It’s the two-second phrase that costs nothing but changes everything: thank you. Yet somewhere between the quotes, claims, renewals and rush, it’s the one phrase that too often slips through the cracks.
We’re not ungrateful people—far from it. The average broker, adviser, or underwriter spends half their day solving someone else’s problem. But in a business where service is standard and deadlines never sleep, gratitude becomes one of those “I’ll get to it later” things. And later rarely comes.
Think back to the last time someone genuinely thanked you—not the automatic kind, but the type that makes you pause for a moment. Maybe it was a client after a long claim, or a colleague after a hectic week. You probably stood a little taller afterwards. Gratitude has that effect. It’s a quiet motivator, a reminder that what you do matters.
At Howdie, we see it every day. A policy can fix a problem, but appreciation builds loyalty. A quick thank-you call after a renewal often says more than a glossy brochure ever could. A manager who ends a tough week by thanking their team creates a culture where people give their best, not because they have to, but because they want to.
And it’s contagious. The more you say it, the more others do too. Gratitude shifts the atmosphere in an office faster than any motivational poster. It turns transactions into relationships—and relationships are what keep clients coming back long after the paperwork is filed away.
So as the year winds down and the calendar fills up, take a moment. Send that quick message. Make that call. Say thank you—to your clients for trusting you, to your colleagues for backing you, and maybe even to yourself for showing up every day and doing the hard yards.
Gratitude is a renewable resource. The more you give, the more it grows. Because in the business of protection, the best policy we can offer is still the simplest one of all: “Thank you.”
