By RCCAQ

Diane Fortin became an insurance broker by chance: it was only after completing a medical training program that she found herself tempted by the sector. It was the beginning of an adventure that would see her go on to found her own business, now a family-run company.

Diane's career began in her hometown of Matane, where she worked in the brokerage sector for 10 years. She moved to Quebec City in 1988, where she soon found work at a local business. Six months later, one of her colleagues suggested that they found a brand-new firm together. Excited by the challenge, she agreed even though her children were still very young.

Some 22 years later, her business partner retired; Diane took the helm, becoming one of the very few women to own her own brokerage firm.

Keeping the clients happy

Diane's mission is to make the insurance process enjoyable, a task she accomplishes with the help of a dedicated 20-person staff who are happy to be a part of the team! It would also appear that her recipe for business success is particularly effective! For example, although the firm's offices are in Charlesbourg, its clients are located across Quebec. According to Diane, "My son Yannick spends an average of two days a week in Montreal meeting with our commercial insurance clients. Our clientele outside of the Quebec City region was developed solely by word-of-mouth."

Ever since they founded their firm, Diane and her business partner Michel Ouellet sought to offer a one-of-a-kind client experience, long before this management technique came to the fore. Indeed, they focused on their passion for insurance and strove to make the process enjoyable for their clients.

By the looks of things, their strategy paid off: approximately 80% of the people that did business with the firm in its first five years of operation (1989-1994) are still clients today!

Bringing in the next generation

The success of Diane Fortin's firm is a great source of pride for her: "It's a pleasure to go to work every day and serve our clients, backed by my unbelievable staff." She is also proud of the fact that one of her longest-serving employees, Nadia Villeneuve, is now a shareholder. Still, Diane acknowledges that she has had an even greater interest in her job since her children, Marie-Ève and Yannick, joined the firm 12 and 15 years ago respectively. "I now work to ensure the viability of the company I'll be leaving to my kids," she adds. Marie-Ève (general manager) and Yannick (business development director) became partners in the firm six years ago.

"I'm also pleased that in addition to getting along well as a family, we're on the same page when it comes to our business plan," notes Diane. "All three of us have the same philosophy. We're not beholden to anyone. We're all motivated by the values of respect and empathy, and we're committed to understanding our clients. For instance, each claim file receives special scrutiny. We proactively call up clients in those situations to ensure that the insurers are processing the claims promptly. We don't wait for clients to call us up to voice their concerns. Our job is to help them. We want to be there for them whenever they need our expertise."

This human-centred approach certainly hasn't prevented the firm from adapting to the arrival of new technologies. The firm was one of the first to adopt eDocs, and even took part in pilot projects launched by a number of insurers. As part of its day-to-day operations, the firm shares best practices, including information on new products and team members' specific experiences.

Fortin Ouellet Assurances: a case study in delivering a top-of-the-line client experience!