| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 17/04/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 37 |
| Copyright: Other |
Time for agents to take cover
Jane Archer reports from a recent Travel Insurance Conference held in London
ABTA is offering to work with insurance intermediaries to provide training to help agents sell travel cover.Speaking at the second annual Travel Insurance Symposium in London, head of finance Mike Monk said he was disappointed that insurance products were sometimes delivered to ABTA agents without adequate training.
“If any intermediary wants to talk to us, to discuss joint training, we would be happy to talk about it,” said Monk.
He added that training is a key issue for ABTA and is an area where it has no conflict with the soon-to-be-launched General Insurance Standards Council.
“We have no objection to the GISC requirement for training but we did object to their original demand that every agent in the shop has to be trained.”
However, travel insurance intermediaries in the audience blamed the trade for the lack of training in the industry.
Travel Insurance Services head of travel Rob Smith said details of a one-day training course for agents, which would lead to a certificate in proficiency, was mailed out last year but received just one response.
Derek Ketteridge general manager sales Doug Weston added: “I have asked several agents what they think about the self-study training manual developed by ABTA with the Association of Travel Insurance Intermediaries and it brings blank looks.
“I know every agent has had a copy but it has been put aside and not looked at. If agents want to keep selling travel insurance, they will have to get the training right.”
Monk admitted that some agents were apathetic about training. “It is a problem but we have to impress on them that training is important,” he said.
Euclidian Risk Management Services director Steve King said insurance intermediaries had to keep trying.
“Euclidian is training agents as a member of the Truly Independent Professional Travel Agents Organisation. It is a huge investment but we have got to show commitment to the trade.”
Reluctant: agents are loathe to learn how to sell insurance