SHARED INBOXES

A modern solution for consistent client

experience, collaboration and work-life balance

By Michael Cruz

In today’s demanding insurance environment, maintaining consistent client experiences while creating a better work-life balance for employees can be challenging. After phone calls, email is one of the most challenging aspects an agency has to manage. We receive tons of emails from clients, carriers, vendors, and more. Email remains one of the most widely used communication tools in the insurance industry, and at Foresight Insurance, we decided to rethink how we manage it. 

One of our solutions is the shared inbox strategy. This system has changed the way we handle email, making it easier for our team to collaborate and communicate effectively while striving to provide exceptional client experience.

The shift to shared

The decision to adopt shared inboxes came from a simple but pivotal realization: Traditional email management is outdated and inefficient. Email can quickly become a bottleneck when managed the traditional way. Relying on individual email addresses for customer service often leads to delays, especially when employees are out of the office or leave the company. Forwarding emails, setting up out-of-office responses, and redistributing workloads are time-consuming and disruptive. Clients just want their concerns resolved without having to chase updates. With increasingly busy schedules, people rely on email for its convenience and expect timely responses. When their assigned agent is out, clients might initially understand, but their patience wears thin if their requests remain unresolved. Recognizing this challenge, I decided to change how we handle emails at the agency. Collaboration and shared responsibility became the focus, striving to improve the client experience with the goal of making our operations more efficient.

This is why we transitioned to a shared inbox model, granting all team members access to a unified communication platform. This model enables employees to pick up where others left off and deliver uninterrupted client service. The complexity of forwarding emails or setting up out-of-office responses has been removed, making transitions smoother during staffing changes or onboarding new hires.

Shared inboxes cultivate a culture of teamwork and collaboration. By distributing the workload across teams, we’ve eliminated the inefficiencies of assigning accounts alphabetically or by other rigid structures. No longer do some employees face overwhelming workloads while others have lighter days. The shared system allows tasks to be distributed and redistributed as needed, reducing employee burnout and improving overall job satisfaction.

Implementation approach

At Foresight Insurance, we’ve organized our work distribution into four dedicated teams: Licensed Sales, Licensed Service, Non-Licensed Client-Facing Support, and Non-Licensed Back Office Support. In our shared inboxes, tasks are routed automatically and sometimes manually to the appropriate team through inbox rules. These teams then collaborate to distribute and reassign work among their members, maintaining an even workload and maximizing efficiency.

I would love to take credit for this idea, but it actually came from my back-office team of three. They requested that all be copied on every quote request so they could communicate among themselves and distribute the workload accordingly. This collaborative approach proved so effective that it inspired the team-based structure we implemented across the agency.

This team-based approach arose from the realization that assigning tasks to individuals often led to inefficient workload distribution. By assigning tasks to teams, we create a structure where members can collaborate and assign tasks dynamically based on priority, complexity and availability. This method avoids that no single individual is overburdened and that tasks are completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Unlike traditional round-robin methods, which overlook the complexity and nature of each task, our system allows teams to allocate workload flexibility. By allowing teams to manage workload collaboratively, we confirm no one is overburdened and tasks are completed efficiently. This adaptability minimizes delays, balances workloads, and improves task completion.

This model also supports continuity in operations. When an employee leaves, there’s no need to forward emails or disrupt workflows. New employees can step in and immediately access the communication history, enabling faster onboarding and ensuring that clients receive uninterrupted service. For the client, there’s only one email address to remember (info@foresighti.com), making interactions simpler and more streamlined.

The shared inbox creates an environment where tasks are monitored collectively, reducing the chances of overlooked emails or delayed responses. This system facilitates prompt handling of client requests without compromising quality standards.

A structured workflow

Agencies need to develop and regularly update clear standards and procedures to maximize the benefits of shared inboxes. At Foresight Insurance, we’ve implemented a structured workflow to drive success.

We began by standardizing processes, which included filtering emails into specific task categories and establishing clear guidelines for task completion. To enhance efficiency and professionalism, we also created email confirmation templates, enabling the team to send consistent responses without the need for repetitive typing.

Next, we prioritized recording interactions. Every client interaction is logged into our agency management system, Hawksoft, creating a dependable record for reference and accountability. This step helps keep all team members on the same page and prevents any essential details from being overlooked.