customer service representative

sales representative

insurance agent

claims adjuster

sales specialist

American Family Insurance

I hate reading reviews that don't say much. Here's an honest assessment. The company overall is a good company. I have worked for some poor companies in the past and this is much better than all of those. The frustration with the company is that in its regional offices, there is very limited opportunity for growth and movement. Once you are in the casualty operations, there are rarely positions that open for growth and when there are, there about 25 people going for one position. And they usually hire based on tenure and how well the person is liked by management; it is not based on talent and performance. That becomes very discouraging. If, however, you're willing to move to the Midwest; namely Madison where the company is based or Minnesota which is a fairly large hub office, then you have opportunity for growth and advancement. The company does restructure and reorganization frequently and people get displaced. In fact, my current department is experiencing this and we all have to reapply for our current jobs. There are now only 23 positions available and 26 current adjusters. This seems to happen every couple of years. 

There are many who complain about the workload. I happen to be quite efficient and am able to get through my inventory each day. I have quite a bit of downtime each day as a result. However, I guess I'm an exception as there are many who work very long hours and since we're all salary, there is no opportunity for overtime. Our department has been short staffed for over a year and this has been a bone of contention for as long as I remember. 

The good is that you do get quite a bit of time off. You have a set schedule, but the managers are not all that concerned if you come in a few minutes late or need to adjust your schedule on a particular day to accommodate doctor's appointments, kids related things, etc. Also, you work only 9 days every 2 weeks. The flex days become quite enjoyable. 

In conclusion, the company is great if you're okay with status quo and do not aspire to advance in your position. Also, if you don't mind relocating to the Midwest, and you want to advance, then this is not a bad place to work. The relocation packages they offer are pretty generous. However, they are very stingy when it comes to pay increases, so it does take a long time to get to the max of your pay grade. So it depends on your situation. It can be an awesome company for the right person. Unfortunately for me, I have no desire to relocate to Wisconsin or Minnesota, so I've hit the ceiling at this particular office.

A bulk of employees are going to be call center thankfully is all virtual. However we are currently plagued with endless amounts of IT and tech issues that end up hurting us. Ever since the acquisition of Ameriprise insurance into the Am fam family its gone downhill technology-wise. It's not only impacts agent productivity but it also impacts service requirements, and due to the partnership with Costco lately this has required both sales and service to do mandatory overtime sometimes with as little as three to four days notice. It is made work life balance extremely hard pretty much we have all stopped planning things after work because it's never guaranteed anymore. Communication has always been a huge disadvantage with this organization going back as far as 2015. Departments and leadership do not adequately communicate causing bottlenecks and confusion. Typically in my experience my direct management team leads have been very good and great to work with, sadly they end up being restricted by upper management on what they can bend the rules on. For the most part most of the team leads are going to be very supportive of you. The workplace culture has had its ups and downs there's a lot of random shifts in ideals that confuse many people. The hardest part about the job has to be the work life balance, you can pretty much forget about getting PTO time approved on a Friday or a Monday, because of the tight service levels most of us can put PTO time in 9 months in advance and be 15th in line and not find out until maybe the day of if it's approved. Overall the pay is probably the higher of those in the industry and most agents on the sale side will typically make some form of variable compensation payout at the end of each month but no annual bonuses anymore. Many employees have severe resentment and have shown significant decreases in mental health quality, followed by constant changes in attendance programs that end up squeezing employees thin. To someone who's a new hire things might look better compared to the job you come from, but if you end up on the call center side you're probably going to be stuck here for a while unless you have prior management experience or a degree. I've seen countless employees be passed up for promotions when they are highly qualified, or positions being turned down because they weren't within a hub location even though a job postings will say hybrid / remote as an option. Overall directly CONNECT Will be remote for most people but any further advancement beyond leadership is a question. 

Prices are not competitive in the insurance market. Computer systems are antiquated and difficult to use. After being hired with the assumption that I would start the agent-in-training program in four months, I was told that I could not be employed by Am-Fam due to a misdemeanor charge from eight years ago that had been expunged from my record. I had disclosed the charge on my application prior to accepting employment with Am-Fam, and was told by my hiring agent that it was not a problem. I had already obtained my P&C license and had been working in the insurance industry for more than two years before I became employed with Am-Fam. After working for industry giants like Farmers, JP Morgan Chase and BBVA Compass, I've found that Am-Fam is still the only company who has had an issue with this. After some confusion, Am-Fam's legal department said that all issues were cleared up, but the district manager pressured my sponsoring agent to fire me anyway. Eventually I was "laid off," along with the agency's other employee, because the agent could not afford to pay my salary. A year later, while employed with another insurance agency, I got a call from an employee who worked for the same agent and was going through the same thing- getting laid off because the agent couldn't afford to pay her. That agent has since left the company, claiming they didn't pay what she'd been promised after she inherited a book of business from yet another agent. I later worked with a successful personal banker who had gone through something similar with Am-Fam and had been forced to shutter her agency after Am-Fam didn't pay the commissions they'd promised. The entire situation was so disorganized and confusing. I was only employed with the company two months, but after seeing all the fallout discussed by former Am-Fam agents and employees as well as my own personal experience, I could not in good conscience recommend this company to anyone.

I have been here for 20+ years & I quit because they treat employees like dirt. It is not worth the stress they put you through. You are disposable. The culture has changed dramatically over the last 2-3 years. It is open season on the front line field adjusters. They have large territories & claims are dumped on them especially when there are storms. 12 hour days are necessary to keep your head above water. Adjusters are required to issue a payment within 10.5 days of receiving the claim. If not, management will come down hard on them regardless how far you have to travel or even if there are legitimate reasons for a delayed payment. Your name will be on monthly reports regarding your time standards. Management will audit files quarterly & they look for any minor infraction to document & put it in your file. They also have a dept. that randomly calls customers & they evaluate the adjusters service. Their opinions are used against you & again, there are reports that show your ratings that are reviewed every week at your weekly team "huddle".  The weekly "huddle" is used to display reports and show who is dragging the team numbers down. To keep our sanity, these weekly meetings were referred to "the weekly beatings will continue until moral improves".

 A typical day at work will start around 7 am to 7 pm. Travel days would routinely be long in order to get as many inspections completed as possible. I usually would get home at 8 or 9 pm. It is difficult to do damage assessments because management will challenge your evaluation & make you to be cheap on the repairs. You will have to convince the customer that your estimate is correct & the contractor should do it for your price. 

In short, you have to deal with constant conflict with management, customer & contractor. Some managers do not have a problem with throwing their subordinates under the bus.

Pay & benefits are good, it is your call to determine if the stress & anxiety is worth it. If you have a family, expect that they will take 2nd place to the Amfam customers.

The Good:  Very good benefits from Day 1.  They annually put money in your HSA and 401K accounts if you qualify, which isn’t hard.  Work from home, the biggest plus of all, considering the office in Phoenix is at I-17 and Dunlap, a very dicey area.  In fact, they closed the building down one day because someone fired a shot into the 4th floor window one morning and the place had to be evacuated, leaving Customer Solutions badly shorthanded.

The Bad:  The majority of the calls are from Progressive customers, some looking for mostly renters insurance, some home insurance.  A lot of them are transferred to get the “bundling discount” Progressive claims on their commercials, some don’t know why they were transferred.  Must be a quota Progressive agent must make to get some sort of bonus, pretty shady IMO.  And a lot don’t have money.  Homesite really stresses selling flood insurance and dings your bonus if you sell less than 2 a month.  It’s a government insurance program, $25 billion in the red.  Not a great program to bank your company’s future on.  And, you have the “authority” to do Customer Solutions tasks, which dings your conversion rate, a bonus metric as well.  That’s because they want you give the sales toll-free number at the end of the call.  Not a good idea.

The Ugly:  Where to start?  The bonuses have evaporated the last year and a half, I took a 20% pay cut as a result.  Any project they attempt becomes a dumpster fire, including attempting to roll out a new soft phone system that had major issues for weeks, even months.  Other projects include an ill-fated and badly planned program to sell auto and home insurance to Wells Fargo customer and taking months to give tenured agents requested optimal schedules.  When I left the company, I was sent incorrect information on where to apply and pay for COBRA, leaving me in peril of having no medical benefits for up to 18 months.  Unprofessional and unacceptable.

In closing if you like to make no more than $50,000, put up with a lot of losers calling, and deal with this company’s ongoing chaos, apply!  Good luck!

A typical day at work included Administrative Support duties as follows:  answering a multi-line phone system screening & transferring incoming calls to the appropriate personnel; processing Personal Property & Casualty Applications; Agent/Producer assistance; delinquent notice follow-ups; verbal & written correspondence to customer inquiries, completing personal insurance client reviews; processing reports; and customer payment processing.

I learned to be very flexible during my seven year tenure with American Family.  I obtained my Property, Casualty prior to joining American Family Insurance and obtained my Life Insurance License during my tenure with American Family.  I learned how to managed multiple system applications to service American Family existing & prospect clients.  I learned how to Manage & organize my workload with proficiency in a timely manner and with the utmost privacy & care.

The workplace culture was very well organized, managed and team oriented with excellent systems & tools in place.  The workplace provided excellent time management & training.

The hardest part of the job was the ability to adapt to a different way of management for each of the nine different Agent's I worked under in my seven year tenure with American Family Insurance.  Change is difficult sometimes, however I proved my loyalty to the American family by learning to adapt to each situation.

The most enjoyable part of my job was being recognized by the company for my hard work & dedication.  I am also very grateful for the loyalty my district manager showed me by always finding a new place for me within the district when an agent I was employed by had failed their position.

I normally get to work at a little before 9:00 a.m. I run a report that pulls all customers that are past due on their payment or getting ready to cancel. I look into each one to see how late they are and how much they owe. I call each customer and either talk to them or leave a message. I put a note in each of their accounts that I called and what was discussed. I take payment from anyone that is able to pay. If they are not able to pay, I let them know what date they have until to pay. I answer all incoming calls and deal with them appropriately. Normally calls are either to make a payment, which I can take care of, or to talk to the agent. I transfer them to the agent or schedule an appointment if that is what they are wanting. My desk is located in right inside the front door. I greet customers, help them if I can, or see if the agent is available if that is what is needed. I upload document into customer's files, fax requested information, update customer info as needed, update policies as needed, mail any requested information to customers, and reply to emails or any missed calls. 

In the time I have worked here I have tested and passed the tests to get my Casualty and Life insurance license. I am able to do quotes for auto insurance for the agent. I am also able to do life insurance quotes, but do not do them often. 

The agent I work for is a very easy person to get along with. The office is a casual atmosphere. I normally wear jeans and a nice shirt and dress shoes to work. It is a small office and I have a good relationship with all of our customers. I know most of them by name when they come in and enjoy talking to them and getting to know them. 

The hardest part of my job is the pay. I don't get paid if I don't work. I don't get paid sick days, vacation time, or holidays. The best part of my job is getting to know our customers. I love interacting with them.

A typical day in agency is looking at what is happening in the agency.  Looking at policy lapses and cancels and calling those people. Following up with people we had already met with to see if we had earned their business. Checking emails from corporate as well as customers.  Following up on leads and referrals and scheduling appointments for potential new customers.  Delegating tasks to staff.  Meeting with staff to see where we were at for the week on our sales goals.  Meeting with customers that came in for questions or were paying bills.  Answering many, many phone calls.  Following up on claims with customers to make sure they were being taken care of properly.

What I learned in agency over the years was how to accommodate to any personality and build relationships from the ground up and keep them over the years.  I also learned to multi task.  An insurance agency is a fast paced multi task environment that is ever changing.  I also learned how to sell myself.  People did not buy from American Family, they bought from me because I had formed a relationship and they trusted me.  I also learned to resolve conflict.  Many times customers thought things should be covered that were not.  When an adjuster would tell them no, they would than call me upset.  You have to let people vent and empathize with them before you can defuse the problem.  The other important thing I learned was how to manage and train staff.  There is a vast amount of information to know in an insurance agency so it really takes about six month of training to get someone up to speed.

I worked in Services (lots of background work with agents, no customer contact) and the job itself was great. The schedule was rather flexible: you have to be in sometime between 7 and 9AM, but when you arrive during that time is up to you, you will simply need to adjust what time you leave according to when you come in. They also give you the options of what's called a 5/4 schedule, meaning one week you work regular hours 5 days a week and the following week you work extended hours and get one day off or half of a day off. You get all major holidays off as well as some additional days (Black Friday, additional days of the holiday is on a weekend, etc.) I loved that the company allowed us the opportunity to create solutions and alternative procedures for problem areas within the job, but it was often pushed too hard. Essentially, it felt as if we were being asked to create a problem simply to fix it sometimes. When advancement became available, to put it plainly, the wrong people were promoted. Consistently, people who did things incorrectly or didn't do their job at all were promoted to higher positions, and perhaps the biggest point of frustration was that managers were promoted from other departments. Underwriters or policy and procedure employees were promoted into services with little training, so they couldn't efficiently manage their team as they didn't fully understand what their team did on a day to day basis. Overall, I enjoyed my time with the company and would have continued to work if I hadn't moved.

Long hours, frustrating claims system where there is more work-arounds than functionality, metrics created by upper management that are VERY out of touch with what an adjuster needs to function in a sane, customer serving way.  Metrics that are all-important one day cease to exist the next and are replaced with something equally ridiculous.  Adjusters are supposed to work from a claims handling checklist.  No ability to exercise claims handling discretion for customer satisfaction/customer retention/claim resolution purposes.

Claims/call center/rental department/underwriting work in silos dictated by their department metrics and checklists.  Checklists create an “it’s not my job” mentality, which means the customer does not get what they need until someone takes the initiative to get it done, knowing they will get dinged for trying to help the customer.

Adjusters are poorly trained and learn as they go along from other adjusters that were trained the same way.  This is not their fault.  They don’t know what they don’t know.  Advancement is based more on whether you go along to get along and if you’ve joined enough non-essential committees (think Christmas party committee).

The only thing constant there is change, which is called “innovation”.  It’s change for change’s sake which places unnecessary stress on adjusters that need consistency to get the job done correctly, in an efficient manner.



Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Customer service representative 87 salaries reported	$20.00 per hour
Sales representative 12 salaries reported	$38,350 per year
Insurance agent 52 salaries reported	$59,732 per year
Claims adjuster 28 salaries reported	$68,759 per year
Sales specialist 17 salaries reported	$47,971 per year

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