The 5-Star Difference

Leslie S. Ray Insurance Agency, Inc. is one of an elite group of Massachusetts insurance agencies which have earned the prestigious Five Star Agency Award of Distinction for consistently demonstrating excellence and providing superior service, knowledge, and value.

As of Spring 2006, we are a member of an elite group of just 29 Massachusetts insurance agencies to have been awarded the 5-Star Designation, and is the only 5-Star insurance agency on Massachusetts’ North Shore.

Here is what makes us one of the best:

OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM

We know what we’re talking about. Members of our team continually update their insurance knowledge through seminars, on-line classes, and team meetings to ensure they are up to date with the latest insurance product news. And we recently designed a customer service training program with consultant Betsy Day to ensure that we are treating our clients the very best we can.

THE “WOW” FACTOR

When you meet with one of our customer service representatives you may notice some “WOW Chips” next to their computer or family photos. We don’t just value good customer service, we value GREAT customer service! When a staff member feels that a fellow employee did an OUTSTANDING job for a customer, that they “WOWED” a customer, than that team member can be nominated for a Leslie Ray “WOW Chip.”

WE KEEP GOOD COMPANY

We know we have a great customer service team but a Five Star Insurance Agency needs to have great products too. We have carefully chosen to partner with some of the best insurance companies around – companies that also have a fine reputation for customer service while also providing us with the right product mix for our customers. Without our companies and their products, we couldn’t provide that “WOW” service.

ATTAINING THE 5-STAR DESIGNATION

To attain the prestigious Five Star Designation, the Leslie S. Ray Insurance Agency passed a rigorous fitness review requiring a team from the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) to conduct confidential interviews its agency personnel.

Once the interviews were completed, the MAIA team met and discussed their findings on each set of criteria and presented the agency with a detailed report listing its strengths and areas for improvement. Strict grading standards were followed by all MAIA team members and all information was kept totally confidential.

Once the results were calculated, the Leslie S. Ray Insurance Agency was presented with the Five Star Designation for meeting and exceeding the high standards set for this award.

 

 

17 Points of Quality

These are the elements that are rigorously reviewed by the MAIA:

1. CUSTOMER FOCUS
Satisfying customers through meeting their requirements and value expectations is the primary task of every employee.

2. COMMUNICATIONS
Verbal and nonverbal communications throughout all parts of the Agency are two-way, clear, timely, consistent and forceful.

3. VISION
Management establishes vision for the Agency and leads the initiative to set direction and align everyone in pursuit of the vision.

4. PLANNING
Planning at all levels of the Agency keeps everyone focused on its vision, goals and strategies and provides a framework for achieving desired results.

5. ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability measures and indicators for Agency performance are established, analyzed and effectively used.

6. SELECTION
Employees are selected using criteria that promotes the needs and expectations of the Agency both in the short term and the long term.

7. DEVELOPMENT
People are recognized as key strategic resources. Development opportunities are provided to assure that each employee understands, supports and contributes to achieving Agency success.

8. INVOLVEMENT
All employees are involved in establishing and achieving initiatives for performance and improvement goals.

9. MOTIVATION
Employees are motivated through trust, respect, recognition and a work environment that is conducive to the well-being and growth of all employees.

10. INFORMATION
Required information is clear, complete, accurate, timely, useful, accessible and integrated with products, services, processes and procedures.

11. BUSINESS ASSOCIATES
Business associate or products and services, business associate contributions and business associate processes meet all requirements and contribute value for performance improvements.

12. INNOVATION
Innovation is planned and effectively utilized in developing, implementing and improving processes.

13. INTEGRATION
Processes and the products and services created by them are jointly designed as an integrated system.

14. CARRIERS/ MARKETS
Well chosen partnerships with carriers and other markets are key to providing excellent products and services.

15. BUSINESS RESULTS
Financial and business improvement results meet objectives, show positive trends and substantiate Agency success.

16. PERFORMANCE
The Agency's products and services are managed to ensure that customer requirements and expectations are met and both quality and operational performance are continuously improved.

17. RELIABILITY
The Agency's products and services consistently provide superior value throughout the business relationship.