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Agent Team Accomplishes Incredible Feats
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, can leap
tall buildings in a single bound! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No,
it’s CSO’s Super Agent Team!! It’s actually CompSource
Oklahoma’s Agent Team, but you would think they were the Super Team
when you consider all they’ve accomplished in just 90 days.
“We basically developed the agent’s plan from the ground floor
up and had it on line in 90 days,” said David Fain, Underwriting
Director for CompSource Oklahoma. “Developing the agent plan included
capturing agency data, developing an agency database, and designing an
agency agreement,” said Barbara McMullen, Agent Team Leader. It also
included setting up seminars to educate the agents about the policies and
procedures for writing business with CompSource Oklahoma.
Prior to starting the agent project, David contacted the Montana State Fund
which had implemented a similar program. Their time frame to bring their
program on-line was one year. “They may have thought we had high
expectations, however, our Board of Managers approved it and we wanted to
get it done. Without the right people we couldn’t have pulled it
off,” David said.
David also credited the work of CSO’s Agent Committee, which was
initially set up to help develop the plan and facilitate keeping it on
track in order to make the January 1 target date. The Agent Committee
consisted of eight people from various departments. They were John Ary,
Sherry Chapman, M.G. Elwell, David Fain, Janet McFeeters, Barbara McMullen,
Donna Romberg and Carla Robison.
The Agent Team consists of six people with a combined experience of over
85 years. They are David Fain, Underwriting Manager; Barbara McMullen,
Team Leader; Paula Mullendore, Underwriter; Beverly Lundy, Underwriter;
Tracy Pexa, Underwriting Assistant; Tammy McCalip, Agent Service
Representative; and Kim Root, Agent Service Coordinator. Many of them
have extensive experience in the market working one-on-one with local
insurance agents. “That has also helped,” said David,
“The agents are comfortable with the agent team staff since they
already know them. It made the process a lot easier.”
“The Agent Team and the underwriters on the team are currently
working to address policy and procedural things, work out the bugs
and perfect the process. Unlike private carriers, we have a unique
obligation to ourselves and our policyholders,” David said.
As the “assured market” for workers’ compensation
insurance, CSO has less flexibility on pricing and underwriting
requirements. “We have certain disciplines we must maintain,”
David said.
At the time of this interview, it was estimated that CSO had contracted
with 175 agencies representing over 540 agents and the applications are
rolling in daily.
Overall Oklahoma agents have been very receptive to CSO’s new agent
plan, especially in light of the current hard market.
“I think this new agent plan will help CSO in the long term by
stabilizing our premium volume. We shouldn’t have the huge peaks
and valleys that often occur in hard and soft markets,” David said.
“This should also give Oklahoma employers a more stable market -
something they’ve never had before.”
“This whole experience has been challenging and exciting,” said
Barbara, adding that CSO has activated its first account through the
agent plan and hopes to activate many more in the future.
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