Combined Insurance Company Of America I thought I was going to work for a reputable company until I got out in the field Chicago Illinois
I thought I was going to work for a reputable company until I got out in the field. I spent 1 week in licensing school and then 2 weeks in sales training school. I had the required PMA(positive mental attitude) and a desire to do my best. Then I got out in the field and now I am very upset with the things I hear about the company from policy holders.
I was told about the guarantee before I signed a contract but didn't realize thatin the area I would be working that it would be so hard to sell the policies.
I went on several "cold calls"(canvasing the neighborhood)I have had the door slammed shut in my face, been told that if Combined was the last insurance company on earth they would do without, and told numerous times that someone used to have combined and they had nothing but trouble trying to get their claims paid.
I have also heard numerous stories of the way sales agents have pushed the person into geting a policy. Some agents have even misrepresented the policy to sell it.
I am sure that my story is not unique and there are more agents out there who are as disenheartend with this company as I am. I personally don't agree with the push, push, push of some agents. That may be why I am not a great success story for this company. But I do have morals and refuse to pressure someone into taking something they either can't afford or don't want. After all we were told to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
I have a district manager who belittles his employees, gives the best assignments to his favorites and never calls unless it is to let you know that you need to work harder to make him money. On the other hand I have a sales manager who really tries to help you when you need it. I have personally seen the district manager pick out the best routes for a favored employee and give a bad assignment to the others.
I am remaining anonymous simply because I work for them still and can't afford to quit until I find another job
Anonymous
St Louis, Missouri
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Jim
Flagstaff,Arizona,
U.S.A.
Come on!
#3Consumer Comment
Mon, June 05, 2006
With CICA PMA really means Positively Mentally Anguished.
W
Clear Cove,Virginia,
U.S.A.
I;m glad you brought all of that up
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, June 04, 2006
CICA is not for everyone, in larger part because sales isn't for everyone. But sales is a great field for some people, and CICA represents a great opportunity for many people. BUT it only works for peole who are seeking that opportunity.
Starts with understanding human behavior enough to be able to work in sales. If you approach selling insurance like a kid at McDonalds asking "Do you want fries with your order?" you're gonna fail because you're in the wrong line of work. People have to be led to a buying decission about anything that matters, the natural human tendacny is to say 'no' at first.
Opening the prospects mind and leading them to an understanding of the advantages of owning the protection takes work, and over the course of a day doing it time and time again is hard work. In any conversation about insurance protection between a prospect and an agent there is one amature in the room, and one professional. It makes sense that the professional should lead and direct the conversation, isn't that true?
If you don't think that is true than sales isn't for you. On the other hand, if you sincerely believe that it is better to have protection and not need it than need protecton and not have it, than you have the personality and outlook that can lead you to success in sales. Ditto if you understand, and can help prosects understand that protection which takes very little from their weekly paycheck but can provide much needed assistance following an accident is a good thing to own. Comes down to your outlook, and whether you have a basic understanding of how buyers make decisions and what you can do to guide them to a choice that benefits you and them.
For the agent, CICA is about opportunity. But to make the most of it, you have to understand it for what it is. Too many people who washout of CICA join for the wrong reasons. They may have two job offers, one with an annual wage of $25,000 and CICA with its first year potential of $40,000 or more. They choose CICA because it offers more money and they wrongly believe it doesn't demand more effort.
The person who does best with CICA (and I was an example of this) is the person making less money, wanting to make more, but finding there was no way in his/her postion to make more. Even when they worked more effiecntly, even when they gave more value to thier employer, all they get is a pat on the back. That person, who is looking for an opportunity to be paid their worth, to get beyond the ceilings that working in other businesses place on their employees, that person can sieze the CICA opportunity to work as hard and as effeciently and as productivly as they possibly can and then reap the rewards from doing it.
CICA offers people the chance to turn effort into results and be paid for the results they contribute. The more money you bring CICA, the more money you take home.
My advise to anyonce considering CICA is to first read W. Clement Stone's books "The Success System that Never Fails" and "Success through a Postivie Mental Attitude". Wont hurt to also read Napolean Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" (Hill as an associate of Mr Stone and later worked for CICA) and check out Og Mandigo's "The Greatest Salesman in the World". Og was another CICA salesman. If these books resonate with you, CICA may be the place to make your future happen. If they leave you cold, seem hokey, and if you have a different set of 'personal ethics' or whatever you care to call them, you can probably save yourself a lot of trouble by not signing on with CICA.
For myself, I'm a former CICA guy, left when an even better opportunity came along, but I may very well return to CICA when I've finished achieving my goals in my current position. No, I'm not a nuetral observer, but I think some balance is needed in this thread. I hope each of you reading this weighs all the info and makes the choice that leads to the best possible life for yourself.