Education

​​By Jim Lombardo, CPCU, AAI, AIM, MBA, AVP of Learning & Development​ According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 24.9% of the U.S. population over the age of 16 volunteered at least once in the past year. In 2011, this percentage was 26.8%, and in 2005 it was 28.8%.  I have personally experienced this with a local insurance industry group- The Utica CPCU Society. For the past few years we have had the same small group of people volunteering to be officers and to help with events and activities. We have also experienced a decrease in attendance at our regularly scheduled meetings. This is both…

​By Jim Lombardo, CPCU, AAI, AIM, MBA, AVP of Learning & Development​ According to Wikipedia, the definition of “customer service" is : the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. Now what I find funny about that…

​By Jim Lombardo, CPCU, AAI, AIM, MBA, AVP of Learning & Development​​ Arnold Palmer, the legendary golfer, once said, “Timing is everything in life and in golf!"​ Well, while we certainly have had some mild winter temperatures here in the north east, it is still not time for golf. However, I have always felt that timing does indeed play a role in many situations. That being said, I also firmly believe we make our own opportunities. We all are in a tremendous industry- what we have chosen to do for a career- help people manage the risks in their lives and help them protect what is…