Setting Clear Service Expectations: Lessons from the Field

Do your clients know what to expect from you?

For most insurance agencies, the answer is no.

The reason? Inconsistent service delivery throughout the year.

I learned this lesson early in my career as an account executive at Burkwald Associates in Wisconsin. Dan Burkwald, one of my first mentors, showed me what real customer service meant. We had one clear, repeatable process for every client. If we lost an account executive or manager, the next person could step in seamlessly because we followed this consistent approach.

Here’s the challenge I see at many agencies: They provide sporadic service. Sometimes they’re holding the client’s hand through everything, while other times the client barely hears from them. This inconsistency creates confusion and disappointment.

Another common mistake?

Giving the same level of service to every client, regardless of size. I’ve watched agencies spend as much time with a 20-life group as they do with a 200-life group. Commercial agencies often provide identical support to accounts generating $10,000 in revenue as those bringing in $100,000.

Let me be direct: You should not provide the same level of service to all clients.

At Burkwald, we had a clear structure. Groups with over 100 lives received quarterly meetings. Under 100 lives? Two meetings per year. Under 50? One annual check-in. We made these expectations clear from the start.

If you’re giving excessive attention to smaller clients, you’re:

1. Losing money on these accounts
2. Setting unsustainable expectations
3. Creating a service model that won’t scale

I’ve seen this backfire firsthand.

We sometimes set such high standards that they became the new normal. Even when we delivered service three or four times better than what clients had previously experienced, it felt insufficient because we’d raised the bar too high.

The solution?

Create clear service tiers based on client size. Sit down and map out exactly what each tier receives. Make these expectations explicit from the beginning of the relationship.