Pros
Many products are actually helpful and do the customer justice.
Cons
Hierarchy plays games with accounts constantly. Now, I KNOW this isn't just my region but I also know that there are definitely regions that have it really good. These other regions have an excellent team and many companies to work with and accounts to choose from as well as great training resources. I just so happened to get stuck with one of the bad ones but moving isn't an option for me at this point. There was no training for me. I was new to the insurance world and sales so I was not only flying solo but totally lost with virtually no direction. There was a week long class I took that was good. I liked the instructor as well as the fellow new agents. But from what I have learned over time is it's all about knowing the right people and having the right team. My area is small and dominated by a couple of local agents who have literally lived here their whole lives and know everyone and their mom, cousin and sister's brother's friend.....they hold all the large accounts and several smaller accounts. They never service these accounts but when district brings new agents in it is based on the premise and promise that you will help service these accounts in exchange for taking over the book of business when the agents retire. This is utter bs. There have been a minimum of 6 agents, other than myself, who were all told the same thing. These accounts weren't "serviced" according to Aflac because no new business had been written for 6 mo, 12 mo, 24 mo....or whatever. When I called, and all the following 6 + agents called after me over the last year to year and a half the client always said they were happy with what they had and were not interested in being contacted any further. Many were upset by how often they were contacted. And after all the hours of work to help people with claims or getting yelled at for being the 100th agent to call on them you literally get no pay. And the agents "due to retire soon" have NO intention of leaving the game for many years to come. Most of the business around here is taken by these agents and the few that aren't have heard from Aflac so many times they threaten you or cuss you out. There were some companies that I got through to and had spoken with a client to set up an enrollment or presentation only to have another agent sweep in and take it from me because they called as well. The customer assumes Aflac agents all come from the same place and it doesn't matter who they contact or go with for business. They do not realize it is based on individual effort. I have had quite a few accounts taken from me or someone else has "serviced" one of my accounts in hopes of getting more business under their own name through my contact. I have had accounts "given" to me only to learn later after I serviced it and helped with claims that it was given to someone else. The claims department is difficult to deal with as well. I have YET to see a one day pay claim, though this is their motto. I have done well over 20 claims with nothing but road blocks and issues and lots of follow ups needed. It is NOT an easy process for myself or the client. They also expect you to go to seminars and meetings and updates weekly, sometimes 3-4 times a week, many requiring out of town travel (no compensation)- this became a full-time portion of the job and I had to eventually start telling them no, I wouldn't do it. I had started off with putting many hours in to calling, door knocking and speaking with friends and family with little to no results. My area has been saturated with Aflac and it is not easy. If you aren't part of the "good ol' boys club" you won't make it here. The turn over rate is high due to this issue and realization alone. I have heard other agents who work in other areas rave about the support they receive, the team they work with, the great quantities of accounts and prospects etc etc. I have no doubt that in certain areas this would be a great job with decent if not excellent pay, as for me in my area- not so. Aflac also does not have a checks and balances system. They say they do. That if you note here in this system, then update the other system, then notate in yet ANOTHER system you will cover your bases and people shouldn't touch your accounts or accounts you've serviced. Yet I went through the pain staking process of doing this each week, sometimes taking hours to complete because of the many calls and visits I made, but somehow no one ever knew. When I looked in the different systems there were never any updates showing the account being serviced or who I had talked with and what was said. Then I'd have people calling me asking why they were getting calls from other agents when they had just spoken with me.....literally stepping all over each other but there was never any evidence. Why? That's what entering all the information in to 2-3 different systems was designed for....