Wunderite Helps Florida Agency Speed Time to Market and Win More Business

Whitney Commercial’s Challenge

Whitney Commercial Insurance Advisors, a Florida-based insurance agency with a high concentration of excess and surplus lines business, recently deployed Wunderite’s easy-to-use solution across its organization. Almost immediately, Whitney realized Wunderite’s value. As Ty Whitney, President and a 30+ year insurance industry veteran, said, “When we signed up with you guys, within about thirty days we started to realize that this shrunk the time process of handling renewals. It’s a game changer.”

Whitney Commercial serves a diverse range of middle-market companies such as manufacturers, contractors, and marinas. Two-thirds of the firm’s business comes from excess and surplus lines insurance, policies which are particularly demanding to quote. Operating in Florida, a competitive market that has grown more challenging for carriers, agencies, and customers, adds to the complexity.

In order to differentiate itself in a tight market, like Florida’s, an insurance agency must quickly and accurately complete complex and lengthy applications. Whitney described the process of getting clients to fill out insurance forms–the redundant paperwork, the constant back and forth–as a “never-ending loop” that is “extremely burdensome” and a drain on staff resources. After learning of Wunderite from a fellow agency leader, Whitney was intrigued by the prospect of streamlining his agency’s processes.

Using Wunderite to Automate Applications

Wunderite’s secure, cloud-based app makes it easy for clients to buy and renew insurance by automating the application process. Whitney’s account managers began using Wunderite to quote new business and renew carrier applications, searching the comprehensive forms library and sending a link directly to the client. Clients clicked the links and instantly completed the necessary forms. Whitney quickly realized how Wunderite simplified the entire process; they moved every one of their accounts to Wunderite, creating systems and processes around Wunderite’s capabilities.

Business Benefits

Since rolling out Wunderite across its agency, Whitney is getting to market faster and more efficiently. Clients and staff see marked improvements in the way the agency does business.

Faster Time to Market

Whitney invites prospects to Wunderite “right off the bat,” asking them to answer a handful of questions in the web-based app using their preferred device. It takes three to four minutes for prospects to answer the questions, giving Whitney the information it needs to quickly assess the prospect’s coverage needs and to determine if they’re a good fit for the agency. This new process has improved Whitney’s time to market in Florida’s demanding and evolving market, allowing them to win more new business.

Expedited Renewal Process

Whitney has seen the time it takes to complete a renewal plunge–from weeks of back and forth between account managers and clients to five to seven business days. The agency built its renewal process around Wunderite, creating a renewal questionnaire that takes clients a few minutes to complete and integrates seamlessly with the application. Account managers send clients a link to the application, which clients can finish filling out quickly and easily, before reviewing it and marking it complete. This expedited process allows Whitney to send completed applications to underwriters accurately, quickly, and well in advance of the renewal date.

Improved Accuracy

Prior to deploying Wunderite, ensuring the accuracy of insured’s data was a headache for Whitney’s account managers. Account managers now send applications pre-filled with data from a client’s prior year’s application, accessible in Wunderite, along with the renewal questionnaire that captures relevant changes to the client’s business. Wunderite tracks every step in the process, identifying who completes which parts of the application. This tracking capability makes it simple to know where to go when clarifying questions need answering and reduces errors and omissions.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Wunderite gives Whitney a competitive advantage over other agencies in south Florida. Existing clients–business owners and managers who are often too busy to focus on insurance applications and gaps in coverage–see the value in the streamlined processes that Whitney created with Wunderite. Clients appreciate that they can quickly and easily finish insurance paperwork from any device and any location, and with no printer needed. Simultaneously, Wunderite’s time-saving solution frees up account managers to think more strategically about their clients’ risk and insurance needs.

Winning More Business

Whitney is saving time and money with Wunderite. The agency is more quickly getting to market, winning more new business, and delighting its existing clients. As Ty Whitney said when reflecting on Wunderite’s impact on his business: “I can’t imagine the old way anymore.”