This FAQ is regarding the HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals software bundle. Click on the questions below to go to the answer to a specific question.
Questions
For Customers
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Is HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals one platform or two? Did HawkSoft acquire Rocket Referrals?
- Does HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals give customers a pricing discount on the two platforms?
For Partners
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Is HawkSoft open to adding other companies or platforms as options under HawkSoft+?
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Will HawkSoft continue to promote other API Partners in addition to Rocket Referrals?
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Will HawkSoft be encouraging customers on other platforms to move to Rocket Referrals?
- Where can I, as a Partner or someone exploring partner opportunities with HawkSoft, provide feedback on HawkSoft+?
Responses
Customer FAQ
1. What is HawkSoft+?
HawkSoft+ (“HawkSoft Plus”) is a type of package offered by HawkSoft that combines our insurance platform with complimentary technologies and services. This is akin to a Home and Auto bundle (or “package policy”) your agency might offer your clients – the goal is ease of access and comprehensive coverage. Our first HawkSoft+ offering is HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals.
2. Is HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals one platform or two? Did HawkSoft acquire Rocket Referrals?
HawkSoft and Rocket Referrals remain independent, distinct companies. Neither company owns nor holds stake in the other, apart from our shared desire to see each company do our best for independent agencies. Our independence enabled us to embark on this experiment together.
HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals is two powerful platforms combined in a single product offering (like a single SKU or a package policy) to make purchasing, onboarding, and utilizing them more seamless than they would be separately. For HawkSoft+, HawkSoft takes on selling, implementing, billing, and supporting the combined service.
3. Why did HawkSoft partner with Rocket Referrals as opposed to another technology company?
As HawkSoft+ is a new experiment with this type of bundle, our first partner needed to be someone with whom we had a strong partnership and similar positioning in the market. Like HawkSoft, Rocket Referrals is also an independent family-owned business that is committed to slow and steady growth driven by what’s best for the independent agencies we serve. As one of HawkSoft’s earliest API Partners, Rocket Referrals has extensive experience navigating our API, and has proactively developed tools and features like Sidecar that help agencies be more efficient in both systems. All this positions them as an ideal candidate for our first HawkSoft+ partnership, with the capacity to engage in this experiment without undue risk.
4. Does HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals give customers a pricing discount on the two platforms?
HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals includes Rocket Referrals’ premium tier product offered at the same cost as it would be if bought directly from Rocket Referrals. This bundle provides increased value by helping agencies to purchase, set up, onboard, and maintain the two systems more efficiently. HawkSoft and Rocket Referrals are coordinating closely to ensure the process is easy for new agencies.
5. Is Rocket Referrals the same as ClientCircle?
Yes, Rocket Referrals rebranded their product name to ClientCircleTM in October 2022 (see their full explanation of their name change here). However, as the company’s name is still Rocket Referrals we felt it best to continue referring to them as such in the name of the HawkSoft+ product for the time being. This will also help us differentiate between customers who use the HawkSoft+ product and those who use ClientCircle separately.
6. Are the features any different than if I purchased HawkSoft and ClientCircle by Rocket Referrals separately?
In terms of features, HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals provides agencies with the same suite of functionality as they would receive if they purchased HawkSoft’s agency management system and ClientCircle by Rocket Referrals separately. Rocket Referrals has spent a lot of time crafting two-way API integration with HawkSoft using our Partner API. Rocket Referrals also has an exclusive app called Sidecar that sits next to HawkSoft to display information from their system on the same screen as the management system. As a participant in HawkSoft+, Rocket Referrals is also the first partner to utilize single sign-on (SSO) between HawkSoft and their system.
All of this is available to both HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals customers and customers that use HawkSoft and ClientCircle by Rocket Referrals separately. The value of HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals, for new agencies, comes in the ease of access, onboarding, billing, and support (centralized to HawkSoft).
7. What if I want to (or already do) use a different automated communications platform than Rocket Referrals?
HawkSoft and Rocket Referrals agree strongly on this: agencies should use the technology that best benefits their unique workflows and agency makeup, whether that includes our systems or not. Updates and enhancements to our Partner API’s functionality will continue to be presented to all API Partners at the same time.
For existing HawkSoft customers, there will be no change if you’re using any other API Partner for automated communications – we will continue to maintain and expand our offering of API Partners. For new agencies considering HawkSoft, if your agency is currently using an automated communications platform and does not wish to change, you may still purchase HawkSoft on its own. Please make sure your territory manager is aware of this preference during your demo (they will ask!) and feel confident that HawkSoft will respect your choice.
Our intent is to promote this bundle to agencies who have automated communication needs, not those who are satisfied with their current platform. We are not looking to drive a wedge in anyone’s tech stack, and know that technology disruptions waste valuable time at agencies. We will limit marketing to prospects we know utilize competitive products to Rocket Referrals.
8. I’m a customer that already has HawkSoft and ClientCircle by Rocket Referrals separately – how does this impact me?
You’ll still experience the same benefits of the two-way API integration between HawkSoft and Rocket Referrals that are utilized in the HawkSoft+ bundle, like single sign-on and enhanced functionality (speed) in Sidecar. HawkSoft+ is focused on new customers to both HawkSoft and Rocket Referrals, though the lessons that come from the collaboration will also benefit all mutual customers of our companies.
9. What will the onboarding experience be like? Which company will handle training and support for HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals?
Throughout the entire customer journey for HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals, both companies will work together. HawkSoft will handle most front-end operations (including being the primary point of contact) while getting assistance from Rocket Referrals in the background.
HawkSoft’s Sales and Billing team will handle the agreements and payment processing so that an agency only has one agreement to sign at the start and one invoice each month. HawkSoft’s Client Services team will guide your agency through onboarding. At the best time in that training to introduce Rocket Referrals, your agency’s dedicated Software Consultant (at HawkSoft) will help you schedule training with a dedicated Account Manager at Rocket Referrals. HawkSoft’s Product Support team will be your one-stop shop for all initial questions, whether they’re about HawkSoft or Rocket Referrals. If a question or issue is too complicated for HawkSoft Product Support to resolve themselves, we have a direct line to dedicated resources at Rocket Referrals to ensure efficient resolutions.
Partner FAQ
1. Does HawkSoft+ mean HawkSoft plans to limit or stop offering API integrations with other automation partners in the future?
No, it absolutely does not. HawkSoft's API Program and our broader Partner initiatives remain a cornerstone of HawkSoft’s collaborative approach to the helping independent agents. The only change, discussed in detail below, is a boundary HawkSoft has codified for itself to guarantee that information related to which API Partner is used by which agency customer is limited to account verification and will not be used for sales or marketing.
The freedom for agencies to choose which supplementary technologies work best for them is important to us and continues to be a guiding principle in our Partner programs. From the first conversation around HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals, both HawkSoft and Rocket Referrals agreed to keep exclusivity off the table as the right course for our ability to help independent agencies.
2. Is HawkSoft open to adding other companies or platforms as HawkSoft+ options?
The short answer is yes. HawkSoft does envision a future where more services, software, and platforms are available as HawkSoft+ offerings.
However, this is our first foray into this type of packaged service, and we are going to take some time to evaluate how effective HawkSoft+ is, how well it benefits agencies, and how it impacts internal operations. For these reasons, HawkSoft likely won’t open discussions with other companies around HawkSoft+ until 2023. To be clear, there is no exclusivity involved in HawkSoft+. We simply want to take our time to understand how well it helps agencies and what changes may be needed as the program grows.
3. Why didn’t HawkSoft put out a request for proposals from our API or Solution Partners for participating in HawkSoft+?
HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals came into being slowly, driven by side conversations while HawkSoft and Rocket Referrals were collaborating on projects involving mutual customers. HawkSoft felt strongly that Rocket Referrals would be the best partner to try this type of package option out with.
HawkSoft has received requests for similar or more aggressive sales collaborations from almost all partners. We are aware of most partners positions’ on this type of venture and found Rocket Referrals to be the best fit for where HawkSoft is today.
4. Does HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals include more API features than what is available to all other HawkSoft API Partners?
No, HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals utilizes the same two-way Partner API functionality and data that is available to all API Partners. How partners implement and leverage that functionality may differ from one partner to another, but that is a matter of application rather than access. All API Partners have the same access to data in the Partner API.
That said, HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals does include HawkSoft’s first single sign-on (SSO) connection between HawkSoft and an API Partner. HawkSoft intends to expand this functionality to more API Partners after further field testing and additional progress towards HawkSoft 6.
5. Will HawkSoft continue to promote other API Partners in addition to Rocket Referrals?
Yes, HawkSoft will continue celebrating and educating agencies on all our API Partners through co-marketing efforts like our Partners landing page, PartnerTalk Live and other webinars, guest blogs, and collaborative conversations throughout the sales and support process. We recognize that HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals will not be the ideal solution for every new agency that explores HawkSoft, and we remain committed to embracing the unique tech stack that promotes the best path to success for each independent agency.
6. Will HawkSoft encourage customers using other communication platforms to move to Rocket Referrals?
No, full stop. Here are four points that clarify how we will ensure this:
- HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals is currently only available to “net new” customers (agencies that are not currently customers of HawkSoft or ClientCircle by Rocket Referrals). If a net new prospect lets our Sales team know that they are comfortable and satisfied with their current marketing or business communication platform, HawkSoft will respect that.
- Existing customers of HawkSoft are not the target demographic for HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals. At this time, existing HawkSoft customers can’t transition to HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals, nor are there plans to facilitate this. If an existing HawkSoft customer wishes to utilize ClientCircle, they are free to make that choice and work with Rocket Referrals directly to facilitate that.
- Rocket Referrals and HawkSoft agree that an agency should use the tools, services, software, carriers, and breakroom coffee machines that work best for how they want to do business. We recognize that HawkSoft and ClientCircle may be the winning combination for some agencies, but not for others. We remain committed to providing objective feedback to agencies that want to explore their options, and HawkSoft has no written or private agreement to only recommend Rocket Referrals to agencies. If an agency asks us for our opinion and through a collaborative discussion we feel Rocket Referrals best matches the business needs of the agency, we’ll tell them our opinion. If it doesn’t, we’re free to give that perspective. And if an agency talks to Rocket Referrals about management systems, they’ll take the same approach.
- HawkSoft has updated the Terms and Conditions that govern our Marketplace, which all API Partners are party to. This update puts in writing a boundary for HawkSoft. That boundary is: “HawkSoft may not share or disclose to Partner information related to usage of any other API Partner present in Marketplace. Information related to usage of a Partner is restricted to reconciliation between HawkSoft and the Partner, and internal analytics of Partner usage. HawkSoft attests that Partner usage will not be used for sales or marketing efforts.” (In our Marketplace Terms and Conditions, “Partner” is the shorthand for the API Partner agreeing to the terms.) HawkSoft felt it important to draw this line and demonstrate our commitment to all API Partners.
7. As a Partner or someone exploring partner opportunities with HawkSoft, where can I provide feedback on HawkSoft+?
Please reach out to us at opportunities@hawksoft.com to discuss your thoughts, comments, or concerns. For transparency: HawkSoft leadership proactively communicated to all live API Partners, Solution Partners, and third-parties close to completing Partner-related initiatives. It was important to us to inform our Partners of HawkSoft+ Rocket Referrals before we made a formal announcement via a press release and these new HawkSoft+ pages on our website. Our Partners provided gracious feedback and input during those conversations, and we continue to value the support they provide to independent insurance agencies.
