Kimball agent teaches customer relations nationally

American Family Insurance agent Tom Ehlinger gave a training seminar to a few other local agents and ended up giving the presentation to the Fortune 300 company’s officers in Madison, Wis., recently. “It started off very small for local agents and just kind of snowballed,” Ehlinger said. American Family Insurance measures agents’ policy holder loyalty. Ehlinger has a higher policy holder loyalty than most agents. Others in the business wanted to know how he kept his customers happy. “We try to provide exceptional service,” he said, including acknowledging events in customers’ lives and making himself available to them. Ehlinger gave his first seminar to a handful of local American Family Insurance agents. American Family Insurance Northwest Regional Vice President Jeff Burke was there and invited Ehlinger to do a state-wide seminar. “He has a keen awareness of how important the customer is,” Burke said. “It’s not just one thing [that he does]. He shows his clients how much he values them and how much American Family Insurance values them,” Burke said. Giving seminars is a change from Ehlinger’s usual work day. “I’ve enjoyed going out and doing this,” he said. Ehlinger also benefits from meeting with other agents. “Even though I’m giving a lot, I get just as much back,” he said. “I always bring something back with me: ideas that I can implement in my agency.” After the state-wide seminar, Ehlinger was asked to meet with the American Family Insurance officers (the president, vice president, etc.) at the company’s headquarters in Madison, Wis. “It was a huge honor to even be asked,” Ehlinger said. “These officers are asking one agent what they can do better; that speaks well of the company.” The officers were impressed and Ehlinger will likely have the opportunity to give more seminars, to share his ideas in the 18-state area that American Family Insurance covers. “It may not work in every agency, but it works for us,” he said. If a customer has a baby, for example, the agency gives them a baby blanket. If there’s a marriage, clients get a letter of congratulations. When a customer or their children are in the newspaper the office cuts out the clipping and sends it to them. In addition, customers get free pie and ice cream at a local restaurant on their birthday. Acknowledging special events in peoples’ lives is one way Ehlinger goes beyond the duties of an insurance agent. The other part is making his agency available to fit peoples’ busy schedules. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and some evenings for those customers who work during the day. Ehlinger has two other employees in his office to help make sure everyone’s questions get answered. They try to return phone calls within an hour or two. From police officer to agent Ehlinger has a degree in law enforcement. But, after nine months of being a police officer, he realized it wasn’t for him. In 1986, Don Pusc, then agent of Kimball American Family Insurance, asked Ehlinger to come work for him. “He got me into the business and basically taught me how to do it,” Ehlinger said. “He was a good mentor.” When Pusc retired in 1994, Ehlinger took over the business. The agency always had good policy holder loyalty. Ehlinger made a few changes like being open full-time office hours instead of half-days. “I like being a business owner and making my own decisions on how to run the business,” he said. The insurance industry is continually changing and American Family Insurance recently added investment products. Keeping up with the changes makes Ehlinger’s job challenging   and interesting. Even though he gets to schedule his own evening hours, they can get to be a bit much. “Sometimes the evening appointments take away from my family,” he said, “but part of the job is being accessible to your clients.” The best part about his job is relating to people, he said. “I like that I can help people with their insurance and answer their questions,” Ehlinger said.   More to come American Family Insurance is considering making a company-wide training video including Ehlinger and his ideas. “Plans are in the works to make a video for the 18-state area highlighting Tom (Ehlinger) and what he’s done that we can use company-wise,” Burke said.