The Hidden Cost of Keeping Your Insurance Agency Open on Holidays

Let’s talk about something I see way too often in our industry.

There’s this hero complex a lot of agency owners get trapped in.
They think being the agency that’s open on holidays is some kind of badge of honor.
Like it’s the ultimate flex in customer service.

"Look at me! I’m here for my clients when nobody else is!"
"Even on the holidays, we answer the phone!"
"We never close!"

On the surface, it sounds like you’re winning, right?
It sounds like you’re going the extra mile. Like you’re building loyalty. Like you’re setting yourself apart.

But what you’re really doing?

You’re trading your life for your business.
And I promise you—your clients will let you do it.
They will keep taking pieces of your time, your energy, your relationships—if you keep offering it.

They’re not going to tell you to stop.

They’re not going to tell you to go home to your family.

They’re going to let you be available until it burns you down.

And I’m telling you right now—you need to stop.

Being Open on Holidays Is Not the Flex You Think It Is

Somewhere along the way, the idea of “availability” became the gold standard in customer service.

Be the first to pick up.
Be the last to close.
Be available when others aren’t.

But let’s cut the nonsense: being open on holidays is not always good service.

It’s often a sign of poor boundaries.
It’s a sign of putting the business ahead of your life.
It’s a move that screams, “I don’t have the team, the systems, or the courage to let the phone go to voicemail for 24 hours.”

Most of the time, the clients calling on holidays?
They’re not dealing with life-altering emergencies.
They’re asking about ID cards, billing questions, or random paperwork that could have waited until tomorrow.

You’re giving up precious, irreplaceable moments with your family, with your kids, with your friends, to solve problems that do not require your immediate attention.

That’s not world-class service. That’s self-imposed servitude.

What You’re Actually Signaling to Your Clients

When you stay open on holidays, when you pick up your phone during Thanksgiving dinner, when you answer that email on Christmas morning—you’re sending a message.

You’re training your clients to believe:

They should expect 24/7/365 access to you.

You will always pick up, no matter the day or time.

Their convenience is more important than your life.

And trust me—once you train your clients that you’re available on holidays, they will keep expecting it.

You think you’re being the hero, but you’re actually creating a monster.

And here’s the kicker:
The clients who expect you to work on holidays? They will not hesitate to leave you for $50 in savings.

They are not the loyal, relationship-driven clients you think they are.
They are transactional.
They are used to taking.
And you trained them to take from you.

The Ripple Effect on Your Personal Life

Let’s talk about what this really costs.

When you choose to keep your agency open on holidays, you’re not just making a business decision.
You’re making a life decision.

You are choosing to:

Miss family dinners.

Step away from birthday parties.

Sit on the phone while fireworks go off.

Be mentally somewhere else, even when you’re physically present.

Your spouse notices.  Your kids notice.  Your friends notice.
And eventually, they stop inviting you. They stop expecting you to show up fully.

You start living this half-present life, where you’re technically there, but your head is always waiting for the next phone call, the next “urgent” email, the next little insurance fart that you’ve convinced yourself can’t wait until tomorrow.

It can wait.

The problem is—you don’t let it.

You Teach People How to Treat You

When you make yourself available on holidays, you’re teaching your clients, your team, and your own brain how to treat you.

You are the one setting the tone.
You are the one training them.

If you tell people:

“We’re here even on holidays.”

“You can call me anytime.”

They will believe you. They will do it.  And they will make you pay for that promise.

But if you set the boundary:

“We’re closed on holidays, but we’ll jump on this first thing when we open.”

“Our team deserves time with their families just like you do.”

“Emergencies are rare, and we’ve got processes to support you when they happen.”

People will respect that.

Most people don’t actually expect you to be available on holidays—you taught them to.

And you can unteach it.

You Don’t Need to Be the Hero to Win

Here’s the thing—your clients will not leave you because you’re closed on Labor Day.

They will not walk away because you didn’t pick up the phone at 7 PM on Christmas Eve.

What they want is:

Fast service during business hours.

Clear communication.

To know that they matter.

That’s it.

You don’t need to chain yourself to the business 24/7 to deliver that.

You need systems.
You need expectations.
You need to empower your team.

And you need to let go of this idea that your value is tied to being the last man standing at the barbecue holding your phone while everyone else is laughing with their kids.

That’s not the win.
That’s the trap.

What Happens When You Set the Boundary

When you start closing your agency on holidays, when you start stepping away from your phone, when you start protecting your time—three things happen:

Your Clients Respect You More

They realize you run a professional agency with standards.
They understand that you have a life.
And most of them will actually admire you for it.

Your Team Steps Up

When you stop acting like you’re the only one who can handle things, your team grows.
They take more ownership.
They stop leaning on you for every little thing.

Your Life Opens Up

You start showing up fully for the people who matter.
You start living the life you thought you were building this business to enjoy.
You start feeling the freedom that owning an agency is supposed to give you.

Emergencies Are Rare. Stop Acting Like Every Call Is One.

Let’s be real. Most “urgent” client calls? They are not life or death.

It feels like a fire because we trained ourselves to treat everything like one.
But most things can wait until the next business day.

And for the true emergencies? You can set up:

A voicemail system that explains your holiday hours and how to handle urgent issues.

A dedicated emergency line if you really want, but make it crystal clear what qualifies as an emergency.

You do not need to sacrifice your holidays to be a great agent.
You do not need to abandon your family to be a great leader.

You need to build systems, empower your team, and protect your life.

Final Thought: Build a Business That Serves You

You didn’t start your agency to be a slave to your clients.

You started this to build freedom.
To build security.
To build something that funds the life you actually want to live.

So why are you still answering the phone on holidays?

Why are you missing the moments that your family will remember forever?

Being open on holidays isn’t the badge of honor you think it is.
It’s a chain.
It’s a choice that keeps you trapped in the very thing you wanted to escape.

Close the agency.
Turn off the phone.
Be present.
Live your life.

Your clients will be fine.
Your business will be fine.
And you—you will finally start to feel like you own the agency instead of it owning you.

That’s the goal.
That’s the move.

And you’re allowed to make it.