Insurance Agency CRM Features Checklist

How to use this checklist

Score each item 0 (missing), 1 (partly) or 2 (works well) for each system you evaluate, and ask for a live demonstration of the items that matter most to your agency. For background on how a CRM relates to an AMS, read AMS vs. insurance CRM. At DarkHorse AMS the insurance CRM tools are part of the agency management system, not a separate product.

1. Client and household records

Individuals, households and businesses in one structure, with related contacts
Policies, carriers and expiration dates visible on the client record
Documents, notes and quotes filed to the client automatically
Duplicate detection and a safe way to merge duplicate clients
Search that finds a client by name, phone, email, address or policy number

2. Leads and pipeline

A place for every new lead, with a source so you know where business comes from
Stages from new to quoted to bound, and a clear view of what is stuck
Assignment to a producer, with an alert when a lead has gone untouched
A way to convert a lead into a client without retyping
Quotes attached to the lead, so follow-up starts from real numbers (see comparative rater)

3. Tasks and notes

Tasks that belong to the client, not to one person's inbox, so work survives vacations and turnover
Due dates, reminders and a simple view of what is overdue
Notes with a time stamp and an author

4. Email, phone and text

Email that files to the client record, with your agency's signature
An incoming-call pop-up that shows who is calling and their policies
Templates for the messages you send every week
Clear records of what was sent, to whom and when

5. Retention and renewals

A renewal list with enough lead time to call before the policy renews
A check-back process that records the outcome of each renewal conversation
Automated touches such as birthday and holiday emails and new-policy thank-yous
Reports on cancellations and non-renewals so you can see what is slipping away

6. Client self-service

A portal where clients see policies and download ID cards
Certificate requests handled by the client rather than by staff
Your logo, colors and agency name rather than the vendor's

7. Reporting

Pipeline and production by producer and by source
Renewal and retention reporting
Exports in a format you can open anywhere, so you are never locked in

8. Permissions and data ownership

Roles that limit who can see or change what
A clear answer on where the data lives and what you can export on request
An audit trail for changes to client and policy records

9. The things a generic CRM can't do

If a CRM is not built for insurance, check how much of the following you would have to build or buy elsewhere: policy and expiration tracking, commission statements and producer splits, ACORD 25 certificates, and carrier downloads. See also IVANS and carrier downloads.

10. Cost and support

All-in monthly price at your headcount, and what happens when you add a user
Who you speak to when something breaks
What it costs and how long it takes to move your existing contacts and leads in

Common mistakes when evaluating the CRM side

Judging by a demo database. Ask to see the system with data that looks like yours: households with several policies, businesses with several contacts.
Ignoring how work is handed off. Test what happens when a producer is out for a week. Can someone else see every task and note without hunting?
Counting features instead of daily use. A long feature list matters less than whether your team will actually open the screen every morning.
Forgetting the exit. Ask how you would get your contacts, notes and leads out if you leave.

Scoring your results

Total the scores and look at the gaps, not only the sum. A system with a perfect pipeline but no renewal process is a poor fit for an agency that lives on retention. Use the comparison worksheet to put pricing next to the features. If you want to see how DarkHorse AMS handles each item, book a demo and bring this list.

Insurance agency CRM features checklist for buyers