REPORTING BONDS MADE EASY
By Brad A. Greenberg
There have been occasions when Guaranteed Bail Bonds in Monroe, LA., has written so much bail that thecompany drained its supply of powers of attorney. But thanks to a new computer program developed by AIA, Guaranteed can always guarantee their ability to post bail.
eREPORT, which AIA annouced at PBUS to its agents in February, enables agents to fill out and submit bail reports online. AIA receives the reports instantaneously and ships powers that same day. The program also allows agents to store information in a central e-filing cabinet that can be accessed by password anywhere there is an Internet connection.
“It’s easy. It’s quick. I’m able to go on there and see what I have already submitted. If I need to look for something, instead of having to go back through my system, which is very out of date compared to this, I can go on this and look for a report from weeks ago and in just five minutes and a few clicks, it’s there, right in front of me,” said Tracie Boyd, an agent with Guaranteed.
Ah, the tiresome days of agents filling bail reports out by hand may be numbered. The new electronic offerings will help agents save time and money by allowing them to write and submit bail electronically, which will “streamline the paperwork process,” said AIA President and CEO Brian Nairin.
Despite the benefits, AIA doesn’t expect everyone to board this bus right away – and that’s OK. “We look at the electronic services we provide as a buffet approach,” AIA Chief Operating Officer Robert Kersnick said when discussing eREPORT at the Western Region Agents Conference. “You are able to take as much as you want or as little as you want.”
eREPORT is a free service offered to AIA’s agents as a reminder of why they do business with the best surety. “Our company is service-oriented. We look at electronic services as another way we can provide value to our agents and assist in addressing their needs to focus more on their business rather than focusing on their (document) storing systems,” Kersnick said. “Simultaneously, it helps us provide better and faster communication and service to our agents.”
In talking about eREPORT’s convenience, Kersnick mentioned an agent he knows, who only trusts one employee to accurately write a bail report. When that person is out of the office, home sick or away on vacation, the agent’s ability to report bail becomes hamstrung. But eREPORT changes that.
“Since we have offices in two different states (Maryland and North Carolina), I never have to put any of that information in someone else’s computer,” said Gail Baker, general manager of Golder Bail Bonds, which has been using eREPORT since February. “I have it on my laptop. I can check it from my car; I can check it from anywhere.
“We’ve gotten so used to it now. It seems so ancient, the way we used to do things.” If you would like to find out more about eReport, please contact the AIA offices at (800) 935-2245 and ask for Web Support.