The Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation empowers outstanding individuals to provide exceptional account management and customer service.
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CISR courses
Learn how to tailor insurance & risk management programs to meet client needs.
This course examines coverage exclusions and limitations in the most current ISO Homeowners 3 – Special Form and the ISO Personal Auto Policy.
Learn to address exposures created by business activities, the ownership or use of recreational vehicles and watercraft, and the need for additional coverage through Personal Umbrella Liability and Catastrophe Coverage.
This course is best taken after CISR Personal Residential Property & CISR Personal Auto Exposures.
Topics:
- Business Activities of Personal Lines Clients – Unique exposures to in-home businesses, types of loss, risk management considerations, and methods of insuring exposures.
- Recreational Lines – Identify exposures faced by personal lines clients with recreational vehicles and watercraft.
- Personal Umbrella/Excess Liability – Understand Personal Umbrella Liability/Excess Liability Coverage concepts and identify and compare policy differences.
- Personal Lines Catastrophe Coverage – Coverage solutions and risk mitigation methods or resources available to personal lines consumers for catastrophic perils.
- Personal Lines Emerging Risks – Basics of how emerging risks develop, risk management process essentials, and how to apply the risk management process to an emerging risk.
State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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29% of surveyed CSRs expressed an interest in advancement opportunities in agency management. —CSR Profile
CISR Agency Operations can transform you into an indispensable team player in any insurance agency or give you confidence to move into another position. As you work with colleagues and customers, you’ll discover an enhanced self-assurance and a greater understanding of the dynamics within insurance organizations. Also, understanding how agencies function is essential training for both insurance agency and company personnel. Topics:
- Legal & Ethical Requirements
- The Insurance Agency
- The Insurance Industry and Marketplace
- Communication and Technology
- Agency Workflow Concepts
- Agency Workflow Steps
- Account Management
- Errors & Omissions
State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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Gain confidence with commercial casualty exposures and coverages and learn the CGL policy inside and out.
This CISR Commercial Casualty I Course strengthens your ability to have productive, confident interactions with your commercial customers in the area of commercial casualty exposures and coverages. You’ll improve your understanding of legal liability and what creates liability exposures. The focus of this course is the Commercial General Liability Coverage Form. Also addressing additional insured exposures and the coverage available to meet them, the course provides a strong foundation that is valued by insurance professionals.
Topics:
- Essentials of Legal Liability
- Commercial General Liability
- Additional Insureds
Those who completed the Insuring Commercial Casualty Exposures course (which was available prior to Commercial Casualty I and Commercial Casualty II), may choose either Commercial Casualty I or Commercial Casualty II as part of their five courses to earn the CISR designation, but not both. State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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One objective of this course is to clarify who is and who is not an insured in specific situations as defined by the Business Auto Coverage Form.
This course, like Commercial Casualty I, expands your ability to have a confident relationship with your commercial customers in the area of commercial casualty exposures and coverages. In Commercial Casualty II, the focus is the Business Auto Policy, the Workers Compensation Policy, and Excess Liability Policies. You will improve your understanding in each of these vital areas. Topics:
- Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability
- Introduction to Business Auto Coverage
- Excess Liability and Commercial Umbrella Policies
Those who completed the Insuring Commercial Casualty Exposures course (which was available prior to Commercial Casualty I and Commercial Casualty II), may choose either Commercial Casualty I or Commercial Casualty II as part of their five courses to earn the CISR designation, but not both. State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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Insurance Service Representatives can benefit from an understanding of the risk management process.
Knowing the types and classifications of exposures their clients face helps them to design more effective insurance and risk management programs. This course provides tools and techniques to identify exposures, assess their impact on clients’ assets and operations, consider a variety of loss funding/insurance options, control losses and claims, and finally to implement risk management and loss control procedures and monitoring their progress.
Topics Include:
- Introduction to Risk Management
- Risk Identification
- Risk Analysis
- Risk Control
- Risk Financing
- Risk Administration
State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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Gain a grasp of the types of commercial property, be able to identify parties with an insurable interest, and understand the difference between direct and indirect loss.
Commercial property insurance is one of your business customers’ greatest concerns. You’ll improve your cross-selling abilities with up-to-date knowledge of commercial property coverage and reduce E&O exposures. Insuring Commercial Property gives you the skills to address these issues with greater ease and confidence.
Topics:
- Fundamentals of Commercial Property Insurance
- Building and Personal Property Coverage Form
- Causes of Loss Forms
- Basics of Time Element Insurance
- Basics of Commercial Inland Marine Insurance
State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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Identifying the right personal automobile policy and being able to modify it appropriately are skills valued by clients and their families.
After taking the CISR Insuring Personal Auto Course, you’ll be able to assist your clients in identifying their exposures and more effectively advise them of policy limitations or exclusions that may apply, including ways to provide the needed coverage.
Topics:
- Introduction to the Personal Auto Policy
- Personal Auto Policy Definitions and Liability Coverage
- Medical Payments/Personal Injury Protection
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Coverage
- Coverage for Damage to Your Auto
- Coverage for a Rented Vehicle
State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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Nothing hits home more than a personal lines loss. Client retention depends on developing relationships and learning to identify the specific exposures each client contends with.
The CISR Personal Residential Course helps you develop the expertise to guide your customers through the often complex and confusing process of purchasing homeowners insurance. More importantly, you will be able to provide practical information that will help clients make decisions for protecting their most valuable assets and their financial future in the event of a loss. Topics:
- Personal Residential Concepts
- Homeowners Policy Property Coverages
- Homeowners Policy Liability Coverages and Policy Conditions
State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
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While Personal Lines business may be your primary focus, cross-selling life and health products is a proven revenue generator and client retention tool. Grow your skills and grow your value for your future and for your agency!
This course helps build a better understanding of what your clients need to know about life and health insurance. Explaining the benefits of having the proper life and health insurance is key to the financial well-being of your clients’ families and businesses.
Be better prepared to answer questions about analyzing the need for and placement of life insurance. Health insurance includes a diverse assortment of policies, from medical expense coverage to vision care and dental coverage, plus a variety of delivery systems and health plans designed to manage the high cost of care.
Topics:
- Introduction to Life Insurance
- Term and Permanent Life Insurance
- Common Characteristics of Life Insurance Concepts
- Healthcare Policies
- Federal Regulation and Consumer-Driven Health Plans
- Medicare
State CE credit is approved in all states. To determine specific credits for your state go to the CE Guide.
Register
Self-Paced Online
- Courses are accessible by computer, tablet, or cell phone—24/7 with an amazing 60-day period to complete (currently, the notebooks and other documents are not optimized to read on your phone).
- Enjoy the easy-to-use learning environment—navigate freely.
- You’re in charge—the courses are self-directed! Stop and start your sessions anytime—your place will be saved.
- You’ll find helpful interactive Knowledge Check exercises with great feedback.
- Self-quizzes to check comprehension—passing is required.
- Complete the 1-hour proctored final exam to earn designation credit.
Instructor-Led Webinar
- Live, instructor-led webinars - Interact and chat with your instructor, study real-world scenarios.
- Instruction by the same expert faculty—with the ease of a webinar.
- Convenience—use your computer, tablet, or cell phone.
- 7 Hours of Webinars, delivered over 2-4 Weeks.
- Extended study period for exam-takers.
- Instructive quizzes, optional reading assignments, exercises, and discussion board postings.
- Complete the 1-hour proctored final exam to earn designation credit.
In-Person Classroom
- Each course is one day of instruction, followed by an optional 1-hour exam- passing the exam is required to earn the designation.
- Expert, nationally recognized faculty who provide concrete examples and scenarios.
- Helpful notebooks and other resource materials.
- More than 300 courses are conducted on-site each year in major cities throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
- Train your entire team and save money by bringing Risk & Insurance Education Alliance programs to your corporate or agency location—contact Business Development at 800-633-2165 or email alliance@riskeducation.org.
Sharpen your edge and stand out from the crowd.
Earn the Prestigious
Distinction Consecutively
Earn the respected CISR Elite distinction after achieving your CISR designation. By choosing to attend the four remaining CISR courses and passing the exams within a three-year period, you’ll achieve this advanced status.
Keeping Your Designation
After earning the CISR designation, you must meet an annual update requirement. Choose from the list provided, classroom or online. Please note that online, self-paced courses require completion of all quizzes and review tests.
- Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) course
- Certified Risk Manager (CRM) course
- Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) course
- MEGA Seminar: Dues Required (16hr MEGA updates for 2 Years, 8 hr MEGA Updates for 1 Year).
- Dynamics Series—Classroom Sales Training: Dues Required
- Ruble Seminars: Dues Required
- PROFocus Series: Dues Required
- 4-Hour PRO C.E Courses (formerly William T. Hold Seminars)
- William T. Hold Seminars—Classroom (7-hour)
- Dynamics of Service—Classroom (7-hour)
- Certified School Risk Manager (CSRM) course
- Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) course
A status available to CISRs who are ready to retire, but not ready to give up the designation for which they worked so diligently and maintained for so many years. CISR Emeritus status is maintained with annual dues payment and no annual update is required. The CISR Emeritus status guidelines are:
- Candidates must be retired from the insurance or risk management industry
- years held designation plus age must equal 70 or greater,and
- CISRs must be dues-paid members in good standing.
Those are the technical requirements; however, it means much more than that to be an Emeritus CISR. These professionals are committed to continuing education and to the community they have helped to build and foster. They continue to support our efforts to broaden the opportunities to learn and to succeed.
If you have any questions about the Emeritus status or how to apply, please call Program Services at 800-633-2165 for assistance.
In recognition of the many milestones and achievements CISRs have made in their successful careers, the CISR Board of Governors initiated the Tenured CISR status in 2023. Significant educational achievements and a record of maintaining your designation have broadened each individual’s substantial base of knowledge. Therefore, this special recognition of tenure has been granted to CISRs who have met the following criteria:
- Held the designation for 25 or more years,
- or CISRs who have not held the designation for 25+ years, but are 70 years old or older,
- Designation is in good standing,
- AND membership dues are current.
These CISRs will be eligible for tenured status and may maintain their designation by paying CISR dues every year and attending a qualified program every other year.
Best of all, tenured CISRs retain all of the rights and privileges of the designation and of their membership in the Society.
The Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) Program is an educational program designed for customer service representatives. The designation represents a benchmark for an insurance professional’s commitment to customer service and their client relationships.
The CISR Program is an intermediate-level insurance education program, and participants should have a working knowledge of the applicable policies that are covered in the program courses. To meet the requirements for the designation, CISR participants must complete and pass the corresponding examination of five of nine courses offered in the program. They have three calendar years after the year they passed their first examination to complete the designation.
The complete list of CISR courses include:
- Agency Operations
- Commercial Casualty I
- Commercial Casualty II
- Elements of Risk Management
- Insuring Commercial Property
- Insuring Personal Auto Exposures
- Insuring Personal Residential Property
- Life & Health Essential
- Personal Lines Miscellaneous
The program consists of nine, one-day courses all aimed at raising the standards of insurance knowledge and customer service. The courses cover essential aspects of commercial and personal lines coverages, exposures, and technical information. Course material also covers the latest forms for various foundational insurance policies for both personal and commercial lines.
Courses on the commercial lines side (Commercial Casualty I, Commercial Casualty II, and Insuring Commercial Property) cover key concepts and policies including legal liability, insured exposures, commercial general liability, business auto, workers’ compensation, excess liability, and commercial property coverages and exposures.
The CISR courses, Insuring Personal Auto Exposures and Insuring Personal Residential Property, cover foundational policies and concepts including elements of personal auto policy coverage, residential property, and homeowners policies. An additional course, Personal Lines Miscellaneous, addresses coverages such as watercraft, recreational vehicles, personal excess liability, and business property of residential customers.
Finally, the course, Essentials of Life & Health, covers elements of life insurance policies and health insurance, including Medicare.
To keep your CISR status current, designees must update their designation by completing an annual update program. CISRs can attend National Alliance conducted one-day courses or 16-hour courses, receiving up to two years of update credit.
Courses that satisfy the annual CISR update include:
- Any 7-hour, classroom or online, CISR, CSRM, or William T. Hold course.
- Any two 4-hour, online, William T. Hold Seminars, Ethics or Insuring Flood Exposure courses.
- Any classroom or online CIC, CRM, or CPRM course. (Satisfies up to two years of update credit.)
- Any Ruble Graduate Seminar, MEGA Seminar, ProFocus Seminar, or Dynamics Series course. (Membership dues are required to receive update credit.)
The CISR Elite Status demonstrates a commitment to customer service and insurance knowledge at a level beyond the CISR Program. Insurance professionals who have already earned the CISR designation have the option of earning the more advanced CISR Elite status by completing the remaining four CISR courses and passing the respective exams within a three-year period.
While the CISR designation was created for account managers and customer service representatives, any employee of an agency, insurance company, or insurance-related business is eligible to attend CISR courses and earn the designation. This includes agents as well as agency managers.
Specifically targeted job roles include customer service representatives for both commercial and personal lines, broker marketing representatives, and account managers.
The goal of a CISR designation is to empower insurance employees to provide exceptional account management and customer service. The CISR Program also offers career-building benefits for the insurance professional. Earning the CISR designation demonstrates that an account manager or customer service professional has technical knowledge and expertise in insurance and understands liability, exposures, and coverages.
CISRs keep their knowledge up to date with the latest coverages and forms by maintaining their designation.
The CISR designation program dates back to 1986 when a group of Kansas CICs saw a demand for an intermediate-level training program for insurance customer service representatives. The first CISR designation was awarded in 1987, and by 1996, the CISR Program had expanded to all 50 states. In 2001, an online training option was introduced, giving participants online and in-person options to complete the CISR designation. Today, there are 28,200 CISRs nationwide.
All CISR courses are available in three formats: self-paced online instruction; live, in-person classroom instruction; and online, instructor-led webinars. Insurance professionals have the option of choosing the format that works best for them. Online courses are accessible by computer, tablet, or smartphone, creating flexible and versatile options for participants. Each course consists of 7-hours of classroom instruction.
All CISR courses are taught by active insurance practitioners with expertise in the field. Courses are taught with the latest industry information, including forms and policies used by insurance professionals every day. The National Alliance CISR courses are continuously reviewed, updated, and expanded in order to meet the needs of the industry and its professionals.
