References and Testimonials

Comprehensive Agency Operations Review and Solutions Program — Remote

Customized Insurance Best Practice Procedural Manual Program — Remote

"Monday I had a visit from two carrier reps from the same carrier. We covered many different issues and finally one of the reps said "We have a question for you", then it was the humorous part! He then continued "what happened in the fourth quarter to the agency"? I asked them why they would ask that question, and they continued by saying "there is a noticeable difference with the entire agency.....it appears to be a well-oiled machine.... Not that we had concerns before, but you certainly can tell the agency is now at the next level" I paraphrased the last sentence since I don't remember the exact wording. It was at this point I told them about you and their response was "WOW". I truly feel you made a difference Grace! THANK YOU! Have a great day and be proud of team and yourself."

"Grace Bauer has assisted us in implementing organizational procedures which made our agency team even stronger. Not to mention immensely decreasing our E & O possibilities. We are very thankful for Grace and her team!"

"We merged two agencies that had disparate workflows and use of technology platforms. We merged two different cultures and migrated from one agency management system to another. The process allowed us to take a fresh look at what was being done and why it is done. A few of the changes we made alone will provide huge savings in time, reduce errors & omissions exposure, and force uniformity in how our staff uses technology and deals with clients.

"Documented procedures will serve as a great training tool for existing staff and will surely help with new hires."

"Grace Bauer provided Bosworth and Associates the direction we needed in establishing workflow processes and having our Agency Procedural Manual documented.

"We could not have taken on this huge task without her. She provided us the documents we needed along with the links to each procedure.

"We met weekly with the account managers to discuss the many different ways they were completing their daily work. We agreed on the best way to increase efficiencies, gain business and communications for each procedure. Grace is a wonderful teacher, listener, organizer, advisor and she makes you follow the deadlines she has set for you.

"We are so grateful to Grace Bauer and there is no question as to whether we made the right decision. Thank you Grace!"

"When Grace arrived she got us off & running immediately. Her “no nonsense” approach and “get it done” attitude was most impressive. Comments from our staff about her presence included: “It’s been like a breath of fresh air; the process allowed us to clear a lot of air in the office; brought us closer together as a team; opened up lines of communication we were missing”. We are embracing what she has taught us and working very hard to stay the new course."

Comprehensive Agency Operations Review and Solutions Program – On-Site

Customized Insurance Best Practice Procedural Manual Program – On-Site

Comprehensive Agency Operations Review and Solutions Program – On-Site

Customized Insurance Best Practice Procedural Manual Program – On-Site

Employee Productivity and Efficiency Review Program – On-Site

Customized Insurance Best Practice Procedural Manual Program – On-Site

“I really like the process of self-auditing.  By using raw data, Grace takes all of the drama out of defining roles, procedures and accountability.”
Teri Paulson

“It was great having Grace’s wonderful, ‘let’s get down to business’ attitude in our office.  We accomplished more in the seven days she was here than I ever could imagine!”
Chris Truman

“Frankly, we could not create from scratch what Grace has provided our agency. She has taken a daunting task and made it as simple as it could be. It takes work, but with her knowledge and system, it was much easier, and worth it!

We could not do this on our own.

And we are thankful!”

Tim Quinn

Employee Productivity Review – On-Site

Employee Efficiency Program -  On-Site

Procedures – Comprehensive Agency Operations Review – On-Site 

Employee Productivity Review – On-Site

Employee Efficiency Program – On-Site

Procedures – Comprehensive Agency Operations Review - Remote

Employee Productivity Review – On-Site

Employee Efficiency Program – On-Site 

Customized Insurance Best Practice Procedural Manual Program - Remote

“Our agency was most interested in agency procedures, setting up an agency procedures manual to help our staff become more structured and more efficient in time management.
Grace came to our agency the middle of January 2011.  Management met with her and was very impressed with the way she set up the meetings to dive into exactly what the problems were and a way to go about fixing those problems. We learned that asking questions and having employees and producers come up with their own solutions was a much better way to communicate then simply telling people what to do. She helped our agency become very organized and gave us many tips to help maintain this organization. The agency procedures are located in a central area accessible to all employees and are very easy to understand. She made sure we knew, however, that these procedures were “our” procedures and could be adjusted when necessary to fit our particular agency environment. We learned that when a task was assigned to someone, also give a deadline to when this task must be finished.  This would help the employee manage and structure their time so that not only task could get completed, but daily work. Grace met with not only management, but with each department and then even with individuals.  She took time to clearly understand the problem to offer options as to a solution.  Grace is excellent at walking into an agency and within a few hours can tell where problems lie.  She can decipher each person’s personality to give options as to the best way to handle that particular employee.
Grace rearranged her schedule to stay on two more days so that we could go over her procedures for account rounding.  This proved to be a very valuable tool.  We have learned many ways not only producers, but CSR’s can help on a daily basis to round all accounts in our agency.
Grace’s follow up maintenance calls have proved to be most helpful. The calls help get us back on track and keep us focused on what our goals are.  Also, to give us gentle reminders when we are not staying on deadlines as we agreed. We can discuss problems that have come up and she gives us feedback on best options to handle situation.
Hiring The Grace Bauer Group has proven to be one of our most valuable investments.”

Leigh Ann Johnson

Dina Vagdos

Our agency is an AMS 360 User.  We have been working with Grace Bauer for the past three  years.  With Grace’s assistance we have developed a detailed procedure manual that includes step by step instructions on how to complete each function within our agency and within AMS 360.  With her continued support we are holding weekly meetings to continually monitor and update the effectiveness of these procedures.  The audit process Grace developed is a wonderful tool for monitoring the written procedures.  Through the audit process of these procedures, we have identified weaknesses among our staff and have been able to quickly remedy the problems through additional training.  Even though you have written procedures in place, if you are not auditing these procedures, you will not know if they are being followed.  By working with Grace, we continue to improve our processes and overall morale within our agency.  We all intend to do a lot of things, but I can honestly say that it helps so much to know Grace will be calling me in a few weeks and I have certain things that need to be accomplished before she calls.  Grace is wonderful to work with.

Suzette Ward

Benjie Bates
Ben Bates
Bates Hewett & Floyd Insurance
3400 Crill Avenue Suite 2
Palatka, FL 32177
386-328-1100
Staff of 26
AFW

“The biggest benefit for me has been learning a lot. Going through the procedural process made employees think about how procedures affect the agency, exposures, and how to do things. Employees have a better understanding of procedures and are more on the same page.”
Benjie Bates

“The biggest benefit is that employees now have a clear road map on how to operate. The procedures serve as a reference and get employees on the same page doing everything to be done and operating more efficiently.”
Ben Bates

Monty Dise
Jennifer Hartman
Asset Protection Group, Inc.
10800 Midlothian Turnpike, Suite 2
Richmond, VA 23235
804-423-7700
Staff of 5
AMS360

“I am very, very happy we have done this. We have had a dramatic change in our documentation on the system.”
Monty Dise

“This process has really helped with accountability, record-keeping, and documentation within the system.”
Jennifer Hartman

Tommie Bowman
TomRan Insurance Agency, Inc.
3159 Highway 70 SE
Newton, NC 28658
828-465-2431
Staff of 4
AMS Prime

”I wanted to take a minute and let you know how thankful I am that I have been working with you on our agency procedures. Not only is it improving our E & O exposure, but it has made us focus on efficiency also. Since working with you and discovering new avenues of procedures, we have gone from transactional filing to PAPERLESS!!! This alone has improved our efficiency so much that we are able to do more with less payroll dollars. We were able to eliminate 40 hours of payroll per week and are more up to date and current than we were before. In this day and time, everything counts. I am actually projecting more profit this year than the years before. Thank you so much. Working with you has definitely changed our world in this agency!”

Tommie Bowman

Megan McKay Ziller
McKay Insurance Agency, Inc.
P. O. Box 151 Knoxville, IA 50138
641-842-2135
Staff of 12
AMS360

“The process was extremely helpful and really opened up a lot of communication and how people were doing things. This will be even better once we start the auditing process. It has been a really good experience and everybody saw the value in it.”

Megan McKay Ziller

Lauren Jones
Keane Insurance Group
10777 Sunset Office Drive #200
St. Louis, MO 63127
800-966-7731
Staff of 35
AMS360

Pat McManamon
McManamon Insurance
1991 Crocker Road Suite 215
West Lake, OH 44145
440-892-8308
Staff of 6
AMS360

Cole Richardson
Jane Luttrell
Jackson Barton Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 12120
Oklahoma City, OK 73157
405-947-8751
Staff of 7
AMS360

“This process gave us the opportunity to get everything documented and get us all on the same page. We were also able to address those areas we never thought of. I am real happy. It is organized and extremely well documented. We are a better agency which is vitally important as far as I am concerned.”
Cole Richardson

“We were able to think through each process and decide on the best way to handle each procedure.”
Jane Luttrell

Steven Parker
Paula
SCP Insurance Services
P. O. Box 8684
Redlands, CA 92375
909-794-9700
Staff of 4
AMS360

Dan Mercure Jr.
Dan Mercure Sr.
Tracy Chinavare
Darlene
Mercure Agency
P. O. Box 250
Rickwood, MI 48173
734-379-9611
Staff of 7
AFW

“The process made us look at a lot of workflows and re-think areas. It made us look at what we are doing and why we are doing it to increase efficiencies.”
Dan Mercure Jr.

“The process helped us to look at things to determine the best and smartest way.”
Dan Mercure Sr.

“It brought everybody together. The process brought to light the things we did not think about and, also, put us all on the same page.”
Tracy Chinavare

Jack Eggert
John W. Eggert Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 325
Lansing, IL 60438
708-474-1616
Staff of 6
AFW

Customized Insurance Best Practice Procedural Manual Program - Remote
 

Allan Meadors
Jeff Utecht
Lisa Thomas
Meadors, Adams & Lee, Inc.
P. O. Box 3456
Little Rock, AR 72203-3456
501-372-5200
Staff of 22
AFW

“It is absolutely a tremendous asset and of enormous value to our agency. We can get into more trouble with audits if they are not handled properly. We were able to review files to protect us from E & O claims. We are doing a better job for our customers. Our employees are better and more responsive people.”
Allan Meadors

“It has absolutely helped to increase efficiency and help new employees.”
Jeff Utecht

“The process was a lot easier than I thought. We have tried to take on this project in the past and never got started. It got overwhelmed. With the way you had this lined out, it made us dedicated to be there and have our meetings each week.”
Lisa Thomas

Bruce Bottolfson
Julie Newville
New Richmond Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 367
New Richmond, WI 54017
715-246-6988
Staff of 12
AFW On Line

“Going through the process was of value to our agency. It helped us to identify steps that we were missing as well as helped us to eliminate redundancy.”
Bruce Bottolfson

“Going through the process increased communication and helped get everyone on the same page. I hope to continue to improve our processes as we continue to go through procedures.”
Julie Newville

Cheryl Huff
Chastain & Associates Insurance
P. O. Box 6628
Athens, GA 30604
706-433-1702
Staff of 24
AFW

“We got to put it in place and it worked! I was very pleased! The benefit was having three new employees come in and everything was there written down in black and white. It was very, very beneficial! Also, having input from everyone on, this is how I do it; this is how I think it should be done; and then deciding what would be best for the agency, I thought that was very good. Overall, it was good to have everyone in the agency involved in one project. They all took it very seriously. It cemented the fact we are team whether personal lines, commercial lines, or marketing. I am really glad we did it!

Cheryl Huff

Matt Dolliff
Dan Hoffman
Debbie Thurner
Dolliff Insurance
6465 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 850
St. Louis Park, MN 55426
952-593-7400
Staff of 18
AFW

Ross MacLennan
Eric Mehlberger
MacLennan & Bain Insurance
214 Aberdeen Drive
Valparaiso, IN 46385
219-464-0100
Staff of 12
AFW On Line

“No question – the procedural process created a team environment.”
Ross MacLennan

“We have worked toward getting all employees to do things the same way and educated ourselves on easier ways to do things. The process was most helpful in training and in increasing the knowledge of our employees.”
Eric Mehlberger

Neal Rabedeaux
Karen White
RCS Group
P. O. Box 71366
West Des Moines, IA 50325
515-225-1444
Staff of 8
AFW On Line

"The process gave us an awareness. We now have specific guidelines to actually implement procedures."
Neal Rabedeaux

"Thank you so very much for your patience and directions as we took upon this huge task. It is more valuable than you could ever know. We were able to put things down on paper. It is something we really, really needed to do."
Karen White

Jerry Lewis
Sheryl Jones
Lewis Insurance
P. O. Box 1378
Tulare, CA 93275
559-688-7711
Staff of 19
AFW

"The process has definitely helped us. We really know where our weaknesses are now. We had to do some real hard thinking. We are finally heading in the right direction. We could not have done this on our own. By your making us accountable, we have been accountable. Our employees now have more of a caring spirit to do things the same way rather than everyone doing their own thing."
Sheryl Jones

"The process opened everyone's eyes. There are reasons why we want things done not just that I said so. This process would have fallen if we continued on our own. With you giving us the framework and working with us every week, we were able to get this project done."
Jerry Lewis

Debbie Kale
E. R. Munro and Company
14 Wood Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1921
412-281-0673 X135
Staff of 50
AFW

"Absolutely! It has helped us 100%. We have implemented new procedures we have never thought of before. The process brought our two departments together. It made us aware, as an agency, that there is a large window of improvement that needs to be done on daily workflows, maintenance, efficiencies, and getting things done accurately and quickly. I can see that our growth process will definitely happen. We will not have to constantly oversee the staff. Employees will be familiar with how things need to be done as an agency and allow us to better manage as a whole."

Debbie Kale

Louis Atti
M & W Agency, Inc.
P. O. Box 111
Angola, NY 14006-0111
716-549-3500
Staff of 40
AFW

Walter Petersen
Sean Kelly
Parker, Remsen & Sullivan
P. O. Box 4449
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732-249-1200
Staff of 27
AFW

"Our procedures have been invaluable in training our new employees. I am thrilled at the ability to go in and refer to and print the procedures. The money was well-invested. We did not know much about your role as a consultant until we really got into this. I made the recommendation, and I am very pleased - a worthwhile investment. I know the managers, too, feel the time and money were a very worthwhile investment. Also, we never had anything in place for accounting. It made Marie very nervous. Overall, it was excellent. I want to compliment you for staying right with us and for the excellent service. I have been involved in the agency business for quite a number of years, and this is the first agency I have had a formalized procedural manual. It's a comfortable feeling knowing we have a reference to go back to."
"As well, the owners now have more appreciation of what the staff does. The producers did not realize what is really involved until looking at these procedures."
Walter Petersen

"It has been a good education for me - always being an outside guy. When you are outside you do not see what is going on day-to-day. It has helped standardize what we need to do here. A new person coming on board has a good reference. It will be helpful in training and will help us to avoid E & O. This has been a good process."
Sean Kelly

Carol Kowalski
Barbara Musil
Van Tol, Magennis & Lang, Inc.
P. O. Box 157
Grand Rapids, MI 49501-0157
616-949-4250
Staff of 18
AFW

Veronica Della Porta
The Della Porta Group
3112 St. Johns Bluff Road South
Jacksonville, FL 32246
904-646-0310
Staff of 11
AFW

Allison Hill
Mark S. Williamson
Mark V. Williamson Co., Inc.
P. O. Box 7503
Little Rock, AR 72217
501-664-7728
Staff of 11
AFW

"Definitely great for a new employee. When we have new employees we never have enough time to sit down and train them well."
Mark S. Williamson

"The procedural process is a time saver, you learn to do things a quicker way, a more efficient way. All employees are getting on the same page."
Allison Hill

Daryl Holt
Donoho, Holt, & Legge Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 8
Gallatin, TN 37066
615-230-7704
Staff of 15
AMS Prime

"The main thing is that we know the processes are there and employees understand this is how we do things. They do not have to come to me for every little thing. I can go out and sell again. We have a way everyone does things the same way. I can feel comfortable knowing things are being done to prevent E & O. Getting things organized was what we needed the most. I have been trying to get this done since 1997. This has sped up the process."

Daryl Holt

Ed Wright
Susan Kane
W. J. Cox Associates. Inc.
9600 Main Street, Suite 3
Clarence, NY 14031
716-759-9606
Staff of 28
Applied Vision

“It is already working. Employees are already referencing the procedures for questions.”
W. J.

“Throughout the process the people involved learned ways to do things more efficiently.”
Susan Kane

Gar Reese
Nancy Reese
Moody Agency, Inc.
P. O. Box 598
Venice, FL 34284
941-493-1583
Staff of 3
Applied

“Standardization and E & O are the major benefit. With six people doing things a little different, these procedures will generally keep employees on the same page.”
Gar Reese

“We are already utilizing our procedures for training purposes. The procedures are a resource for existing employees. We have, also, clarified and improved areas within the agency.”
Nancy Reese

Sam Clark
Kathi Earnhart
Mary Cristaudo
Dale Barton Agency
1100 East 6600 South Suite 400
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
801-288-1600
Staff of 24
Applied Vision

Art Glasgow
Peck-Glasgow Agency, Inc.
P. O. Box 427
Hartselle, AL 35640
256-773-2210
Staff of 14
Applied On Line

 “It has actually caused us to evaluate how we are doing things, we noticed differences, and have moved toward a more standardized system picking up things that can be done better and more efficiently. Also, I noticed the staff interaction was good. It did create questions about why we actually do something that way.”

Art Glasgow

Sharon Gibbons
Mat Tilghman Jr.
Hanna, Kremer, & Tilghman
One Plaza East, Suite 100
Salisbury, MA 21801
410-749-4711
Staff of 16
Applied

“I met with some resistance; however, I have had positive feedback. One employee stated originally she did not feel she needed to be in the meetings but now she was learning one or two different things in every meeting. Also, several employees have referenced the procedures just to make sure things were being done right”
Sharon Gibbons

“It has been helpful. I have already referenced the procedures rather than going to ask someone. This is an evolving process. We really needed to get back to standards.”
Mat Tilghman Jr.

I just wanted to share a little success story with our “Procedures”! Sandy (our receptionist) ALWAYS takes care of the postage machine but she’s on vacation this week. In the middle of putting postage on our outgoing mail, the machine ran out of postage and they came to me to “fix” it. I don’t know anything about the machine (I keep my eye on enough machinery around here) J - so I told them to go check the Procedures and Sandy had detailed instructions on what to do!!!!! YEA!!!!
Sharon Gibbons

Joleen Hart
Barlow Agency, Inc.
P. O. Box 819
Gillette, WY 82717-0819
307-682-9397
Staff of 24
Applied

Terri Hinojosa
Richard Minor
Insurance Services
Hannibal, MO 63401
573-221-8484
Staff of 20

Applied

"With 25 people working in 5 different locations, we knew we had some disparity on how things were done. We were amazed at how much we had. The process has helped us to identify a lot of needs within the agency especially with our outer offices. They just did not see the need to do things the way we needed them done, or they weren't doing things at all. The process identified where our problems were and the things we needed to address. The process also helped us to identify the most time effective way to do things within our Agency Management System, as we found that there were usually 2 to 3 ways to do most everything in the system and we had people using every way possible. Going through this process is challenging and can be time consuming, but it is so very worth it in the end. Our employees have less complaints about our agency management system now, and that makes it worth it!!"
Terri Hinojosa

"We now have a checklist to make sure things are being done. The process has made people think more on how processes need to be handled efficiently."
Richard Minor

Rita Leazer
John Riley
Central Carolina Insurance Agency
Box 4078
Salisbury, NC 28145
704-664-3973 (Rita)
704-636-5311 (John)
Staff of 27
Applied

Crayton Kale
IFS Insurance
P. O. Box 112
Lincolnton, NC 28093
704-732-4646
Staff of 3
DORIS

Robynne Olson
Eric Olson
Olson, Inc.
1835 Forest Office Park, Suite D
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-626-1600
Staff of 5
DORIS

"When we first started talking I had mentioned I came from a different background. This process enlightened me to all of the procedures that should be in an agency that were not in ours - to know why and how things were done - where our exposures were - which made me a better manager."
Robynne Olson

"Everybody was pretty much winging it in whatever they needed to do the task. It was driving me crazy. I think it has been wonderful. We are going to hold their feet to the fire in all areas. I think it has been great! Also, this process will be especially great for new staff."
Eric Olson