We sought a great deal of input from our employees for the development of our first social responsibility report and Web site. We held quarterly meetings with a Social Responsibility Advisory Board (SRAB) made up of 17 management-level employees representing key areas of our business: Real Estate, Customer Experience, Agency Communications, Claims, Investor Relations, Product, Human Resources, Employee Communications, Production, Information Technology, Public Relations, Operations, Control & Audit, and Legal. This report was developed with help from the SRAB and content was reviewed and approved by it.

We also established an Employee Interest Group, which serves as a sounding board and “pulse” on how our efforts are being received internally. Group members are asked to bring ideas forward for consideration by the SRAB and provide input on ideas and initiatives. Their input was incorporated into this report.

In addition to the establishment of the SRAB and the Employee Interest Group, we manage an internal social responsibility Web site where we invite employees to express opinions, share ideas, and participate in a monthly blog to give input on various topics and initiatives. We also conduct an annual Organizational Effectiveness Survey with all employees, which garners at least a 90% annual participation rate on average. As a result of the survey, we've implemented several initiatives, including more robust career development and leadership programs, more optimal work schedules, and a better employee referral process.

Our Agency Council is a representative group of 12 agents with whom we meet twice a year to discuss strategies, upcoming business initiatives, and general agent concerns. In addition, we consult with them regularly by phone, webinars, and e-mail, and communicate via a dedicated agents-only Web site and e-mail newsletters. We also have an Agent Tracker, conducted quarterly to gauge agent perceptions.

We have a continual online survey to track how well we meet customer needs and expectations. We hold focus groups and conduct customer surveys on a project basis to understand how to improve what we’re providing customers. For example, in 2009 we conducted local-presence research to identify how our customers view our efforts at the community level. We also have a panel of customers specifically recruited to participate for a year who we have ongoing dialogue with about our offerings and their needs.

Our continual online survey process is conducted with consumers as well as customers. We hold focus groups and conduct surveys with consumers as well to define how to position certain products, services, and messages, including our social responsibility efforts. For example, in 2009 we held consumer focus groups to understand what non-customer consumers think of us as a company, based on public perception.

In addition to required quarterly and annual financial disclosures, we report financial results monthly so investors can trace what is happening inside the company almost as quickly as management does. Within our required disclosures, we work hard to provide relevant commentary to help investors understand the context in which our numbers are presented. 

Our CEO Glenn Renwick also writes a quarterly letter to shareholders to describe, in his own words, how he views the issues affecting our business. Each year, we periodically hold question-and-answer conference calls with investors to discuss financial results. The calls are open to anyone interested in joining, allowing us to respond to all questions and ideas. Finally, we host an annual investor day presentation to share our business strategies and answer questions.

You can also reach us at any time via e-mail, regular mail, and telephone. For more information on how we engage with investors, see our investor relations policy.

We conduct a quarterly survey with network shops used in the claims process to understand what they think of us and how we can enhance our relationships.