Happy Wednesday, we hope that everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend. In this week's Big I Buzz, we discuss a new study finding that agents can do more to service their clients' needs, Amazon getting FAA approval to deliver packages via drones and an insurance company who claims to be the first with a work from home discount.

Insurance Company Claims to be the First With a Work From Home Discount

Elephant Insurance, based in Virginia, has announced to offer its policyholders and their spouses discounts for driving less during the pandemic. According to Insurance Business, "In a move that the direct-to-consumer insurance company claims is a national first, the Admiral Group company doesn't require any telematics devices, just a statement explaining the number of days that their customers now work without commuting to the office." The new discount scheme will start in Indiana and Tennessee from October 14, Illinois, Maryland, Ohio, Texas and Virginia for policy renewals after October 19th, according to Insurance Business. Learn more here.

Amazon Gets FAA Approval to Deliver Packages By Drone

The Federal Aviation Administration officially designated Amazon an "air carrier" on Monday, paving the way for Amazon to start testing its plans to drop off packages within 30 minutes, according to the New York Post. Amazon will begin testing customer deliveries for packages under 5 pounds with drones. According to the New York Post, "For Amazon to effectively rely on drones for regular deliveries, it must be able to pre-program the drone's routes and let them fly without human pilots watching their every move, but US regulations don't currently allow for completely autonomous flights, Bloomberg reported. The FAA would also have to develop a new air-traffic system to track low-altitude drone flights, as well as come up with rules to minimize the risk of drones striking other aircraft and disturbing human activity below." Read more about Amazon's move to deliver via drones here. 

Agents Could Do More to Service Clients' Needs, Study Finds

A study from Nationwide's largest Agent Authority research surveyed 2,600 U.S. independent insurance agents, small-business owners, mid-market business owners, mid-market business owners with fleet vehicles and general consumers between June 9 and June 25 to understand what business owners and consumers value in their insurance relationships. The survey revealed there's a perception gap in the value agents believe they are bringing to their customers, according to Property Casualty 360. According to the article, "In one example, 95 percent of insurance agents said they are always there when their clients need them, but only 79% of customers felt the same. Similarly, 94% of agents reported they are regularly checking in with their customers; however, only 69% of customers said they receive sufficient check-ins from their agent."The survey also found that there's a need for expertise in the following lines of business, in addition to property and casualty support: 

"•26% of consumers want guidance on retirement planning

• 39% of small-business owners want help with business interruption or disaster planning

• 35% of small-business owners are interested in safety and loss control resources

• 18% of small-business consumers want information on cybersecurity and retirement," according to Property Casualty 360. Read more about the study and its findings here. 

For more news, check out the Action News section of our weekly e-newsletter Big I Buzz.  If you aren't subscribed, click here  to add your email to our emailing list. We hope that everyone has a great rest of their week!