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Meeting: Marilyn Bothello - Senior Account Handler Interview

Date: 2025-11-26 Attendee: Marilyn Bothello (MB) - Senior Account Handler Interviewer: TD (Tom) Manager: Martine (Operations Director) with Rakesh Collaborates with: Rhys (for Quote Searcher inquiries) Location: Remote (Marilyn working from home, recovering from flu) Tenure: Started January 2023, approaching 3 years

Overview

Marilyn is a Senior Account Handler (promoted from Account Handler) who primarily deals with Property Owners Insurance but can handle other classes. She manages her own book of business for renewals and also handles new business inquiries from the Quote Searcher platform, which she shares with Rhys. Marilyn is notably proactive about sales, marketing, and process improvement - she's created her own proposal forms and is actively involved in content creation for the company's website and LinkedIn.

Current Workflow & Tools

Primary Tools

  1. Excel Spreadsheet (central tracking tool)
  2. Six-month renewal tracking spreadsheet
  3. Generated by Martine and Rakesh from Acturis
  4. Color-coded system for visual status tracking
  5. Includes deadline dates and actual completion dates

  6. Personal notes column for risk details

  7. Acturis (system of record)

  8. Policy management
  9. "Invite to Client" and "Recommended to Client" workflow tracking
  10. Version history for insurer tracking

  11. Remarket function to link renewal quotes

  12. E-Trade (majority of her book - ~70%)

  13. Most of her renewal book is e-trade

  14. Only ~30% manual renewals

  15. Insurer Portals (for non e-trade business)

  16. Manual data entry across different insurer systems
  17. Each insurer has different question sets

  18. Copy-paste from proposal forms

  19. Quote Searcher Platform (new business)

  20. Competitive quote platform with 20-30 brokers
  21. Receives 10-20 inquiries per month (shared with Rhys)

  22. Highly competitive, first-come-first-served environment

  23. AI Tools

  24. Uses ChatGPT (free version previously, partner has subscription)
  25. Has tested ChatGPT for content creation
  26. Skeptical about value of paid subscription based on testing
  27. Not aware of Claude AI

Excel Spreadsheet Color-Coding System

Marilyn demonstrated the detailed color-coding: - White: Nothing done yet - Pink: Pre-renewal review sent out - Orange/Amber: Renewal invitation sent to client - Blue: Policy documents sent, all work completed - Green: Invoiced - Red: Lapsed

Spreadsheet columns include: - Contact name - Product type - Renewal date - Six-week approach deadline date - Renewal status (color-coded) - Deadline dates for each step - Actual dates when work completed - Notes section (Marilyn's personal addition)

Renewal Process Detail

Excel Spreadsheet Management

Six-month generation cycle: - Martine and Rakesh generate spreadsheets from Acturis - Cover 6-month periods (e.g., January-July) - Arrive as "clear white sheet" with just names and dates - Handlers add statuses and notes as they progress - Marilyn waiting for her December/January spreadsheet at time of interview

Hidden columns: - Marilyn hides "unnecessary" filter boxes that confuse her - Customizes view to what makes sense for her workflow

Personal notes column: - Marilyn adds notes at pre-renewal stage - Documents key risk details: "Six properties, content risk, Buildings declared value 450" - Flags claims: "Escape of water claim 12,000" - Helps estimate time required for renewal - Makes Martine's oversight easier

Rationale for notes: - "Very easy to miss things when you're working on a lot of renewals" - Does quick file review ("swipe of the file") at pre-renewal stage - Looks for ongoing claims or unusual situations - Helps her and Martine understand file complexity

Acturis Workflow Features

"Invite to Client" function: - Marilyn uses this feature (acknowledges not everyone in company does) - Tracks date renewal invite sent to client - Shows policy status as "Recommended to Client"

"Remarket" function: - Links new quotes to existing policy - Shows market comparison with all approached insurers and premiums - Version history shows previous insurers across years - Critical for accounting - without it, shows as new business incorrectly

Process Marilyn demonstrated: 1. Check renewal spreadsheet for upcoming deadlines 2. Open policy in Acturis 3. Review file at pre-renewal stage 4. Approach market (e-trade or manual) 5. Select "Recommended quote" from options 6. Mark as "Invited to Client" in Acturis 7. Send renewal documents to client 8. Update Excel spreadsheet with dates 9. Chase client if needed 10. Bind policy upon client instructions 11. Send policy documents 12. Update both Acturis and Excel as complete

Excel-Acturis Synchronization Issue

Critical discovery: The spreadsheet and Acturis are NOT linked

Example Marilyn cited: - Had a policy showing on renewal list in Excel - Policy had actually been cancelled mid-term - Acturis showed cancellation, but spreadsheet didn't - Spreadsheet generated 6 months prior doesn't pick up mid-term changes

Implication: Risk of working on renewals for policies that no longer exist

Case Study: Unoccupied Property Renewal

Marilyn walked through a live renewal she was working on:

Situation: - Client's property became unoccupied - Existing insurer (Zurich) increased premium dramatically - Previous year: £600 - Renewal quote: £2,300 (nearly 4x increase)

Insurance complexity: - Unoccupied properties have different rating factors - Coverage restrictions - not "wider perils" - Only covers: fire, lightning, explosion, aerial vehicles - Fewer insurers willing to quote

Marilyn's process: - Used "Remarket" function in Acturis - Links new quotes to renewal policy - Version history shows Zurich covered 2020-2023 - Proper linking critical for accounting accuracy

New Business: Quote Searcher Platform

Platform Overview

Quote Searcher is a competitive broker platform for property owners insurance, particularly converted block of flats in London.

Key characteristics: - 20-30 brokers compete for each inquiry - 10-20 inquiries per month received by EF - Split between Marilyn and Rhys - Highly time-sensitive - "first come first served" - Clients often can't find standard home insurance for their situation

Why clients use it: - Converting houses to block of flats in London is common - Falls between home insurance and property owners insurance - Multiple freeholders sharing ownership - Not enough insurers cover this niche - Good SEO drives clients to the platform - Clients think it's like "Compare the Market" but it's actually broker competition

Inquiry Process

What arrives in inquiry: - Basic client details (name, limited property info) - Often incomplete - might just have postcode, not full address - Consent information (newly introduced) - Date cover needed to start

Marilyn's response strategy:

  1. Speed is critical: "If I don't call the client in the first five seconds of receiving the inquiry, I've lost the inquiry"

  2. Email first approach:

  3. Sends immediate email with custom proposal form
  4. Includes inquiry details received for client confirmation
  5. Introduces EF and mentions "competitive markets"

  6. Attaches broker flyer with branding

  7. Strategic timing:

  8. If inquiry arrives 3 minutes before end of work - doesn't call

  9. Prioritizes inquiries that arrive during work hours

  10. Why email-first works:

  11. Impossible to reach client by phone (20 brokers calling simultaneously)
  12. Clients have told Marilyn: "I've had so many brokers ringing me back to back it's going crazy"
  13. Email "gets your foot in the door"
  14. Once client returns form, THEN she calls
  15. Client already engaged, conversation more productive

Quote: "It's like throwing spaghetti on a wall. You don't know if it's gonna stick. You just throw it."

Proposal Form Innovation

Marilyn's Custom Form Evolution

Marilyn created her own simplified proposal form for Quote Searcher inquiries - a significant process improvement initiative.

Original company form issues: - Very comprehensive and detailed - Overwhelming for clients unfamiliar with insurance - "If you're someone who's never dealt with insurance, you have a converted block of flats, this looks very technical for you and then you just kind of back out" - Used to send questions in email body (unprofessional)

Marilyn's improved form: - Streamlined and simplified - "Easy to the eye. It doesn't feel like a lot" - EF branding throughout - Professional appearance - Includes material facts declaration at end - Focuses on gaps in information from Quote Searcher inquiry

Approval process: - Created initial version using original form questions - Tommy (MD) signed off on it - Initially told she couldn't use it (had to call clients directly) - Persisted because calling impossible in competitive environment - Now uses it successfully

Multiple form iterations: - Created a second form combining Quote Searcher details with additional questions - Found it "too much" and "overwhelming" - Reverted to simpler version - Sometimes pre-fills risk address if time permits - Adapts based on what works

Proposal Form Gaps

Standard company form limitations: - Doesn't include date of birth (needed for individual policies) - Not all insurer portal requirements covered

Challenge of getting missing information: - Chasing clients difficult - Marilyn mentioned her Indian accent creates trust barriers - "People are thinking that oh my god, it might be a scam call" - Easier with existing clients who know her - Harder with new business inquiries

Marketing & Content Creation

Marilyn is notably engaged in marketing activities beyond her account handling role.

Current Involvement

Website management: - Company uses Wix.com - Marketing person set up templates - Marilyn duplicates previous posts and updates - "Copying pasting really" - admin rather than creation - Schedules posts for 30th of month - Also uploads to Google Profile

Content creation: - Enjoys creating content for website - Active on LinkedIn management - Writes blog posts - Previous marketing person helped with video uploads - Has personal YouTube channel (reviewed camera, got 700 views)

Branding focus: - Created broker flyer for new business pitches - "Small things matter" - signatures, branding - "Trying to build trust with the client" - Includes herself on team flyer

AI for Marketing Experimentation

ChatGPT for SEO: - Previous marketing person used ChatGPT subscription - Created YouTube video descriptions with SEO optimization - Showed Marilyn impressive prompts

Marilyn's skepticism: - Tested partner's paid ChatGPT vs. free version - "Literally more or less the same" - Didn't see value in £20/month subscription - One video without ChatGPT got 700 views vs. AI-optimized videos with less reach - "I just don't know what really works. I think it's just playing around and just winging it"

Not aware of Claude AI: - TD introduced her to Claude (claude.ai) - Currently has best model in world (Claude Sonnet) - TD suggested trying free version for rewording - Potential for Projects feature (upload examples of good writing for tone guidance)

Value proposition discussion: - TD suggested £20/month easily worth it for work usage - Paying creates more investment in learning tool properly - Better prompting and using advanced features - Could expense through work

Manual Work & Insurer Portals

Portal Data Entry Process

Multiple insurer portals used: - Each insurer has different web portal - Different question sets per insurer - No standardization

Data entry workflow: - Log into insurer portal - Add client information field by field - Copy from completed proposal form - Straightforward if proposal form complete - Cannot make assumptions - must "hold fire" if information missing

Reliance on proposal forms: - If client completes proposal form: easy - If client doesn't complete: process stops - "You can't make assumptions in insurance"

Time Impact

When TD asked about freeing up time from repetitive work:

Marilyn's response: Focus on sales and marketing

Quote: "I would rather look into new business because I feel I do like sales. So I think that kind of gives me like an adrenaline."

Preferred activities: - New business development - Sales (finds it energizing) - Marketing activities - LinkedIn content - Blog posts - Website content creation - General content creation

Key Pain Points Identified

1. Competitive New Business Environment

  • 5-second window to respond to inquiries
  • 20-30 brokers competing simultaneously
  • Impossible to reach clients by phone
  • High-pressure, uncertain conversion rate

2. Excel-Acturis Disconnection

  • Manual double-entry required
  • No synchronization between systems
  • Mid-term changes not reflected in spreadsheet
  • Risk of working on cancelled policies
  • Weekly reconciliation burden on Martine

3. Proposal Form Limitations

  • Company form too overwhelming for new clients
  • Doesn't capture all required information (e.g., date of birth)
  • Email body questions look unprofessional
  • Gaps remain even with custom forms

4. Trust Barriers in New Business

  • Accent creates suspicion on cold calls
  • "Scam call" concern from clients
  • Harder to build trust with new prospects
  • Link-clicking hesitancy

5. Insurer Portal Manual Entry

  • Repetitive data entry across multiple portals
  • Each portal has different requirements
  • Time-consuming copying and pasting
  • No automation possible currently

6. AI Tool Value Uncertainty

  • Unclear ROI on paid AI subscriptions
  • Mixed results from ChatGPT for SEO
  • Non-AI content sometimes performs better
  • Learning curve for effective prompting

Opportunities Identified

Immediate Quick Wins

  1. Quote Searcher Form Pre-Population
  2. TD suggested pre-filling Marilyn's form with data from Quote Searcher inquiry
  3. Would show client you already know their details
  4. Reduce friction and client effort

  5. Currently Marilyn sometimes does this manually "if time permits"

  6. Web Form Option for Proposals

  7. TD suggested link to web form instead of PDF
  8. Marilyn concerned about client trust/link-clicking hesitancy
  9. Could work for warm leads after initial contact

  10. Would enable auto-population and easier submission

  11. AI Tool Education

  12. Introduce Claude AI (Marilyn unaware of it)
  13. Better prompting training for existing ChatGPT
  14. Projects feature for tone/style consistency

  15. Work expense for professional subscription

  16. Excel-Acturis Integration

  17. Prevent spreadsheet-Acturis divergence
  18. Auto-flag mid-term cancelled policies
  19. Real-time synchronization
  20. Reduce double-entry burden

Medium-Term Opportunities

  1. Insurer Portal Automation
  2. RPA (Robotic Process Automation) for data entry
  3. Auto-populate from Acturis or proposal forms
  4. Significant time savings

  5. Free up time for sales/marketing

  6. Quote Searcher Response Automation

  7. Auto-send immediate response email
  8. Pre-populated form generation
  9. Faster than 5-second manual response

  10. Consistent professional presentation

  11. Proposal Form Intelligence

  12. AI to identify gaps in received information
  13. Smart follow-up question generation
  14. Flag missing fields before quoting

  15. Reduce back-and-forth

  16. Content Creation AI Assistance

  17. Better use of AI for blog posts
  18. LinkedIn content generation
  19. SEO optimization
  20. Free up creative time for strategy

Strategic Opportunities

  1. Sales Capacity Expansion
  2. Marilyn's passion is sales and marketing
  3. Currently bogged down in renewals admin
  4. Automation could shift her focus to business development

  5. Higher value use of her skills and energy

  6. Marketing Role Development

  7. Marilyn already creating content and managing social media
  8. Could formalize marketing responsibilities
  9. Reduce account handling load, increase marketing time

  10. Leverage her initiative and creativity

  11. Process Improvement Culture

  12. Marilyn already innovating (custom forms, email strategy)
  13. Encourage and systematize her improvements
  14. Share learnings across team

  15. Recognize process innovation

  16. New Business Platform Optimization

  17. Quote Searcher is working (10-20 inquiries/month)
  18. Optimize conversion rate
  19. Better automation of initial response
  20. Track success metrics more formally

Comparison with Other Interviews

Similarities with Lucy Leech

  1. Excel spreadsheet central to workflow - same color-coded system
  2. Six-month generation cycle by Martine
  3. Excel-Acturis disconnection - manual updates in both
  4. Acturis features underutilized - both acknowledge company doesn't fully use all features
  5. E-Trade vs. manual split - though Marilyn's is inverse (70% e-trade vs. Lucy's 25-30%)

Similarities with JL (HNW Handler)

  1. Insurer portal manual data entry - both cite as time-consuming
  2. Copy-paste from proposal forms - same workflow
  3. Different insurers, different question sets - standardization lacking
  4. Would prefer more business development time - both identify sales/prospecting as preferred activity

Unique Aspects of Marilyn's Role

  1. Quote Searcher platform - unique competitive new business channel
  2. Marketing involvement - unusual for account handler role
  3. Process innovation initiative - created own forms, tested approaches
  4. Content creation interest - website, LinkedIn, blog posts
  5. Sales passion - explicitly identifies as motivating factor
  6. Trust barriers - accent creating cold-call challenges (specific to her)

System & Process Insights

Excel Spreadsheet as Management Tool

Why it persists despite Acturis: - Visual color-coding easier than Acturis views - Manager (Martine) oversight simplified - Team visibility into each other's workload - Customizable (Marilyn hides columns, adds notes) - Better UX than Acturis dashboards

Cost of spreadsheet dependency: - Double data entry (Excel + Acturis) - Synchronization risk - Doesn't capture mid-term changes - Weekly reconciliation required - Not scalable

"Invite to Client" Feature Adoption

Marilyn's awareness: "I don't think a lot of people in the company do this step, but I do it"

Implication: Feature exists in Acturis, but adoption is inconsistent - Some people use it (Marilyn) - Others don't bother - No standardization enforced - Training gap or culture issue

Remarket Function Critical for Accounting

Marilyn's understanding: If remarket not done properly in Acturis, "it would reflect as new business" and "messes up things" in accounting

Process knowledge gap risk: - Critical for accurate revenue classification - Affects commission calculations - Financial reporting accuracy - Not everyone may know or do this correctly

Follow-Up Questions

  • How many insurer portals does Marilyn use regularly? Which ones?
  • What's the actual conversion rate from Quote Searcher inquiries?
  • How much time per week does Marilyn spend on marketing vs. account handling?
  • Could Marilyn's custom forms be adopted company-wide?
  • What percentage of Marilyn's renewals book is on Acturis task manager vs. spreadsheet-only?
  • How did Marilyn learn about process improvements - trial and error or training?
  • What metrics does EF track for Quote Searcher inquiries?
  • How often does the Excel-Acturis mismatch cause actual problems?
  • What would Martine say about Marilyn's customizations (hidden columns, notes)?
  • Has Marilyn's email-first strategy been shared with Rhys or others?
  • What's the time breakdown: renewals vs. new business vs. marketing?

Action Items

  • Test auto-population of Marilyn's Quote Searcher form with inquiry data
  • Explore web form option for proposal capture (post-initial contact)
  • Introduce Marilyn to Claude AI and Projects feature for content creation
  • Document Marilyn's Quote Searcher response strategy as potential best practice
  • Investigate RPA for insurer portal data entry automation
  • Consider formal marketing role expansion for Marilyn
  • Review whether Marilyn's custom forms could be company standard
  • Analyze Quote Searcher conversion metrics
  • Excel-Acturis synchronization solution (same as Lucy/JL pain point)

Strategic Insights

Process Innovation from Ground Level

Marilyn is a process innovator: - Created custom proposal forms without being asked - Tested different approaches (multiple form versions) - Developed email-first strategy for competitive platform - Actively involved in marketing beyond job description - Willing to challenge status quo ("initially told she couldn't use it")

Implication: EF has untapped expertise within team that could be systematized and shared

Misalignment: Skills vs. Tasks

Marilyn's passion: Sales, marketing, content creation, business development Marilyn's reality: Renewals admin, portal data entry, spreadsheet updates

Quote: "I would rather look into new business because I feel I do like sales. So I think that kind of gives me like an adrenaline."

Opportunity cost: - High-energy sales-focused person doing administrative work - Could be generating new business instead - Marketing talents underutilized - Process innovation not systematically captured

Quote Searcher as Strategic Channel

Current state: - 10-20 inquiries per month (120-240 annually) - Competitive but working - Split between two people - No visible optimization or measurement

Potential: - Dedicated channel for specific niche (converted flats) - Could be scaled with better tools - Marilyn's strategy (email-first, custom form) seems effective but not measured - Automation could increase conversion rate significantly

Excel Dependency Pattern Confirmed

Third interview confirming: 1. Excel spreadsheet central to workflow (Lucy, Marilyn, implied by JL) 2. Six-month generation by Martine + Rakesh 3. Color-coding system standardized 4. Personal customization (hidden columns, notes) 5. Excel-Acturis disconnection problematic

Strategic decision needed: - Accept Excel reality and integrate it (sync with Acturis) - OR invest in making Acturis dashboards good enough to replace Excel - Current state: worst of both worlds (double-entry, no sync)

AI Adoption Readiness

Marilyn represents "skeptical but willing" persona: - Has tried ChatGPT (free and through partner's subscription) - Mixed results - Concerned about value for money - Willing to experiment - Needs clear ROI demonstration - Not aware of latest tools (Claude)

Implication: Training and clear use-case demonstration will be critical for AI adoption

Consultant Observations

Marilyn's communication style: - Very open and willing to show her work - Proud of innovations (custom forms, broker flyer) - Analytical about what works ("I'm quite tight. I like to see if I'm paying my money is it really worth it") - Self-aware about strengths (sales, marketing) vs. current role - Comfortable with uncertainty ("throwing spaghetti on a wall")

Interview dynamics: - Marilyn recovering from flu but engaged throughout - Freely shared screen despite GDPR considerations (same as others) - Showed live work including client details - Willing to discuss both successes and challenges

Notable quotes:

"It's like throwing spaghetti on a wall. You don't know if it's gonna stick. You just throw it." On Quote Searcher competitive environment

"If I don't call the client in the first five seconds of receiving the inquiry, I've lost the inquiry." On time pressure in new business

"I would rather look into new business because I feel I do like sales. So I think that kind of gives me like an adrenaline." On preferred work focus

"I don't think a lot of people in the company do this step, but I do it." On using Acturis "Invite to Client" feature - highlighting inconsistent adoption

Key Takeaways

  1. Excel-Acturis disconnection is universal pain point - confirmed across three interviews
  2. Insurer portal manual entry is significant friction - every handler mentions it
  3. Skills-task misalignment opportunity - Marilyn's sales passion underutilized
  4. Process innovation happening informally - not captured or shared systematically
  5. Quote Searcher is working but unmeasured - potential for optimization
  6. AI adoption needs clear demonstration - skepticism based on mixed past results
  7. Marketing capacity exists - Marilyn already doing content creation
  8. 5-second response time - Quote Searcher automation could be game-changer
  9. Trust and professionalism matter - branding, signatures, email quality affect conversion
  10. Acturis feature adoption inconsistent - training or culture gap

Recommendations Emerging

High Priority (Quick Wins)

  1. Quote Searcher auto-response system
  2. Immediate email with pre-populated custom form
  3. Faster than 5-second human response
  4. Consistent professional presentation

  5. High ROI for new business conversion

  6. Excel-Acturis synchronization

  7. Prevents divergence and double-entry
  8. Flags mid-term changes
  9. Reduces administrative burden

  10. Benefits entire team

  11. Insurer portal RPA

  12. Auto-populate from Acturis/proposal forms
  13. Significant time savings
  14. Enables focus on sales/relationships
  15. Multiple handlers would benefit

Medium Priority

  1. Formalize Marilyn's marketing role
  2. Reduce renewal load
  3. Increase content creation time
  4. Leverage natural strengths

  5. Better ROI on her talent

  6. Standardize process innovations

  7. Document Marilyn's Quote Searcher strategy
  8. Adopt custom forms company-wide if effective
  9. Share best practices across team

  10. Create improvement culture

  11. AI tools training & subscription

  12. Introduce Claude for content creation
  13. Projects feature for tone consistency
  14. Better prompting training
  15. Clear use-case demonstration

Strategic Priority

  1. Skills-based role optimization
  2. Map each handler's strengths and preferences
  3. Reallocate work accordingly
  4. Free up sales-focused people (Marilyn, JL) for business development

  5. Admin-focused people for operations

  6. Quote Searcher channel optimization

  7. Measure conversion metrics
  8. A/B test approaches
  9. Scale what works
  10. Dedicated resource if ROI justifies