This petition is a representation of the dissatisfaction, frustration, and complete disagreement the undersigned Allstate agency owners have with the newly introduced and soon to be required Integrated Service program. To that effect, those who have signed this petition are firm in our belief that a policy mandating an assignment of corporate customer service to all local agency owners for a fee of two (2) percent (%) of our monthly premium is not only unreasonable, but is also an incredible detriment to the local, committed, and small-business brand that Allstate has built, up until this point. The undersigned agents are passionate about Allstate and the products that we sell, however, reducing our book values by twenty (20) percent (%) takes away our motivation to grow or stay with the corporation.

We are keenly aware that our products are the best in this competitive market and we believe that a significant reason why Allstate has been so successful is because of the way the agents are able to connect with their community. Allstate has always encouraged their agents to be involved in the community and to know each of their clients’ unique situations and needs. This structure has allowed Allstate to charge more for their products than the competitors because even in an online world, people want to know that their insurance agent cares about their situations. Clients do not want to be routed to a call agency where they have to speak with someone who barely knows their name, let alone their unique situation. Due to the lack of communication this re-structuring will create, most agency owners will need to keep customer service agents on salary. Therefore, we will be paying more than double what we currently pay for someone to do the same job, but at a lesser degree of satisfaction. For those who simply cannot afford to use both a local customer service agent and the corporate call center, hard-working people in our communities will lose their jobs

Although those who have signed this petition have no desire to be forced into this re-structuring policy, we are aware that it may be beneficial to some owners who are not as involved in their community or have less time to be involved in their agency. We therefore propose that instead of requiring this policy, it is made optional. Please think of the community that we grown before forcing this new policy upon us.