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First Aid Tips

First Aid training is probably is one of two types of instructions an employer provides that everyone in the workplace hopes never to nee, with the other being a fire drill. However, when an injury or illness strikes, knowing how to effectively administer proper First Aid can be the deciding factor between a quick or a lengthy recovery, a temporary or permanent disability, and in some cases, life or death. That is why it is imperative to be familiar with common First Aid procedures. It is equally significant to learn the correct way to administer aid procedures so they are safe to perform.

In an attempt to discredit some of the faulty notions that have developed concerning current First Aid treatment recommendations, the American Safety & Health Institute (ASHI) along with 25 other nationally recognized organizations joined together to form the 2005 National First Aid Science Advisory Board (NFASAB). The Board’s mission was to review and evaluate the existing scientific literature on First Aid to determine the most effective treatments for common workplace injuries. They reviewed data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cochrane Reviews, which are evidence-based evaluations of the effects of health care treatments, the U.S. National Library of Medicine, and medical journals and textbooks.

As a result of the Board’s review and evaluation of this data, they recommend the following procedures:

• If an employee is bleeding, apply pressure firmly for an extended period of time, until either bleeding stops or paramedics arrive . Earlier guidelines also recommended elevating a bleeding limb above heart level and, if direct pressure was ineffective, pressing on specific arterial points. Actual evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against these practices and also the use of tourniquets .

• Thermal burns should be treated with cold water as soon as possible, but direct application of ice to a burn area can cause harm. Avoid cooling burns with ice or ice water for longer than 10 minutes, especially if the burn covers more than 20% of a person’s body.

• If an employee has a soft-tissue injury such as a sprain, strain, contusion or fracture, apply cold to the injury to decrease hemorrhage, edema, pain and disability. Cooling is best accomplished with a plastic bag or damp cloth filled with ice, which is more effective than re-freezable gel packs. To prevent injury, limit each application to periods of no more than 20 minutes and place a barrier, such as a thin towel, between the ice container and the skin .

• To prevent a minor wound from becoming infected, cleanse the wound with clean tap water until all foreign matter has been flushed. Apply triple-antibiotic ointment or cream only to a scratch or superficial wound. Previous methods recommended applying antibiotic to all wounds no matter how deep.

• Do not give water, milk or syrup of ipecac to someone who has ingested poison. Previous guidelines allowed use of these substances in certain cases after consultation with a poison control center, but they may be harmful and are not recommended now.

By keeping yourself and your employees up to date with basic First Aid care, as well as maintaining a well-stocked First Aid kit on-site, you can significantly reduce the chance of a severe trauma that could have been prevented by simple First Aid.

 

The Red Cross recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include the following:

• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
• 1 blanket (space blanket)
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of non-latex gloves (size: large)
• 2 hydro-cortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

What you need to do to get your boat and RV ready for the outdoor season

Start the season off right!  Review these tips before you even get your boat or RV out of storage for the summer season.

• Remove the covers and inspect the entire vehicle or vessel to ensure everything is in good working order,  Take your boat to a qualified marina for a detailed inspection.  You do not want to be in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay and discover a problem that could have been avoided.
• Make sure the tires on your RV or boat trailer have the proper air pressure.
• Check fluid levels and make sure there are no leaks
• Before starting the vehicle, check under the hood for any animals or birds that may have set up a nest.
• Check all batteries and cables and replace the batteries in all smoke detectors.
• Test your headlights and brake lights.
• Be sure to put your boat plugs back in before placing the vessel in the water.
• Ensure state certifications or registrations are up-to-date.
• Review your owner’s manual and take the RV to a service location to make sure it’s ready for the roads.
• Review your Boat Insurance Policy and RV Insurance Policy for the optional specialized coverages that you may need, such as Roadside Assistance, Emergency On Water Towing (Boat) and Vacation Liability (RV), just to name a few.

For more information on these or any other specialized coverages, please feel free to contact one of our insurance professionals at 410-647-1111

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Protect Your Home and Your Family From Electrical Fires

Nearly every home in America has a powerful and primed source of fire at this very moment, and it’s called electricity. From overloaded outlets to dated or defective wiring, there’s likely to be at least one electrical fire hazard in some corner of your home.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that faulty electrical wiring in residential homes cause over 40,000 fires each year. Over the last decade, defective electrical wiring has caused an average of 350 deaths per year. And in 79% of home electrical fires, the fire spreads beyond the object where the fire starts.

One of our clients in Elkridge, Maryland recently had a house fire due to an electrical issue that seemed harmless.  A chair was accidentally set on top of an electrical extension cord (which was plugged into the wall with nothing plugged in at the other end), which caused a short in the wire, which then cause the house fire to occur, causing his house to be a total loss.  At Huff Insurance, we had the proper home insurance protection plan in place, so even though our insured suffered a tremendous loss emotionally, he was taken care of financially bu the home insurance company.

According to the National Electrical Safety Foundation, homeowners can use the following fire prevention tips to help create a fire-proof home electrical system:

• Use child-proof outlets to prevent small children from sticking an object into the outlets.

• Do periodic checks of all electrical cords, replacing any damaged or frayed ones, untangling knotted cords, and ensuring that none have been placed under carpets or rugs.

• Never overload outlets or extension cords. Although not always present, it could be a sign of an overloaded circuit if your appliances aren’t working up to par, the television has a poor picture, the HVAC isn’t performing properly, and/or the      lights are dimming on their own. You might also ask an electrician to tell you what the maximum capacities are for the circuits in your home. By knowing this, you can add up the wattage of all the electrical devices plugged into each circuit and be able to ensure that the total load for each circuit is below its maximum capacity.

• Consider updating the entire electrical system with copper wiring in homes 40 or more years of age. Older homes with dated aluminum wiring, or knob and tube wiring, are more prone to electrical fires than those with more fire-resistant copper wiring.

• Use the proper wattage bulb for every light fixture and lamp in your home, ensuring that you never exceed the recommended wattage.

• Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI) can be installed to help protect against electrical fires caused by arc faults, which are simply electrical currents being discharged across a gap. Wire insulation that’s pinched, overheated wires, and improper electrical connections are common sources of arc faults.

• Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) can be installed in your bathrooms, utility room, and kitchen to help protect your family from the risk of electrocution. GFCIs will detect any imbalance in electricity and shut down the electrical system.

• Use a power surge protection device for your computer and other large electronics. Electrical devices plugged into a circuit that receives a power surge, or sudden rush of voltage, can be damaged beyond repair.

• Unplug electrical extension cords and re charging cords when not in use.  Per our example above, these can pose potential fire hazards.

Of course, despite all precautions, you still need to know what to do should an electrical fire start.

For an electrical fire at a wall outlet, you can either turn off the main switch -or- if you can do it safely, immediately try to pull anything that’s plugged into the outlet out by pulling on the end of the cord furthest away from the outlet. CO2 fire extinguishers can be used for small electrical fires, but do remember never to use water on an electrical fire.

In the event the electrical fire is large or otherwise uncontrolled, then you should evacuate the home and immediately alert the fire department that you have an electrical fire. It’s important that you tell the fire department if you suspect the fire could be electrical since they may be able to shut off the main power source and prevent it from spreading.

Should you be unfortunate enough to suffer through an electrical fire, you should contact your insurance agent to report the claim. They should be able to review your homeowners insurance policy and talk to you about what to expect throughout the claims process.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Cell Phones + Driving = Deadly Combination

In the time it takes you to read this brief note, between 5 and 10 autos will crash because the driver was using a cell phone.  Cell phones are the number one cause of distracted driving accidents in the US.

It’s not just the physical act of using your hands to take a call or that’s to blame. It’s also the fact that drivers become distracted when they focus on the phone.

That’s why, increasingly, research shows that even using a hands-free device doesn’t significantly reduce the chances of an accident.

Just because it’s legal to use a hands-free device doesn’t mean it’s safe. And you don’t need more evidence than statistics showing that cell-related accidents are going up, not down.

A common distraction problem is to miss traffic signals.   Another is to fail to spot other road hazards, like a cyclist or an overtaking vehicle. One report I read suggests a cell phone can impair a driver’s ability as much as being drunk.

Sorry to have to tell you, there’s only one sure way to avoid this problem and that is to put your cell phone out of reach — either switching it off or putting it in the glove compartment (or even the trunk if you’re otherwise likely to be tempted).  As our own Teen Driver, Mart Huff mention in his blog Teen Driver Safety Week back in October, 2013

You might find this tough to do at first. You need to develop the habit.

As it happens, April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a campaign organized by the National Safety Council (www.nsc.org), so this would be a great time to take the pledge and drive cell-free and encourage others to do the same.

If you have teenagers in your orbit — through family, work or other connections — it’s even more important to get them to understand the risks they’re taking.

If they won’t listen, tell them about this distracted driving statistic:

The National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

In fact, at any given time throughout the day, approximately 660,000 drivers are attempting to use their phones while behind the wheel of an automobile according to an NHTSA Survey.  That is scary to think about.

It’s a shocking statistic we can do something about.

I’m just getting my business started. Do I need insurance right away?

es, because the chance that you could suffer a loss begins with the first day of business. You can’t buy Business Insurance to help after the fact. If you suffer a loss and have no business insurance or have improper or insufficient business insurance coverage, there is very little, if anything your insurance agent can do to help you. You must be prepared for the risks that are inherent in any business and the losses, sometimes catastrophic, that they can cause.

Also, many states and local jurisdictions require that businesses be insured to being operating. And if you rent space for your business, your landlord will require that you be adequately insured as well.

I don’t have any major business assets. Why do I need business insurance? 

Every business has some business property. And, in essence, your business is your property. Just like your home and your car, your business needs to be protected from loss, damage and liability. In addition, your business is your source of income, so you need protection from the potential loss of that income.

Generally, there are two types of insurance – property and liability. Business Property Insurance covers damages to your business property.  Business Liability Insurance covers damages caused by you or your possessions (other than a vehicle covered by your insurance policy), the cost of the suit – both defending it and settling it if necessary – would be covered by your business liability insurance.

What types of business property do I need to insure? 

Your business may not process all the following types of property, but you can use this list to make sure that you have considered all the property categories and any insurance coverage that may be warranted.

• Buildings and other structures (owned or leased)

• Furniture, equipment and supplies

• Inventory

• Money and securities

• Improvements and betterments you made to the premises

• Machinery

• Boilers

• Data processing equipment and media (including computers)

• Valuable papers, books and documents

• Mobile property such as automobiles, trucks and construction equipment

• Satellite dishes

• Signs, fences and other outdoor property not attached to a building

• Intangible property (goodwill, trademarks, etc.)

• Leased equipment (Copiers, Postage Meters, etc)

To establish the amount of property insurance you need for each one, your Trusted Choice® Insurance agent can help you review the types of property your own and their uses. Some of these items care covered in the basic business insurance policies. For others, coverage can be added by an endorsement. And some, like money and securities, may not be covered by a standard commercial policy and may require a second, separate policy.

Who decides how much my business property is worth?

Property insurance can be purchased on the basis of the property’s actual cash value, on its replacement cost or on an agreed amount. The differences between the three are:

Actual Cash Value

The replacement cost of the item minus depreciation. For example, a new desk may cost $500. If your seven – year – old desk gets damaged in a fire, it might have depreciated 50 percent. Therefore, you would be paid $250 for it.

Replacement Coverage

The cost of replacing an item without deducting for depreciation. Today’s cost for a desk of a size and construction similar to the seven – year – old one damaged by fire would determine the amount of compensation. If it costs $500 today, that would be the replacement coverage.

Agreed Amount

Art objects, antiques and other unique items are usually insured at an amount agreed upon when the policy is being written. An appraiser values the goods to be insured and the business owner and the insurer agreed upon an amount that the insurer will pay if the goods are destroyed due to a covered peril.

Check your policy. If you prefer replacement coverage and do not already have it, this coverage can be added to your policy. Inflation – guarded coverage. Which automatically increases your insurance amount a certain percentage, protects against rising construction costs. Your Trusted Choice® insurance professional can advise you of the costs involved.

Everybody seems to be suing everybody else these days. What if someone sues my business? 

No business can afford to be unprepared for a lawsuit. Liability insurance protects your business assets when the business is sued for something the business did (or failed to do) that contributed to injury or property damage to someone else. Liability Insurance coverage extends not only to paying damages but also to the attorneys’ fees and other costs involved defending against the lawsuit – whether valid or not.

The standard business owners insurance policy provides liability insurance coverage as does a separate policy known as a commercial general liability insurance.  Whether purchased in a separate policy or as part of a standard business owners policy, it will cover bodily injury, property damage, personal injury or advertising injury. The medical expenses of a person or persons (other than employees) injured at the business or as a direct result of the operations of the business are also typically covered.

Usually excluded from both types of liability insurance policies are suits by customers against a business for nonperformance of a contract and by employees charging wrongful termination or racial or gender discrimination or harassment. Many other exclusions, from use of autos to pollution liability, are included, so it is important to carefully review the policy.

Check with your Trusted Choice® insurance professional about the best liability protection covering all types of situations that may arise your business.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Do you have a comprehensive and accurate record of your personal property?

This is an important question that you need to ask yourself.

There are two important reasons for this.

First, you need to be sure that your homeowners insurance or renters insurance reflects the true value of your possessions, including valuables, collections and expensive electronic gear. It’s very easy for your insurance coverage to get out of line with the real value of the things you own and use.

Second, if you ever need to make a claim on your Homeowners Insurance or Renters Insurance policy, the more information you have on those possessions, including serial numbers and receipts, the smoother the claims process will go.  That will also ensure that you don’t overlook things in your claim, which is easy enough to do, believe me.

These days, it’s easier than ever to record all those details but it can be a bit daunting starting out if you’ve never done it before.

The quickest and easiest step you can do is to make a photo or video record. With digital cameras, it costs next to nothing to go around your home taking lots of photos which can act as a memory prompt and proof of ownership.

You can take close-ups of small items like nooks, CDs and DVDs, serial number stickers, collectibles and so on, as well as general shots of entire rooms. However, make sure you back up the memory card or disk and store at least one copy away from your home — it would be useless if it was stolen or destroyed in a fire.

Add to this record as you acquire new property, always making a note of serial numbers and costs or valuations.

Keeping receipts and other records is also much easier than it used to be. Yes, you can store them in a file, but that’s no good if you have a fire. Better to scan them in and store them digitally, again keeping a copy off-site.

Scanners are cheap and easy to use, or you can use your camera, smartphone or tablet to photograph receipts.

If you need more help and you’re tech-savvy, you can also download free or cheap inventory apps for iPhone, Androids and other systems. The Insurance Information Institute has a good one that you’ll find at: https://www.iii.org/apps-and-software.html

The final important part of this process is to check with us to ensure you’re properly protected against loss. It’s not just the value that’s important but also the coverage options — for example current value or replacement value?

Certain high-value items may not be fully covered without an additional endorsement; it’s important to identify these.

Let’s get this done as soon as possible.  Having a record of what you have is extremely important.  You may be surprised when you go through this process and realize that the value of your belongings is way more that you thought.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Why businesses need Data Breach Liability Insurance Coverage (or Cyber Liability Insurance)

By now everyone should have heard the news on how Target had their systems hacked and their data was compromised.  This data breach affected over 100 million Target Customers.  So do you think that Target now sees the importance of having a Data Breach Liability Insurance policy?

How does this affect the Target?  Well here are a 4 ways:

• They must notify every person who could have been affected by the breach. (Imagine the cost to notify 100 million people)

• They must offer credit monitoring to all of the affected individuals. (Which they have done if you go through their web site) Again, imagine the cost.  Even if it is $5 per person for Target, that would be a $500 million expense.

• Their reputation was damaged as a result of the hack and they have to re-earn the trust of the public.  It has affected their sales and they are spending tens of millions of dollars in advertising to re build their credibility.

• They probably will be named in a few lawsuits, maybe a class action suit. So the cost to defend and settle these suits will also be millions of dollars.

All four of these things will cost Target tens of millions of dollars.  So the million dollar question is this: Is this covered by their insurance policy?  And the answer is, yes, but only IF they have purchased a Data Breach Liability Insurance policy (also referred to as Cyber Liability Insurance policy).

If they did not purchase this separate coverage and just had their basic General Liability Insurance policy package, then they would be left on their own to cover these costs.  And even a company the size of Target would probably be pushed to the brink of bankruptcy if they had to bear these costs on their own.

The small businesses we deal with in and around the Pasadena, MD area are nowhere near the size of Target.  But it is clear that any business could be forced to bankruptcy if not properly protected by a Data Breach Liability policy.  Our statistics show that it will cost a business an average of $70 per affected customer to handle a data breach situation.  So if a small business has 1,000 clients and prospects in their database or files, the cost would be at least $70,000.

Now some people are probably thinking that they are not at risk like Target because they are too small for hackers to focus on.  But a data breach can happen to any business.

What are types of data breaches that can affect small businesses?  Here are some examples:

• Hacking – Hackers just don’t target large businesses, some troll around to find the easiest access point of small businesses as well.  So make sure your firewall and security software are up to date.

• Lost Brief Case – Say you have several client files in your brief case, and you leave them at a table in the coffee shop while you pick up your order and when you return, the brief case is gone.  You now have a data breach for all of the files that you had in the brief case and are required to take the notification steps that Target had to take.

• Stolen Laptop/Tablet/Phone – In today’s society, it is not uncommon for business people to have customer data on an electronic computing device.  And these devices are targets for thieves.  So if one of these is stolen from you or one of your employees, you have a data breach and are required to take the notification steps.

• Office Break In – Whether you have a data base or you have paper files, if you have an office break in, you have a possible data breach situation.  Unless you can prove that no files were stolen or that your office database was not accessed then you have to take the notification steps.  Proving that your computer was not accessed is pretty expensive because you would have to hire an independent computer forensics expert to attest that your system was not accessed in order to avoid having to go through the notification process.

I am sure there are numerous other examples that you can think of that would result in the possibility of a data breach.  So don’t find out after the fact that you are not covered for this.  Take the time to protect your business so you will not lose everything you worked hard for to build at the drop of a hat.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Tips On What To Do After A Water Claim

Ever have a pipe that broke, causing water damage to your home?

Cold winters with severe cold spells and that can spell trouble for homeowners.  During these cold spells, we have had several of our clients have issues with water pipes that freeze and then burst, causing water damage in their houses.

Is this covered?  Most homeowners insurance policies will cover the damage caused by a broken water pipe provided that the conditions of the homeowners insurance policy were met, which vary from company to company.

Here’s The Tips on What to Do After Water Claim

• Stop The Water – If water is coming from inside your home, from a burst pipe or water heater malfunction shut off the main water valve immediately. It’s a good idea to make sure everyone in your home knows where the shutoff valve is located.

• Turn Off the Utilities – In a serious water event, turning off the power or natural gas might be necessary to ensure the safety of yourself and your family. In the case of a minor water leak or drip, there probably isn’t a need to shut off the utilities.

• Prevent Electrocution – Do not use any electrical appliances if your carpet or flooring is wet. Use a wet vacuum to remove water, but check the manufacturer’s instructions before starting.

• Use Fans to Circulate Air – Start the drying process by strategically placing fans to effectively circulate air. This is especially important in the first 24-48 hours after an indoor flood.

• Get Water Out Quickly – Fast and safe action on your part can prevent further damage, help you save more of your belongings and minimize the time and expense of repairs. Clean up as much water as possible by mopping or blotting with towels.

• Get Property to a Dry Location – Move wet belongings and furniture to a dry area. Put furniture on blocks or slide a square of aluminum foil under furniture legs to prevent the wood stain from bleeding into carpeting.

• Remove Area Rugs from the Floor – The dyes in carpets can stain flooring, carpeting and wood floors.

• Do Not Lift Tacked Down Carpet – Carpets can shrink after they’ve become wet and left to dry out. If you remove the tacks from wet wall-to-wall carpet, it will probably shrink after it dries out and no longer be wall-to-wall carpet. Consult a carpet specialist for help.

• Wash Your Clothes – Clean your clothing, linens and other washables that have been soaked as soon as possible.

• Wipe Excess Water from Furniture – Open drawers and cabinet doors for faster drying. Spread out books to speed drying and prevent further damage.

• Watch Out for Debris and Pests – If water is flowing in your house there may be dislodged materials such as nails. Snakes and other vermin may seek shelter in your home after a storm or flood, so watch out.

• File a Claim as Soon as Possible – The sooner you file a claim to report damage, the sooner we can help you get your home and life back to normal.

• Don’t Throw Anything Out – Don’t throw out damaged belongings, especially expensive ones. A claims adjuster may need to inspect them. Also, make a thorough list of stuff that was water damaged as soon as you can. This will help us process your claim faster. It helps to document damage with photos and video.

• Save Receipts – Save all receipts for any rental equipment, temporary repairs or payments to professional services.

If you are a client of Huff Insurance, you can call us at 410-647-1111 or go to our Claims page..  If you are not a client, call us to become one.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

How To Stop Employee Internet Abuse.

How do businesses deal with employee internet abuse?

I’ve seen lots of ads for software that can monitor almost every detail of Internet usage, but I’m not sure that’s the best approach, at least as a starting point.

For one thing, monitoring employee behavior in a sneaky kind of way is a sure recipe for mistrust and low morale.

I think it’s far better to set rules openly and discuss them with employees to get their buy-in, and even their signature.

These internet use rules are usually enshrined in a document called an Internet Acceptable Use Policy which should be part of your employee handbook.

The value of having this in writing and sharing it throughout your business is that no one can subsequently claim they didn’t know the rules.  So if you had to let someone go for breaking the rules, you would have the document as proof that they knew of the policies.  This could prevent an Employment Practices Liability. (EPL) claim for wrongful terminations, or help your case if the EPL claim is filed.

Typically this would make clear:

• Whether any non-business Internet access is permissible at all.
• If permitted, when: for example, during breaks. This should include personal email checks.
• Whether company PCs can be used, or personal devices only.
• What kind of activity is permitted? For instance, you would almost certainly want to ban downloads and can set up your PCs so they can’t download.
• Access to all adult and gambling sites is forbidden.
• Whether personal storage such as USB drives can be connected to company devices.
• The sanction, such as warning, suspension,  or dismissal, for breaking the rules.

If you suspect misuse, you should tackle it head-on with the abuser. And if you decide to install monitoring software, you should likely do it across the board and tell employees what you’re doing.

You should also have rules on Internet usage outside of the office that relates to your business. For example, can employees mention their jobs and your business if they blog, tweet or use social networks?

Be realistic in setting your policies. Many people get emails and message alerts in real time on their smartphone. It’d be difficult to stop that, but you can insist that only urgent items are dealt with during normal working time.

By showing a fair and realistic attitude towards Internet usage, you’re more likely to get cooperation from your employees and reduce the risk of abuse. So get that policy written or reviewed today!

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™  since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111

Total Customer Experience – A Utility Company

I have to say, that I had an unexpected pleasant customer experience with a utility company today.

I called because we were having an issue here at Huff Insurance.  And you know how it is to get to get to a live person these days, you have to go through a maze of automated prompts and/or verbal answers, which in itself starts to set my expectations at a lower level.

So after a combination of pressing 1’s and 2’ and answering some yes’s and no’s, I get through to a service rep, who was obviously using a scripted greeting in a robotic manner, further lessening my expectations. I understand using scripts to make sure everyone is being consistent, but the delivery of that script is also important in setting expectation levels.

After explaining the issue and running a remote test, he came to the same conclusion that I had already expected, that we need a service rep to come out to fix the problem.

But it was this part that was the pleasant surprise.  It was about 10am and he said he could have a technician out today between 1pm and 5pm.  That’s right, same day service…..and he said was as surprised as I was that there was availability today.  So we scheduled the appointment to get the problem fixed.

After I hung up the phone, I got me thinking about customer expectations of businesses.  My expectations were that I would try to get someone out here tomorrow, but really expected nothing earlier than Wednesday (with today being Monday).  Should it really be a surprise that I am able to get same ay service from a company that I pay thousands of dollars to each year?  It really shouldn’t be, but that is what it has come down to, based on my prior experiences and stories that I have heard.

So basically over the years, they have delivered their service in such a manner, that I did not expect to have a great experience.  My expectations when I picked up the phone was that it would take a while to get to a rep and when I did, they would not be able to come out for two or 3 days and I would have to fight to try to get someone out the next day.

In essence, my expectations, as a customer was that I was going to have a terrible experience.  And after thinking about it, there are too many businesses and government agencies that we deal with on a regular basis that we dread having to call because we “know” that we are going to have a terrible experience when dealing with them.

As a business owner, that is a frightening thought.  I could not imagine running a business knowing that the customers expect a bad experience every time they have to communicate with us. By the nature of our business at Huff Insurance, we cannot guarantee that every experience a great experience.  But we want you to expect a great experience every time you dial our number or walk through our doors.

Huff Insurance is a full service Independent Insurance Agent We have been dedicated to Protecting Lifestyles™ since 1960. We offer a full array of Personal Insurance, Commercial Insurance and Life Insurance & Health Insurance products. Call us at 410-647-111