SINGAPORE: A man took to social media to share that his friend got mad when he called him an “insurance agent” instead of a “financial advisor”.
“He got triggered when I called him an insurance agent. Really went on a rant about how he is a financial advisor and not an insurance agent. Even claimed that this advisory job will be his stepping stone to join high finance, IB, and the like (really don’t think its possible but good luck to him),” the man wrote on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Thursday (Mar 27).
He also mentioned that he had only agreed to meet up with his friend, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, because he thought it was just going to be a “chill and lepak session.” However, he was surprised when his friend launched into a full pitch about his suite of products.
“I’m not one to just cut a person off, so I let him talk. (He) talked so much about how his job is so important that he helps families, about times where his clients constantly thank him for whatever he sold,” he said.
“He kept hyping and inflating the job like as if it is the most noblest job out there. Mentioned about saving the lives of people whatnot. At this point, I really forgot that he was an insurance agent and asked if he was a doctor. LOL,” he added.
Perplexed by his friend’s behaviour, he asked the online community, “For those in the industry: Is it offensive to call y’all an insurance agent instead of a financial adviser? Is it standard to hype up the job this much? I’ve never seen doctors flex about saving lives as hard as some insurance agents do, and has anyone actually jumped from this to a high-finance career?”
“Ever heard of the term ‘over-compensating’? This is a perfect example.”
In the comments section, one Singaporean Redditor said, “Very normal. They always have some noble goal of ‘helping’ people. Then, if that doesn’t work, they roll out the sob story of some person who had such and such medical condition. Very serious, spent so much time seeing doctors, etc., but thanks to the insurance agent’s help, only had to pay some minor out-of-pocket expenses. All from the same sales playbook, lah.”
Another commented, “Ever heard of the term ‘over-compensating’? This is a perfect example. Also, any insurance agent that tells me he’s using this job as a stepping stone for something else — I would look at them and seriously ask:
‘So if you’re not intending to stay in this industry, why should I give you my business? Once you leave, they will assign a random agent to me; might as well I buy from a random agent now.’”
Still, there were a few Redditors who said that not all insurance agents or financial advisors behave like his friend. They pointed out that while there are agents who aggressively push their products, there are also those who genuinely prioritise their clients’ financial well-being without resorting to hard-selling tactics.
One shared, “I do have friends in this industry, but this kind (of agent)… I’ve never really heard of before. My friends are just doing their stuff and being humble. Plus, (they’re) not pushy. They believe in building rapport rather than (using) such tactics like your friend.”
In other news, a woman took to social media to open up about the severe toll her job has taken on her mental health, revealing that she has been crying “almost every day” ever since her job responsibilities changed.
“Despite my best efforts, I can’t seem to perform well, leading to increased stress over the past few months. I’ve cried multiple times at work, experienced sleepless nights, and have fallen ill, with just the thought of work triggering anxiety,” she lamented.
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)