News

With all of this fine early spring weather, I am noticing a lot more fitness activity going on around the Tuscano Agency. Employees are going out at lunchtime to walk or run, there are fitness tips at the weekly staff meeting, and I see people sharing healthy recipes on the company intranet. (Cookie dough dip made out of white beans? Yuck – I mean - interesting.) Somewhere along the line, staying ahead turned into just keeping up. 

Late last year, I discovered maintenance is as necessary as new construction. In other words, after nearly 5 years of quoting contractor business online and building great tools for our craft and trade contractor program, we found the need to go offline for a period of time in order to revamp the product, as well as the rater. Earlier this month our renovations were finally completed! I am very pleased to let you know that online rating for contractors is back ‘online’!

If you haven’t found your way to our website recently, you really ought to give it a go. We offer rates online for 54 different classes of contractors. As you know, contractors come in all shapes and sizes. You may think of Tuscano for carpenters, roofers, and landscapers – basically the building trades; but, if you take a look at the list of classes on our website, you can get an online quote for blacksmiths, piano tuners, or interior decorators.

Our online rater is available to you 24/7, which means you get fast quotes when you need them. The rater accommodates new ventures with prior work experience, use of sub-contractors, and includes options for tool and installation floaters. After selecting your class, there is only 1 screen to complete, so you could literally produce a quote and provide it to your customer while they are on the phone or in your office. Binding is as simple as collecting money and sending your bind request in to our underwriters.

They say time is money, so Tuscano is working to make it easier for you to do business with us. I am positive that you will love the new contractor rater and all of the other online rating and business tools you find at Tuscano.com. If you haven’t been to visit us lately, right now would be a good time to check us out. Start on the R2U Toolbox and you’ll have a full menu of options.

Business is picking up – our submissions are up over 10% for the year. I’ve been through enough market cycles to recognize the trends. Standard carriers are starting to raise prices on their renewals and you may need to look for alternative pricing for a client. We love this type of business and I would encourage you to pick up the phone and talk to a Tuscano underwriter before you go to the effort of sending an application. A two-minute phone call can save you from unnecessary work. We can let you know what our markets are, what kind of submission the carrier will require, what application to send, and possibly even a ballpark on the pricing. Tell your underwriter what you are up against, and they'll tell you what they think they can do and how long it will take. It’s a win-win proposition. 

As always, we do appreciate your business and the relationships we are building in the process. Please remember Tuscano is closed Friday, April 6th for the Easter holiday. Have a wonderful weekend and think about your own renewal!