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Are you at a captive agency or something? This kind of stuff should not be going on. Falsifying apps should never happen, and if it is part and parcel of your daily life then you should move on.
Ethical Issue Perhaps?
- Thread starter Praeter
- Start date
Are you at a captive agency or something? This kind of stuff should not be going on. Falsifying apps should never happen, and if it is part and parcel of your daily life then you should move on.
Not having a P&C license, but being an ethics CE instructor, I don't see the issue if the person was giving you the information. Many places you can just request a quote online and you have no way of knowing who inputted it. Now, giving her any info is a no-no. To be safe, I would have probably taken the info & called/emailed/mailed him the quote. But with privacy, when in doubt, better safe than sorry. Does your office have a written policy about who you can take information from? Then IMO your manager shouldn't fault you for protecting the agency.
- Thread starter
- #13
Yes I'm captive. I was told sometimes we have to get "creative" to make things work and it's the only way to get new business. It's a huge strain on me because I always try to do the right thing.
Wino, I understand what you're saying and I agree with it, but I draw the line on some things, like when a person is screaming at you to quit calling them and take them off the list I will not be the one responsible for calling them again.
I really enjoy the insurance business and see so much potential here. But my two experiences so far have not been good. Even with what I've explained in this thread about my current job, I cannot quit, nor do I really want to. I'm just now starting to dig myself out of the financial rut State Farm put me in. I can't handle falling back into that hole.
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Wino, I understand what you're saying and I agree with it, but I draw the line on some things, like when a person is screaming at you to quit calling them and take them off the list I will not be the one responsible for calling them again.
I really enjoy the insurance business and see so much potential here. But my two experiences so far have not been good. Even with what I've explained in this thread about my current job, I cannot quit, nor do I really want to. I'm just now starting to dig myself out of the financial rut State Farm put me in. I can't handle falling back into that hole.
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To reference the bolded, that was my agenda. Regarding the rest of your post, and what everyone else has said, I have a better understanding how to handle this situation in the future and I appreciate the feedback.
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Providing the quote is not an issue. You just can't discuss any personal information like driving record that may have come back. Providing the premium is no big deal though.
As for ethics, when you work for a company especially in sales, then ethics always tend to have a fine line. I worked in P&C at a call center and the management absolutely loved the girl next to me as she was the top sales every month. Little did they know that she was telling people that the insurance will cover anything that happens to the house, even if they burned it down! My sales were usually lacking because I fully disclosed everything about the insurance which was typical of most P&C carriers but since I divulged so much information, it turned the client off so they went to another carrier with the same coverage but didn't get the full details of their coverage and assumed they were getting better.
You are stuck in a place where you need to figure out whether you want to stay and deal with it or leave. It is their way or the highway but you have the option of taking the ride with them or finding a new one.
As for ethics, when you work for a company especially in sales, then ethics always tend to have a fine line. I worked in P&C at a call center and the management absolutely loved the girl next to me as she was the top sales every month. Little did they know that she was telling people that the insurance will cover anything that happens to the house, even if they burned it down! My sales were usually lacking because I fully disclosed everything about the insurance which was typical of most P&C carriers but since I divulged so much information, it turned the client off so they went to another carrier with the same coverage but didn't get the full details of their coverage and assumed they were getting better.
You are stuck in a place where you need to figure out whether you want to stay and deal with it or leave. It is their way or the highway but you have the option of taking the ride with them or finding a new one.
Ummm....who cares if you are captive or independent....find a new employer yesterday. It is one thing to paint a picture to an underwriter, it is completely a different thing to hide material information and fudge paperwork.
You could have been speaking my words. I faced the same struggle once. Be ethical to the best of your conscience. The ability to sleep at night is highly under-rated. You might develop a script to tactfully explain what's up, and make sure that you question them on, "If I'm doing things this way because it's the law, and others aren't, what's that say about our agency?"
You do not need another person's permission to "receive" information about them. There is nothing illegal or unethical about that. You do need their permission before you divulge that information to someone.. That would not only be a lapse of good ethics, it would also be a violation of the privacy laws.
The other things you mention are not only unethical, they are against all companies' policies and are downright illegal. I hope if you continue to falsify information on applications, dec pages, etc. that you have a very good attorney on retainer. You are going to need one sooner or later.. Find another job immediately. As for your co workers, will you care what they think when you are sitting behind the defendants table alongside of them? .
- Thread starter
- #18
Regarding paragraph 2, I agree and do not participate directly in those doings. If it came across that way I apologize. I've seen some of it happen. There is no justifying it. I'm just going to keep my head down and do the right thing. I really appreciate the clarification regarding taking info and giving it.
- 191
That's more than just unethical, that would be illegal. It's called fraud. I wouldn't stick around any place that did that.
Don't just keep your head down and "do the right thing". If the agency has widespread corruption you will be tarred with the same brush as people really do believe "birds of a feather flock together". If you stay, your reputation will go down the drain (if it hasn't been flushed already) Find another position ASAP even if you have to change careers.
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