Anson Ramsey Insurance Companies calculate the value of customer retention in different ways. Some focus on avoiding the high cost of replacing lost business; others consider the connection of increased retention rates to higher profits. No matter how he looks at it, Anson Ramsey, Sr., President and CEO of Anson Ramsey Insurance, sees that the long-term value of keeping accounts is well worth his company's investment in a customer retention improvement program. He originally called on Lassiter & Associates in 1995 to conduct the initial customer retention study, and the relationship with Lassiter has been ongoing ever since. Ramsey recalls the first work they did together: "Lassiter & Associates analyzed our customer base and provided a comprehensive report that told us our strengths and weaknesses in a number of different categories. They gave us a summary of trends and showed us what was going right and wrong. A final report gave us a plan of action with the ten most important things we should do to improve our retention." ARI has first-hand experience of the benefits of Lassiter & Associates' customized customer retention plans. "When we've followed the Lassiter program, we've kept customers," Ramsey says. "If we ever lose focus and start backsliding, our turnover increases. An example from one of the retention studies that was really on target was a chart showing the depth of the account relationship from the customer's perspective. As it turned out, within two years, we lost the 20 percent of customers that Lassiter evaluated as the weakest." He also recognizes the value of conducting periodic studies. He says, "We've found it is important to measure at regular intervals our customers' attitudes about our service and products. The Lassiter Perception Scorecard shows us how we are doing and lets us compare our performance from year to year. We regularly reevaluate our customer objectives in light of the feedback Lassiter gives, and the payoff has been huge. In recent years, as a result of the focus, ARI's market perception has improved across the board in fourteen different categories." Return on Investment Ramsey explains the very favorable ROI from the Lassiter customer retention program: "It costs us five times more to sell a new account than to service an existing customer. That's why our increase in retention has resulted in savings that have contributed to our bottom line. And now, our new business efforts are driving company growth rather than replacing lost customers." Why use Lassiter & Associates When Ramsey considers the long-term success of his company's relationship with Lassiter & Associates, he mentions several key factors: "Responsiveness and the quality of their marketing and sales advice have been extremely important. They are a quick study. They understand our business — who we are and how we work. We appreciate never having to retrain them and have been able to apply their knowledge of our company in many areas. They've helped us with sales presentations, key account strategies, marketing materials and even helped develop a new positioning and our tagline." One of the reasons ARI continues to do business with Lassiter & Associates is because they offer a customized plan that helps to grow their business. "The solutions they have presented are unique to us...plus they yield measurable results. I would whole-heartedly recommend Lassiter to any company in a sales and service business," Ramsey says. About Anson Ramsey Insurance As one of metro Atlanta's premier employee benefits agencies, Anson Ramsey Insurance (ARI) has helped medium and large companies take care of their employees since 1974. ARI offers its clients a complete solution, from negotiating group benefit packages with top-level carriers, to administering all areas of employee benefits.