What does the agency footprint look like? Fewer agents? Far less support staff? AI self serve?
13 replies (most recent on top)
Sad and laughable the dinosaurs posting replies here. Still inexplicably holding out hope that the wondrous "value" of an EA will rule in the end. Well, that shipped sale. That and your polyester sport coats and Sansabelt pants are on the cusp of coming back into fashion. There will be far fewer EAs within 18 months, and those EAs that do remain will be 100% sales organizations. Allstate and its EAs have seen this coming for at least 5 years. You can't possibly be so stupid to act surprised. Or to hang on to myth that Allstate has a superior breed of customer that only an EA can support. I guess the dinosaurs are going to find out the hard way
I have a great idea. Lets take a product that you need a license to sell and make the customer pay and service it themselves. What could go wrong? Allstate had a higher end client. they weren't the chreapest but are traeting the good customers like they are Geico and not of value. I am sure all the C suite executives have Chubb masterpiece policies. Imagine if it were mandatory for them to all public report the company they insure with. hehe
Allstate has created it's own selective underwriting guidelines in so many states that AI can't write Allstate auto and NatGen home policies. The amount of customers who buy online or with 800 CCC and then run to the closest office becuse they were on the line for a hour is staggering. You think your saving money by deleting EA offices but your just creating extremely frustrated customers especially when you don;t train your 800 agents which states they can't write Allstate paper for home and put the customer through a 30 minute interview for it to say at the end I'm sorry you need to contact a local agent for home but your all set with your auto. Then the EA agent who is graded on bundling with Allstate Paper combined with NatGen paper is expected to be the CCC personal home writer without a warm transfer. Oh just leave a message for home insurance, they will call you back. Also don;t train CCC to tell the cutsomers in those states that there is no "bundle discount" or multi policy discount when you write Allstate auto and natGen home but sell them thje auto to get you call center numbers in North carolina. Yeah, we know who you are.
@1a9 that’s probably your truth but not the truth. The most valuable customer to Allstate are maintained by agents. EAs mean a lot more to Allstate than the employees understand. High value customers won’t at scale put up with call centers which is the leading reason GEICO isn’t Progressive. An IA can take that place as well but they will hold Allstate accountable to price which for a company that is desperate for price elasticity. I think EAs will shrink a little but still be relevant for years to come. To beat Progressive we have to be as good as Progressive on pricing and online experience…combine that with a heavier concentration of high value clients and you have a WIN. Until we do it together we won’t do it at all. Period.
The new world of insurance companies maintaining exclusive agencies is black and white. You are 100% a selling mechanism, period. There will be some Allstate EAs who can adapt and thrive, but many others who will rapidly go extinct. It’s been long overdue at Allstate. Customer support and renewals can and will be handled by centralized and online resources plus powerful AI capabilities. Period.
Ha Ha. I have been with the company for 15 + years and will still occasionally struggle with the many brokered companies. Florida is a challenge even for the experienced employees. How will the call center handle Citizens, AMIG, and the numerous homeowners endorsements?
@n7 I think in a perfect world this is what they would want. I just don't think customers are there yet and Allstate quite frankly su-ks at execution. This is currently the flavor of the month...2027 something else...2028 something else...ect. Yes we all know the direction of the company but they are just propping up the stock price with the unrealistic timelines. If your an EA...go learn about the IA space and catch the wave when it comes because it will only last so long before you have to wait for another cycle.
@n7 Thank you! That is exactly the info that many of us, LSP and service personnel, are looking for. This is our career and income source as well. Many agents, mine included, have not been transparent. Not certain if they fail to comprehend or simply do not want to see staff depart prior to transition.
Most agency services will be gone.
Agents will just sell, sell, sell. All service will be referred to corporate or online self service. AI will rule the service roost.
And only commissions and assignment of policies will be what they sell in house.
Policies that were moved to agents but sold corporate or online going to the corporate books gradually by 2028.
Within the next 3 years there will be limited number of agents per regions of states.
@am We can see the writing on the wall, Mr. Sarcastic. I was simply looking for additional input, knowledge,timing.
@OP ...or should I say Tom Wilson, don't be coming in here to anonymously survey people. In here its all about rumours and hazing each other!
@OP Definitely more self-serve. My agency owner said we are to guide customers to do more things for themselves. In my area, we've gone from 8 or 9 agents to 2 very small agents. It's just a matter of time till I'm gone because I do service, not sales. My agent said there's a big meeting in a few weeks during which they will learn more.
If you can’t see the writing on the wall there is no hope for you. Agents goin the way of the dodo baby boy! Why fork over commission dollars to a middle man??? It’s 2026 baby, this don’t be 1950! When’s the last time you used a travel agent or stock broker LOL, they gone with the BOOMERS. Gen Z takeover comin!! Please believe