Paper or PDF?

When I was in elementary school, we still had pencil sharpeners. For readers under thirty, let me explain. After writing for a time, the graphite would dull and only produce fat lines. These devices had no magic clicker like mechanical ones. We had to get out of our seat and walk to a tool the size of a tin can bolted to the teacher’s desk, situated much like a vice in a machine shop. We’d insert the dull writing instrument and crank a handle like a jack-in-the-box. If you don’t know what that toy is, I’m sorry, but you had no childhood – Google it. The idea behind the sharpener was to re-tip our pencil so we could trudge back to our seat and continue mispellig, or incorrectly guessing Houston to be the capital of Texas.

But in reality, the device would eat our pencil like a rabbit on Red Bull chewing a lettuce stalk. Only after sacrificing half its length to the sharpener gods could we begin writing anew.

I grew up in the paper generation.

Studies show, on average, people not only enjoy reading on paper better, but they learn from it more easily. That said, no one wants to store it any longer, so we are all migrating to electronic.

Case in Point

When I joined the family insurance agency in 2007, one of the most common questions shouted through the stale office air was, “Who has the file for…?” Several years later, we went paperless and solved the issue of misplaced files. But then the yelling changed to threats of mechanical violence toward computers. However, one of the most cathartic experiences I ever had was emptying our files into bins until the rear door of the Shred-It truck busted a hinge loud as a shotgun blast. The building’s floor joists creaked their thanksgiving as we hauled out box after box. There is something enlivening, healing, and even (dare I say) spiritual about getting rid of clutter.

At home, I soon opened a cloud storage account and, with the help of a scanner app on my phone, ceased storing paper.

I adapted…and I’m not alone.

Lots of folks are doing this. Aside from being allergic to gluten, peanut butter, and eye contact with salespeople, younger generations start itching their neck when provided paper reports and documents. They mumble incoherently about carbon, global warming, and the threat of nuclear proliferation. You see, what was meant to be a kind gesture (Here, I printed this out for you) actually turns into a headache (How the bloody #&%@ do I get this into electronic format?).

Consider

Many colleagues prefer receiving electronic copies of reports, memos, and intra-office communication. The delete button makes ignoring them so easy. But now clients are favoring electronic insurance policies, bills, and summaries. No, not everyone. But the trend is definitely toward electronic means.

So, how do you know which to use? The only way is to ask. No one outside of politics wakes in the morning and considers how they might irritate their clients. But those are the feelings we engender when we deliver documents on our terms. We all want to support and positively affect our communities. And insurance does just that. It steps into the most difficult situations imaginable and helps victims rebuild their lives. Agents, we provide a valuable service. Deliver it to your clients on their terms.

If you are a client of Bankers Insurance, we go one step further. Though not all documents can be delivered electronically, we will make every effort to do so, plus make them available in your online Client Portal. It’s up to you.

Ask your account manager for details. Don’t know your account manager? Create a Client Portal account and they’re listed right there. Have a policy number and effective date available so the system can verify your identity. Thank you for your business and your trust in us as your insurance agent.

David McCaleb 
Bankers Insurance LLC

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