Please note that our office will be closing at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, December 24th and will reopen Thursday, December 26th at 8:00am in honor of the Christmas holiday.
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News & Views: Nothing's Normal
Newsletter – Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Welcome to a brave new world! Not in the literary sense of course! I made the mistake of using the term “business as usual” in our COVID-19 announcement yesterday. I won’t bother to go through all of the steps and protocols we have implemented to keep business flowing, but there is nothing normal about the circumstances we find ourselves in.
A few months ago, Teri and I took an old-fashioned road trip. My wife is strangely fond of paper maps. So, for Christmas, I gave her a ‘real’ map of the Eastern United States and for 10 days, we put our technology away and followed the map. We loaded the truck with golf clubs, hiking boots, a case of wine and, of course, our map in hand, we headed towards warmer regions. We had no plans, reservations or destinations; just wide-open spaces and a daily decision to make: north, south, east or west?
Life is an adventure! And though we are living in adventurous and disruptive times, I am so proud of our team here who has transitioned so well to the new normal. The good news is that the government has finally admitted that insurance is essential – hurrah! So as long as you are out there helping people with their insurance needs, we’ll be here (in the virtual sense) helping you with insurance solutions. The Tuscano Agency has seamlessly transitioned 97% of our operations to remote work, but you won't be able to tell the difference.
Goods and services still need to be transported and that’s where our Transportation Team has really been stepping up. The commercial auto underwriters and assistants are quite amazing and wonderful to work with. They will listen to your story and go the extra mile to find a way to place write-able business. It might be trucking, public auto or business auto, but we have markets for each. I will tell you now, that access to markets is often limited by state more than risk profile. The best thing you can do is pick up the phone and discuss the account. We are committed to being your partner whether we can write the business or not.
In the course of our day, we are fielding a lot of questions about how insurance will respond to this crisis. We’ve posted an informational bulletin on our website on possible coverage impacts of the pandemic. Our team is also paying attention to carrier positions on a multitude of questions about reduced exposures, minimum and deposit endorsements, and payment options. We’ve heard from a few carriers who are making accommodations on business operations and we are making it our job to stay on top of your policyholder’s concerns. Needless to say, a lot is in flux but we are making it our priority to be knowledgeable about changes and communicate them regularly.
Technology is a wonderful thing. Who knows where we’d be if it weren’t for the internet, VoIP telecommunications, and of course, virtual meetings? While you are in the ‘virtual’ frame of mind, why not take advantage of our online training options and in some cases, earn CE. It’s free with Tuscano. Interested? Check out our events page online.
Circumstances may change, but our mission will not; the team of professionals at Tuscano wants to be the bright spot in your day!