Type in “insurance quote” into any web browser and you will get over 225,000,000 results in 0.41 seconds (thanks, Google). Between auto, health, Medicare, life, dental, disability and other products, consumers can research or purchase all of their insurance coverage within minutes.

The number of carriers and quote aggregators vying for a single lead is staggering. So, knowing the competitive nature of online quote requests, why would a carrier provide the following response after receiving a quote request from a potential policy holder?

I am not going to name the carrier who provided this response, but I must say I was shocked (and embarrassed) by the result. I entered my information into the life insurance calculator and was ready to submit information to learn more about the product. Way to make a girl feel wanted in this world! I had done a similar exercise with other life insurance calculators, and each time the result came back with recommendations for substantial coverage.

As a marketer, I support efficiencies in marketing dollars, and prospecting to consumers with the greatest potential for conversion and profit. In this case, the total expenditure from the carrier was zero. I typed the carrier name into my browser. Maybe there was a glitch in the program, but someone should have programmed a response that offered some coverage, instead of prompting me to try again.

If the carrier did not have a product that fit my needs, I would understand. I would expect, if that were the case, to be directed to another page that provides product information or insurance coverage. At the very least, I would respect a response that stated that the carrier could not meet my needs at this time. Again, the same information made me a viable policy holder for 4 other companies. If I had submitted my information to a quote aggregator, I know my phone would be ringing for weeks with competitive quotes for all types of coverage.

I know my inquiry would not have resulted in new premium for this carrier, so nothing lost – nothing gained. But how many organizations turn down a free prospect, especially when we all have the ability to share our experiences and opinions with the entire world with just a few key strokes? You can bet that I shared this story with all of my insurance clients, my family & friends and business associates. It certainly did not garner any positive feelings for any of them. Word of mouth is such a powerful tool for brand management, and this was a wasted opportunity.

In this competitive landscape, I am surprised that a carrier would turn away a free prospect. At the very least, they could have circled back to me at a later time, perhaps when I had a change in marital status or purchased a new home. What a wasted opportunity for them, and a great blog topic for me!