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LEARNING CENTER

Chris-Leef believes in providing the tools that help make our partnering agents jobs easier. So we are excited to be currently offering two courses to promote higher education for our agents! We also have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions, ranging from Accounting to Underwriting; Agency Appointment to Claims.

If you can't find what you need here, give us a call at 913-631-1232

M.G.A. - Making Great Amazing

A Chris-Leef General Agency Podcast
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In just 10-15 minutes, learn more about the complicated landscape that is Excess and Surplus Lines. Join the Chris-Leef Team, as we discuss trends within the industry, how we can help your business grow, and our insurance stories. New episodes every other Wednesday! 

USLI INSTANT PHONE QUOTE WEBINAR

Interested in learning more about how to get quotes in just a few minutes?
Watch the recording below about how to best utilize USLI's Instant Phone Quote System and learn more about how they generate quotes and fill out the app for you!

Powerhouse Learning Audio Series

Taught by Brandie Hinen of Powerhouse Learning

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Chris-Leef is excited to Partner with Powerhouse Learning to offer this exclusive audio series designed to help agencies unlock the practices and principles that that help them succeed! Click the title below to find short recordings designed to be easy to fit into your day. In under 10 minutes, Brandie expands on the topics:

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  • Leadership - Leaders Author a Vision for Change

    • Don’t pass up learning a visioning process in this short 5-minute video that will transform the way you gain results from your efforts as a leader, and transform your communication in a way to gain respect and clarity from your sales and service teams alike!​

  • Sales Teams - Qualifying

    • Learning to qualify is one of the traits of top performers in both sales and service roles. Using qualifying questions will help you determine where problems and challenges are can give you a process to determine how people think, how they balance value, and how to influence them in your direction!​

  • Sales Teams - Decision Making Process

    • Many sales people overlook recognizing two distinct people in the decision-making process, and one in particular has the power to eliminate you from the sales process altogether. This video will share the questions to ask both people in the process, and reveal a question you should NEVER ask a decisionmaker!​

  • Service Teams - Workflow

    • We realize that one of the things that stops staff from becoming more efficient is their inability to manage their tasks; to have a great workflow program that relieves some of the stress that they hold. This 5-minute learning clinic will introduce the basics of creating your own workflow program to eliminate backlog in 30 days!​

  • Service Teams - XSARUS

    • So, what the heck is XSARUS anyway? It sounds like a dinosaur. It's just our way of talking about a cross-selling, account-rounding, and upselling program that will allow your staff to get amazing results using four simple symbols that will change the game for you and your internal revenue.​

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Cyber Liability - Free 2 Credit CE Course for KS & MO

Taught by Professional Lines Underwriter, Kimberly Sparks, CIC, RPLU

 

Are you offering this coverage to ALL your commercial customers???  If not, you could be exposing your agency to E&O Exposure.   47 States have Privacy Breach Laws which impose duties on “Data Owners” to notify individuals if private data has been lost or compromised. Learn more about this coverage.

 

What you will learn:

  • Who needs the coverage

  • What is covered

  • What types of data are at risk

  • How to sell this coverage

 

Contact Kimberly Sparks to request a class for your agency.

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USLI Phone Quoting Webinar

 

Learn how the phone quoting process will go from phone call to binding. Click here to watch the 30 minute webinar!

 

Acceptable lines of business:

  • Commercial Multi-Line:

    • Apartments, Child Care, Contractors, Lessors Risk, Special Events, and more!

  • Non-Profit Package Lines:

    • Arts & Culture, Community Association Package, Youth Sports, and more!

  • Personal Lines:

    • 1-4 Family Dwellings, Condo/Renters, Home Based Business, and more!

  • Professional Lines:

    • Allied Health, Cyber Liability, Employment Practices Liability, and more!

  • See the full list

Employment Practice Liability Insurance

 

We specialize in Employment Practice Liability Insurance (EPLI) for all private corporations and non-profit organizations. The harsh reality is that businesses & non-profits are sued by their employees and volunteers every day. Did you know:

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  • An employer is nearly three times more likely to be sued by an employee than experience a fire.

  • Most lawsuits settle out of court, but when they go to trial employees win 70% of the time.

  • The average EPL claim is $70K for defense and compensation, which is 26% higher than 3 years ago.

  • Your customers, clients, and job applicants can sue you for sexual harassment or discrimination, making 3rd party coverage very important to have on this policy.

  • Small companies account for roughly 40% of all employee lawsuits & administrative charges.

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Contact our Professional Lines department today for help with your next Employment Practice Liability Insurance policy!

FAQ's
  • Do you send credits directly to the insured?
    No our agreement is with our agents & therefore, all credits & payments owed are sent to the party from whom they were received in our agency (typically our agent/broker or the finance company).
  • Why doesn't my invoice match my quote?
    The quote is for the gross total amount owed while the invoice reflects the net amount due as we allow our agents to retain their commission up front.
  • What is my commission based on?
    The commission an agent receives is based on the premium amount only. Not including taxes & fees. Commission rate should be noted on the quote; however, if you have any questions feel free to contact your underwriter.
  • Do you accept insured's checks?
    No. Insured checks are to be made to the agent/broker and the agent/broker is responsible for payment to our office with an agency check.
  • Do you accept mortgagee checks?
    Yes, the mortgagee may send payment directly to us. We ask that they advise the agent when they send payment as the agent is the one responsible for payment & they need to know where the funds are coming from. It is the agent’s responsibility to request any payments from the mortgage company.
  • Who is responsible for requesting payment from a mortgage company to pay on a homeowner’s policy?
    It is the agents responsibility to ensure that the mortgage company knows how much and where to send payment. The agent should use the gross numbers on the binder that is provided to ensure that they are paid the commission owed on the account. The invoice produced by Chris-Leef only has the net amount due by the agent to Chris-Leef, and does not include the agent’s commission.
  • Who do I issue the down payment check to on financed accounts?
    Down payments are sent to our office. The agent/broker retains their commission portion, issuing us a check for the remaining portion.
  • Do you accept payment over the phone?
    No, we don’t have a check by phone option at this time. Click: https://www.chris-leef.com/payment to read more about our payment options of policies.
  • Do you accept credit cards?
    Yes, through our agent portal The Grove, we are able to accept credit card payments for a small fee OR we can accept ACH payments with no additional fees . To gain access to the agent portal please send an email to mprendergast@chris-leef.com.
  • How do I get appointed with Chris-Leef?
    Email your completed Contract, Agency Profile, W-9, Agency License(s), and proof of E&O to info@chris-leef.com. These documents can be requested or found here: https://www.chris-leef.com/newagent .
  • Do you require an active contract to bind coverage?
    You do not need a contract in place to bind coverage. However, there are benefits to having a contract in place, including an ease of doing business. With no active contract we will require full premium prior to binding (or if premium financing, we require the down payment as well as the signed finance agreement). With an active contract, we will set you up on agency billing, allowing you to bind coverage and receive a statement for the premiums due.
  • How do I submit a claim?
    Email a completed Acord Loss Notice form to claims@chris-leef.com, attach any supporting documents, such as: photos, police reports, invoices, estimates. Ensure the date of loss and contact information noted on the form. If you do not have an Accord Loss Notice form, email or call our office at 913-631-1232 and we will provide one for you.
  • My insured has not yet been contacted by the adjuster, how can you help?"
    Once we receive claim acknowledgement from the company and/or adjuster, we will notify the agent the claim information including company or adjuster contact information. We will be happy to contact the carrier or adjuster to assist with finding solutions if the agent is unable to reaching the claims adjustor or has any issues/concerns.
  • How do I obtain loss runs?
    Please send a written request to lossruns@chris-leef.com or fax 913-631-1128. Please include the insured’s name and policy number.
  • How do I get updated on the status of my claim?
    We provide the adjuster's contact information once the company acknowledges the claim. The adjuster should be your best point of contact for any updates. We will be happy to contact the carrier or adjuster to assist with finding solutions if the agent is unable to reaching the claims adjustor or has any issues/concerns.
  • How do I request a certificate of insurance?
    We require a written request (certificates@chris-leef.com or fax 913-631-1128). Please advise certificate holder's name and address, as well as the insured's information.
  • Who do I contact if I have a market question or need to know what application to submit?
    Acord Applications (Commercial, General Liability, and Property) are a good place to start. You can find supplemental applications on our website, under the applications tab. Email your risk to submissions@chris-leef.com . We will ensure it gets to the correct underwriter/department of which will advise appropriately if they require anything further.
  • Can I get a phone indication?
    You may call 800-836-1535 for a quick phone indication. For all other quote opportunities contact our office at 913-631-1232; any of our experienced Underwriting staff will be happy to review and discuss your account and provide the best quote solution possible.
  • What is a Building Valuation?
    A value that is determined between the agent and insured after they meet and review the building’s construction, square footage and condition. This can also be supported by a Core Logic (previously known as Marshall Swift/Boeckh or MSB) valuation.
  • What is the turn-around time on a new application?
    Binding authority has a 24/48 hour turnaround time. Brokerage Department can take 3-5 days (on average) to obtain and negotiate terms with a carrier. However, you should regularly be updated regarding status of your account and/or additional information that may be needed during this process.
  • Can I backdate a cancellation or policy effective date?
    Typically, we cannot backdate a cancellation or policy effective date per carrier guidelines.
  • My insured's policy cancelled due to non-payment of premium, but they paid the finance company today. Can you reinstate their policy?"
    We cannot consider reinstatement of a policy until we get a confirmation letter from the finance company. Carrier approval must be given to reinstate any policy, thus reinstatement cannot be guaranteed just because payment was made or the finance company accepted payment. If the carrier allows for reinstatement and there has been a lapse in the dates of coverage, we require a signed no loss letter prior to reinstating.
  • How do I make an endorsement/change to my customer’s policy?
    We require a written request from the retail agent for all changes (endorsements@chris-leef.com or fax 913-631-1128).
  • How do I get a login for the Agent Portal?
    Send your request to info@chris-leef.com or feel free to call and ask for someone in our Marketing or IT Department. If emailing, make sure to include your first and last name, email and agency. Please allow for 1-2 business days to receive your login information.
  • Do I have to have an Agent Portal login to use the online raters?
    Raters located within the Agent Portal include are USLI, Chris-Leef Vacant Online, Great American D&O/EPL. You do not have to go through the Agent Portal to access Aegis, American Modern and RLI. You will need a login to access any of these raters. To request a login: Send your request to info@chris-leef.com or feel free to call and ask for someone in our Marketing or IT Department. When emailing, make sure to include your first and last name, email and agency. Please allow for 1-2 business days to receive your login information.
  • What is needed to bind coverage?
    We will need a request to bind in writing and items required are spelled out in the Subjectivities portion of your quote. If you have any questions on this regarding a specific insured, please contact your underwriter.
  • How does an MVR affect my quote?
    All quotes are subject to MVR’s at time of bind. The quote premium can change based on the MVR violations. The quote can also be null and void based on MVR violations.
  • What are filings and where do I go to get them?
    Filings are confirmation of insurance to the governing bodies (state and federal governments). Please contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) at 1-855-368-4200 to see if the insured is required to carry filings.
  • What is the difference between the Contract/Binding and Brokerage Departments?
    The Contract/Binding Department normally has “Binding Authority”; which means our office has authority to rate, quote, bind and issue accounts in our office based upon underwriting authority granted by our carriers. We pride ourselves in our underwriting expertise and because of this Chris-Leef has underwriting authority that other brokers in the area do not; this sets us apart from our competition and allows us to provide the top notch service you want, need and expect in your MGA/Broker partners. The Brokerage Department does not have “binding authority”, but works with strong carrier partners and relationships to obtain favorable quotes for our customers. They focus on placing larger, more difficult, and specialized accounts.
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