient, giving the agent the power to do business the way that makes sense for them.

About Nationwide Express

Nationwide Express was created to help agents quote multiple products in a fraction of the time it used to take—reducing the process by 15 minutes or more. Nationwide Express is designed to be simple and intuitive, making it easy for agents to start selling on day one.

Previously completing a quote required manually entering redundant information, but now Nationwide Express will automatically populate the majority of the client’s information, as well as find and apply most discounts. This allows an agency to spend less time on administrative duties, and more time on generating revenue.

Agents can access Nationwide Express today in all states Nationwide offers personal lines insurance, with additional features to be added this year. The Nationwide Express mobile app is available in 31 states on iOS devices. More states and an Android version coming soon.

Download the app in the app store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nationwide-express/id1475676677

Learn more at: www.nationwide.com/NationwideExpress

Nationwide uncovered four themes in this study:

• A perception gap: There are gaps between agents and customers when it comes to perception of service levels.
• Customers want more than just property and casualty support from agents.
• Understanding policy coverage and price are shared challenges across all audiences.
• The economy is a concern, and customers are looking to agents for guidance.

“Our latest research shows some emerging opportunities in the agent-customer relationship particularly when navigating this current environment and economy,” said Jeff Rommel, Senior Vice President of Property and Casualty Sales at Nationwide. “But while the data pinpointed gaps, agile agents will see ways to address their clients’ concerns, enhance retention and grow their business.”

These and other important insights came out of the summer survey of the Agent Authority research series conducted by Nationwide, which includes samples of independent insurance agents, consumers and business owners. The research was developed to uncover unique challenges property and casualty agents encounter and create subsequent guidance.

A Perception Gap

The Agent Authority research identified a perception gap in the value agents believe they are bringing to their customers. Agents are confident they are meeting the needs of their customers, yet some business owners and consumers have a different perspective on the services agents should provide. In areas where agents gave themselves higher marks than consumers and business owners, agents can lean in and proactively close gaps, effectively strengthening their relationships and improving their brand.

• 95% of insurance agents believe they are always there when their clients need them but only 79% of customers felt the same.
• While 91% of agents said they can offer the best prices, only 74% of customers agreed.
• 94% of agents reported they are regularly checking in with their customers to make sure their policy fits their needs. However, only 69% of customers reported sufficient check-ins from their agent.

Quick tip for agents:

• Set up regular calendar reminders to check in with your top commercial lines clients every six months to understand the challenges their business is facing and evaluate evolving insurance needs. Reach out to all personal lines customers at least once a year to do the same.

What Customers Want:

To support agents in closing this perception gap, the research identified areas where agents can go above and beyond traditional insurance guidance. While most customers seek counsel on conventional insurance, some business owners are looking for help on succession planning, disaster recovery and employee benefits. Additionally, general property and casualty customers are asking agents about retirement and banking advice.

• 57% of mid-market business owners are asking about employee benefits.
• 45% of mid-market business owners and 35% of small business owners are asking about safety and loss control.
• 26% of consumer customers want guidance on retirement planning.
• Physical location is something customers value. While there is a desire for digital platforms –Small business owners (68%), and consumers (51%) still prefer to have an insurance agent where they are physically located.

Quick tips for agents:

• Ask your carrier partners for tools to talk to your clients about employee benefits, loss control, retirement planning.
• Nationwide’s My Loss Control Services provides a variety of loss control resources.
• The Nationwide Retirement Institute offers a wide range or retirement planning resources.
• Adjust your social media marketing efforts to reflect more than what you sell. It should reflect you and the hometown community you support. Nationwide’s Hearsay program helps independent agents reach clients via social media in new and innovative ways.

A Shared Challenge:

The research identified two consistent challenges across all audiences surveyed – understanding policy coverage and finding the best price.

• 46% of small business owners, 71% of mid-market business owners and 47% of consumers said it is a challenge to understand what is and what is not covered in their policy.
• 44% of small business owners, 69% of mid-market business owners and 45% of consumers said it is a challenge to find the best price for protection needs.
• Similarly, 55% of agents say they struggle educating clients on the coverage they need and 46% of agents say providing the level of service customers demand is a challenge.

Many customers also wrestle with understanding different types of coverage, the time it takes to settle a claim, insurance terminology and understanding how much coverage they need.

Agents reported it particularly challenging to:

• Adopt new technology to keep up with the industry (55%)
• Understand the nuances between different industries (53%)
• Help clients with disaster prep or mitigation practices (51%)

Quick tips for agents:

• When you touch base with clients, brainstorm insurance scenarios together to identify potential gaps and where business continuity and disaster planning may help.
• Help your clients understand that price is only one of several important considerations when evaluating insurance. While sometimes there is a better price out there, it is important to weigh the financial commitment against the best protection option.
• Look to your carrier partners to share technical expertise and resources to help you advocate for your clients and provide safety resources that mitigate their risks.
• Nationwide’s Commercial Insight Center offers quick, specialized and actionable information to help elevate agents’ expertise and success with mid-market businesses.

An Economic Outlook:

Over half of agents think their clients feel uncomfortable talking about economic uncertainty. However, more than half of business owners and consumers feel like their agent was prepared to have these discussions.

• 47% of agents are optimistic the economy will recover in the next year but 66% are concerned about making it through this economic climate.
• 81% of agents say their customers are unsure how the current economy will impact their business and their insurance needs.

Quick tips for agents:

• Nationwide offers regular economic updates from the office of our chief economist to help agents have informed conversations about the future of the economy.
• Some personal lines clients may be able to reduce auto insurance cost with a telematics policy. Discuss whether a safety-based or pay-by-mile telematics solution is the best option.
• Agents can also deliver bottom line impacts and operational insights to commercial clients with telematics and fleet management solutions. Discuss whether your clients’ businesses would benefit from leveraging its vehicle data.

Methodology:

Nationwide commissioned Edelman Intelligence to conduct a 20-minute quantitative online survey among a sample of 2,600 U.S. independent insurance agents, small business owners, mid-market business owners, mid-market business owners with fleet vehicles, African American business owners, Hispanic business owners and general consumers between June 9 – June 25 to understand what business owners and consumers value when buying or renewing insurance policies, explore the different challenges each audience faces around insurance, gauge perceptions of the economy and how each audience is managing uncertainty, and find out the actions business owners and consumer have taken as a result of COVID-19 and the conversations they’re having with agents. As a member of CASRO in good standing, Edelman Intelligence conducts all research in accordance with Market Research Standards and Guidelines.