August 23, Day 68

Another slow Saturday! While I wait for calls I try to work on my 90 day smart goals & my template.

August 22, Day 67

TGIF! Today was a good day at work. I was kept pretty busy on the phones which I like because the time goes by a lot faster.

August 21, Day 66

DAY OFF!

August 20, Day 65

The phones were slower today but still pretty steady. I had a few cross insureds today which took a little bit of time to do.

August 19, Day 64

Another day of answering phones. I took a lot of phone calls and also received some customer surveys back. I like getting these surveys because it is nice getting feed back from the customer.

August 18, Day 63

Very busy Monday today! The phones are always a lot busier when we come back from the weekend because no one thinks we are open on the weekends. I had a lot of insured agents call in the claims today. I like when the agents call because they are very efficient & usually know all of the information.

August 16, Day 62

Today was a slow day on the phones. While I waited for a phone call I made a 'welcome' sign for the new employees. My supervisor asked me to make this because we have 4 new employees starting in our unit on Monday!

August 15, Day 61

Today I spent the day answering phones & in between calls I worked on my 90 evaluation forms. We have to fill out surveys about how we think we are doing & then we will meet with our advisor to see how she thinks we are doing. We fill these out first and then our supervisor will put in her input.

August 14, Day 60

DAY OFF!

August 13, Day 59

Today I was put on paper! This was the first time I entered losses from paper since we started training on the phones. It took me a little bit to get used to it again but I started to get the hang of it. It had been awhile since I've done any paper entries but it was nice for a change!

August 12, Day 58

I was really busy today & took a lot of claims. Most were from insured's agents. These calls are a lot easier because they are simple and the agents usually have all of the information.

August 11, Day 57

For a Monday, today wasn't as busy as normal. Again, I spent the day taking phone calls and reporting claims.

August 9, Day 56

Very slow Saturday today! During my down time my supervisor asked me to create a sign for a few of our unit members. They are moving out of the training unit & onto the floor on Monday so they'll be in a different section of the building. It was a goodluck sign that I did on a white board.

August 8, Day 55

Today was a little bit busier then yesterday but I didn't mind because it made the day go by fast. Finally Friday!

August 7, Day 54

DAY OFF!

August 6, Day 53

Today was pretty steady. I had a good amount of phone calls but again it definitely was not as busy as a Monday which was nice. It is nice having a few minutes in between calls rather then the phone ringing the minute you log in.

August 5, Day 52

Today was slower then yesterday. Monday seems to be the busiest day because no one  realizes we are open over the weekend to call! Another day of answering phones.

August 4, Day 51

Long day today! I had a lot of phone calls but it kept me busy. I like being busy because it makes the time go by so much faster.

August 2, Day 50

Today was our first time working Saturday. It was definitely a lot different then working a week day because there are half as many phone calls. There were longer periods of time where I was waiting for a call so I spent my off time working on my smart goals.

August 1, Day 49

Again, I answered a lot of phone calls today. There are two new employees who started in June and just started on the phones so they are receiving a lot because they are on high priority. I still received a lot of calls and interesting claims.

July 31, Day 48

DAY OFF!

July 30, Day 47

Another day of answering phones! I'm very comfortable now so the days go by a lot faster which is nice.

July 29th, Day 46

Today I took more phone calls then I have this far. I am really getting the hang of it and I am more comfortable on the phones which is nice.

July 28, Day 45

Today was the first day of  my new schedule. For training we worked Monday-Friday from 8-430. With our new schedules we work Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday from 830-530 & Saturday's from 10-3:45. The day went well, I took a lot of claims over the phone. In between calls I have been working on my smart goals. We were also taken off of high priority today which was nice.

July 25, Day 44

Today I sold my first epics program to a customer. I was excited because the company is happy when we are able to sell our programs and customers accept them. (They don't have to pay for anything, I just pitch the program!)

July 24, Day 43

Today was another good day on the phones. Nothing to complicated or crazy that I couldn't handle.

July 23, Day 42

Today was a good day on the phone. I'm getting a lot more comfortable and able to handle the calls without asking for a lot of help. I try to figure it out on my own. I also received my first "customer survey" back. The surveys are sent out randomly every once in a while to the customers and they answer 5 questions where they rate how the service was. This is a nice way for me to see how the customer thinks I did.

July 22, Day 41

I had a lot of cross-insured phone calls today. This means that both parties involved in the accident are insured with commerce. It takes a little bit longer to complete this file because you need to set up incidents for both sides, even if you haven't spoken with the other person yet. This just makes things a little easier for the adjuster who handles the claim.

July 21, Day 40

Another day of phone calls. Again it is always an interesting day for me because you never know who is on the end of the line and you never know what they are going to say. It is always something different!

July 18, Day 39

Today I took phone calls for the morning portion of the day but in the afternoon we went in the training room. We were trained on how to use the MA registry, take a backup call from a different state such as CA, NY, FL etc. We were also trained on a new program called the EPICS program where a customer can send photos in and we can email the appraisal back to them. I thought this was a pretty neat idea because it is very convenient if you have a smart phone or camera. I was happy to finally have access to the MA registry because it is very helpful if you have missing information on a vehicle.

July 17, Day 38

Today was a fun day at work because it was my birthday. My co-worker brought in cake and a card for me which was really nice. The rest of the day I spent taking phone calls.

July 16, Day 37

Today we had a meeting with our supervisor and she told us about our "smart goals". At MAPFRE they really like to do reviews/performance feedback/company feedback. The "smart goals" are a list of goals that the company wants each employee to strive to meet. There are 9 core competencies that MAPFRE likes to meet. These are grouped by leading self, working with others & achieving business results. The smart goals are something our supervisor and the company want us to work towards such as selling the programs or getting our call times down. The rest of the day was spent taking phone calls.

July 15, Day 36

Today was a good day. I'm getting the hang of things a lot more and I try to solve my questions on my own without asking anyone. I like to do it this way because the QC's(performance feedback) that we receive will let me know what I did right/wrong.

July 14, Day 35

We are still on high priority so again I took a lot of claims today. It is interesting because you never know who is on the other end of the line so it is always something different which keeps it exciting. I also received from 'QC's' today, which are a performance evaluation/way of giving us some feedback on how we are doing. A supervisor will listen in to the call without us knowing and send us the feedback after on what we could improve on or what we did well.

July 11, Day 34

Another day of phone calls. I was able to take more calls today then the past few days because I am getting the hang of it so it's easier for me to navigate around while speaking with the customer.

July 10, Day 33

Today was a little crazy. I had my first customer who wasn't very happy. He wasn't happy because we could not cover the damages because he did not have the proper coverage on his policy. It is difficult having a call like this because we do not sell the coverage's it is something your agent does for you. I was able to calm the customer down and explain to him he would have to speak with his agent. At first,  I didn't know how to handle the call so I asked my lead for help and she walked me through it. The rest of the day went smoothly.

July 9, Day 32

Today wasn't as busy as yesterday so that was good. I am trying to focus on getting my after-work time down. Once you are off the phone with a customer you have to complete the claim by getting all of the information & sending it over to the adj. So it is very important to gather as much information as possible while you have the caller on the line.

July 8, Day 31

Today was relatively busy again. Because of the holiday weekend our supervisors told us it is always very busy once we come back from the holiday break. We had a meeting with our supervisor today so see how we are doing and if there is anything we aren't so comfortable with. I'm getting the hang of it but there is a lot I could improve on.

July 7, Day 30

Today was extremely busy because of the holiday weekend. We weren't open on Friday so there was an expected high volume of calls coming in. My co-workers and I are all set on "high priority" which means that we are the very first people to get a call. Our phones are constantly ringing all day because of being on high priority. It is stressful and a little overwhelming but again, it is reassuring knowing that we have help all around us if needed.

July 4, Day 29

DAY OFF!

July 3, Day 28

The first day on the phones completely by myself was a little nerve wracking but I felt more comfortable knowing my supervisors were all around if I needed help. I am still not as comfortable as i'd like to be because I don't always know the right answer. It is great knowing that I have a lot of help around me incase i'm stuck on something. We have our supervisors, the help desk that we can call or message & we have a website that has many helpful tips and tools on different scenarios we might face when taking a call.

July 2, Day 27

Today was my first day on the phones. Our peer trainers sat with us for the day incase we were faced with anything we weren't sure how to do. My peer trainer took the first 2 calls which was nice because I was able to listen in and see his call flow. Then, I was by myself for the rest of the day while he sat behind me incase I needed help. I was a little rocky but towards the end of the day it got a little bit easier.

July 1, Day 26

For the entire morning today we spent it taking "mock phone calls". We all sat in the same room with our headsets and phones & different supervisors were going to randomly call us and pretend they were a customer. Our instructor was also in the room incase we needed any help. I took 6 calls which was nice & I had a different supervisor call each time so every scenario was different. I didn't do as well as I would like because I am not fully comfortable with all of the programs and the call flow yet but this was extremely helpful. I like the idea of these practice phone calls because we don't know which supervisor was calling so it seemed like a real phone call from a customer! After we did these mock phone calls we spent the rest of the day practicing getting used to the programs and our call flows.

June 30, Day 25

Today we focused on wrapping up the call & the importance of explaining to the customer what's going to happen next. You don't want to leave out any information when talking to the caller and you want to make sure they are comfortable with the next steps in the process. We also learned about a few programs that we offer to our customers today. These are programs for our insured's to make the whole process a little bit easier on them. One program is called the Car-EZ program where a customer can have the appraisal and repairs all done in the same shop, with a rental car waiting for you while your car is in the shop. We also learned about rentals and an early tow program if an insured's vehicle was not drivable. Our instructor also played us a few recorded calls from previous employees so we could see what a call sounded like. I thought this was a good idea because we start training on the phones tomorrow!

June 27, Day 24

Today we practiced different scenarios of calls we may receive. Sometimes we may be talking with our insured, other times we may be talking with a claimant. The call flows are a little bit different because you may not ask a claimant all of the information that you ask our insured. Sometimes a claimant is calling to just report the claim with us & other times they want to come through us for the damages and repairs. We could also receive calls from a claimants insurance carrier or even someone's agent. The call flow may be a little bit different depending on who you are talking. We got a lot of practice with this today and we even did a little role playing.

June 26, Day 23

Today was our first day training on the phones! We didn't actually get on the phones but we learned the basic of how to use them. We learned the 5 step process to taking a call, from setting the tone to reviewing everything & wrapping up the call. We were also taught the flow of the call and what to ask when your taking a claim. It's different when your on the phone with someone because you are able to gain a lot more information from them versus taking a claim from a paper source.

June 25, Day 22

Last day of entering basic loss entries for awhile. Im glad we were able to have all of this practice with them though because now I am very comfortable with all of the systems that MAPFRE uses.

June 24, Day 21

I'm getting a lot faster with entering the basic losses now. Today was one of the highest numbers of entries I have done so far. Again, it's nice to have all of this practice because we start training on the phones this week so they want us to be as comfortable with the systems as we can be!

June 23, Day 20

Today I had a lot of losses where our insured had no collision on their policy or simply no sort of coverage at all. These are handled a little bit differently because for policies with no coverage, we cannot repair the vehicle or appraise it. So, we usually put these in the computer for reporting purposes only. Today I also did an evaluation for the "Mod A" classroom experience, for when we were trained. We were asked how the experience training was and if we had any tips or ideas on how to make the training better. I like how they input our ideas for this because it could benefit new employees in the future.

June 20, Day 19

I had a lot of fun at work today. One of the reasons I enjoy working here is because of the people that I work with and all of the cool things that MAPFRE does. For the final day of the kick off to summer event we had food day & played bingo (all while we worked). The bingo  numbers were sent through email every ten minutes, but it was nice to do that because it made the day go by faster. Again, I spent the day entering losses into the computer. They are getting a lot easier for me but it is nice having help there if I need it. MAPFRE has a chat system and there is a  "Help Desk" section with a number of different supervisors on the list who are there to answer any of your questions throughout the day.

June 19, Day 18

Another day of entering basic losses. We are going to be doing this for the next week or two but that is okay with me because it really helps to have all of this practice. I'm getting more comfortable with it and with the work I did but sometimes I do need help. There are so many different helpful resources that you can go to, to help you solve your question by yourself so I usually try to do that. If not, I do ask the lead in my unit or my supervisor. For the third day of the summer event it was twin day & you could dress up with a twin if you wanted to.

June 18, Day 17

A lot of practice with cross insureds today! The way that they distribute the losses is very random so we never know what we are going to get but I did get a lot of cross insureds. Thankfully I did because I did need more practice on them. For the second day of the kick off to summer event we had a "color clash" event. Each unit in the department was given a color & there was a competition to see who could decorate their unit the best with the color they were given! We were given the color green & our unit looked awesome.

June 17, Day 16

Again, a lot of practice with entering basic losses today. It's great having all of this practice because it will prepare us for when we get on the phones. Today was the first day of a "Kick Off To Summer" event for the Contact Center. It is when we do something each day for the 4 days that lead up to the start of summer. It was fun because we were allowed to wear flip flops & we also were given ice-cream while we worked!

June 16, Day 15

We continue to work on and practice entering losses in the computer. Each day, I send an email to the console who will then send over the different types of losses we have to enter. It is very random and you never know what type you are going to get. For example it could be a basic loss from our insured, it could be a notice of subrogation from another company or it could be a cross insured.

June 13, Day 14

Today I had more practice with cross insureds. These were a little more difficult to enter in then the basic loss entries. The reason for this is that both are insured with Commerce so we have to set up both sides of the incident in the computer.

June 12, Day 13

Today we learned about different scenarios on basic loss entries that we might be faced with. For example, we enter the basic losses from faxed over papers we call 'acords'. We learned how to input these losses if someone other then our insured calls it in, or if there is already an existing loss set up in the system and how to add information.

June 11, Day 12

Today myself and the four other new employees had a meeting with our supervisor to see how we were doing and what we were having trouble with. It is nice to have these meetings because the supervisors at MAPFRE are all very eager to help you and they want you to succeed. Again, the day was spent entering basic losses.

June 10th, Day 11

Another day of entering basic loss entries. I am getting the hang of it more but I do ask for help on some things that I am not sure of the answer.

June 9th, Day 10

Today I entered many basic loss entries again. I had a lot of subro notices and some home owners. I will be by myself entering basic losses for the next month until being trained on the phones.

June 6th, Day 9

I was at my desk today by myself entering basic losses. I was able to work independently but I did ask my supervisor and our units lead for help from time to do some things I did not know how to enter.

June 5th, Day 8

Today we spent another day with our peer trainer. The same peer trainer that sat with me last week sat with me today. The purpose of the peer trainer is to get us comfortable with what we are entering so that we become very good at it. This would be the last day with the peer trainer until myself & the other new employees are trained on the phones in about a month.

June 4, Day 7

Today we learned how to enter home owner claims, claims reported by the other party involved in the accident & not our insured. We also got a lot of practice entering these so that we were comfortable with it.

June 3, Day 6

Today we went back into the training room to learn more. We learned about how to enter subro notices, letters from attorneys & situations where both vehicles involved in the accident are insured by Commerce.

June 2, Day 5

Today I was all by myself at my desk. I would be at my desk alone for the day but the 5 of us were in the same "Unit" as our supervisor as well as another supervisor who was there to help us. I spent the day at my own desk entering basic losses into the system.

May 30th, Day 4

    Today, we were assigned a peer trainer who was going to sit with us for the day and help us out. We were all at our own cubicles with our own computers, out on the floor. It was nice to be out of the class-room and to get situated at our desks that we would be working at. I thought that the peer trainer was extremely helpful. The peer trainer is part of the training system. You work in the classroom for 2 days learning all the material, then your peer trainer sits with you and sees how you are doing and how quick you are catching on. My peer trainer was also helpful because he gave me different tips and suggestions that worked for him when he started training. He has been at MAPFRE for 2 years now so he knows a lot about the company. My peer trainer was like a shadow, I entered the claims and losses, and he would help me if I made a mistake. I was getting more used to the job & what I would be doing but it was hard remembering all of the specific information so it was nice to have help. The entire day was spent creating claims on the computer. I would send an email to the console asking for 'Property Damage' losses on paper. On paper meant that I was not trained on phone calls. I was just reporting claims from the insured party through paper sources. The entire day was spent entering claims and my peer trainer was there as a guide and helping me out.

May 29, Day 3

     The training that we are in right now is called "Mod A" training. It is a series of training that consists of classroom work/discussion and different worksheets for us to do to get us comfortable. Today we learned all about the Massachusetts Automobile Policy. MAPFRE has a certain way that they do things at the company which differs from what other companies do. In the Mass Auto Policy presentation, we learned about different scenarios where coverage would or would not be provided in an automobile accident. Bodily injury to others, personal injury protection, bodily injury caused by an uninsured automobile and damages to someone else's property are just a few of the different scenarios. I personally did not know a lot about insurance before starting to work here. This presentation was interesting to me because I learned a lot about what coverages you should have on your vehicle insurance policies.
      We also got introduced to the different systems we would be using. These systems would be used to create claims and set up different incidents that we would receive. For the next few weeks the training is all about getting comfortable with the systems and how to enter losses on paper. We are not going to start making claims over the phones until we have completed Mod A training and have had a lot of practice with claims on paper. After we learned a lot about the Mass Policy we did a few worksheet handouts to help us practice. The handouts were quiz-like papers that we filled out individually & then went over them together at the end. Our trainer is very helpful in answering any questions we have or helping us with information that we don't understand. The handouts are helpful because it is an easy way to learn more about claims, losses, and coverages.

May 28, Day 2

    Today, myself & the 4 other new employees who were hired for the same position all met in the training room where we would be for the next few days. The room is full of computers, each person able to have their own. We met more supervisors & also the people who were going to help train us and answer any questions we might have along the way.

    We learned a lot of the basics today, such as different terminology for the insurance company. For example, IV/OV- Other Vehicle & Insured Vehicle & Pal Med, which is a term for medical bills. We learned many different claim symbols which we would have to know once we started using the systems on the computer. Today was another day of learning the terms and we also received more paperwork to fill out. We had to fill out 401k forms, health forms, and other company related paperwork. We also learned about the Contact Center scheduling policy, the dress code and more Commerce Insurance policies. Another day of learning about the company and getting settled in.

May 27, 2014 - Orientation

        Today was my orientation day at MAPFRE Commerce Insurance. I was hired as a full-time Customer Service Rep in the Claims department. When I walked into the building for orientation the first order of business was taking our pictures for our new ID badges. After this was completed, there was a powerpoint presentation on the Security at MAPFRE. During this time we gave our paperwork and forms of ID to be copied and put in our new files. There were about 15 other people at the orientation who were just starting as well. About 4 other people were there for the same position as myself.
        We then moved to a bigger room, where we stayed for a few hours and learned all about the company. We received handouts of useful information about the company that we could keep. During this part of orientation, we introduced ourselves to one another & said what department we would be working in. We viewed a very detailed powerpoint presentation that talked all about MAPFRE and the companies mission as a whole. They also had a supervisor come in & talk to us about his journey at MAPFRE so far. It is very interesting to hear about other employees' journeys at MAPFRE because there are so many opportunities working for the company. After orientation was over we broke off & met with the supervisor of our department who gave us a tour of the building and where we would be working. We met different supervisors throughout the building & we also saw where our desks would be once we started on the floor.  Today was an introduction of MAPFRE & getting to know the company!