What You Need To Know

        …and what your current insurance agent may not be telling you!

I’m sure all of us have experienced the ‘bait and switch’ technique. I bet you can also provide many examples in your life where, you were attracted to an advertisement, that promised a BIGGER, Better, and CHEAPER gadget… Then you decide to order it because it seems to be exactly what you are looking for. You provide your credit card and wait for that “perfect” item to be delivered. Honestly, sometimes when it is delivered, it is bigger, better and cheaper. HOWEVER, many times it is not. When you open the box, you even know at that moment, that the gadget is not going to be right (even before you see the gadget). It appears that the gadget they have tossed into the box does not even come close on what the ad looked like. What’s even worst, the gadget looks like if I use it, it will break into a million pieces.

How do you know this, well I think there are many clues in the packaging and delivery of a product that shows the love and care the manufacturer or vendor is providing.

Those clues are a sure sign of:
1. Inferior product
2. Poor customer service
3. Lack of accountability
4. You get the point, they just do not care!

Insurance honestly can be the same way. Yes, I know insurance does not come in a box, well not normally, unless you buy from our agency. All new clients receive a package from our agency, which provides a list of services, what you can expect from us, staff employee list so you can always deal with the same person if that is what you like, our GUARANTEE and PLEDGE can also be found in the package that you receive from us. Even my personal cell phone number.

We all should be very tired and fed up with these large corporate companies not treating us like clients. One of our foundation rules here at the agency is to treat all with the client respect deserved to your own mother.

Now back to the bait & switch technique… you ask how does that apply to insurance companies? Well, many internet companies EVEN some local agents will provide you with a drop dead great quote. You get excited and say “great sign me up!” The next step is you scrape up your needed down payment and sign lots of forms. Two weeks later you receive your waited package in the mail (starting to see the similarity from the first story?) You open it up and see the GREAT drop dead rate you expected is not there. Where did it go? What happened to that great low rate? In fact the new company is now charging you MORE than you were paying with your old insurance company. You then look through all your paper work, find the name of the person you spoke to or the person you emailed for the policy, you call them only to be told that they only handle the sales portion of the insurance purchasing process and they cannot assist you on policy service but they can transfer you to someone who can help. You sit on hold for 10 minutes waiting for someone to pick up, the new person picks up and tells you some sideways story of how they made a mistake on the quote and the policy received in the mail is now the correct price, and the quote that was originally given was wrong.

So now you ask yourself “what do I do?, they have my down payment, I cancelled my old policy. I guess I am staying here for a while. I dont have the $$ now for a new down payment. I guess this “save 15% in 15 minutes company” wins and keeps my policy even though I might be paying more now than I was before. Oh, what about my coverage? If they lied about my quote, did they change my coverage too? Do I have the same coverage? I bet they will tell me at claim time, I don’t have the right coverage”.

The only thing I am left with is a lesson – that you get what you pay for normally, and working with the same person that sells a policy and continues to be there for me is KEY. Sounds like this is wisdom that every generation learns.
Bottom line, our agency is different and accountable and reachable to you. Call us and see the difference.

1. You can triple your Personal Injury coverage for about $10 per year. Hum, do I want $50,000 of medical/work loss coverage or $150,000? Even a MORE important question is – why did my current agent or company not talk to me about this? I think you know that answer, right.

2. Do I have rental coverage when I rent a car on vacation? DO I have to buy that EXTRA expensive insurance from the rental car place?

1. Trampoline coverage may be excluded from your current policy. Some insurance companies DO NOT include this common missing coverage. How common are claims? Just watch America’s Funniest Videos on TV. You will see the injuries all the time.

2. Dogs: some insurance companies EXCLUDE certain dog breads. Find out what dogs CALL us today. Do you know the average dog bite law suit, finds the owner responsible?

1. Who pays to recover your boat from the bottom of the lake? Did you know by State / Federal law you are required to do so and also clean up the gas/ oil? Who pays? This section of coverage IS provided / offered by SOME insurance companies – not all.

2. If you were injured by a UN-INSURED boater or someone with basic coverage, where would you collect the rest of the damages for your injuries? Again, this coverage section IS not automatic, it just depends on your insurance policy and advice from your agent.

1. Did you have any idea that you can turn back to your own policy for a potentional BIG gap of coverage when you need it the most? I didn’t think you did. This is one example of why you need real people involved and reviewing your insurance options.

 

John Ruskin (1819 – 1900) was one of the greatest figures of the Victorian age, poet, artist, conservationist and social revolutionary. Living and working during the industrial revolution, he gained an insight into Britain’s rapidly expanding industries and burgeoning manufacturing base of the time. His wry observation on the issues of quality still holds true today.

 

“It is unwise to pay too much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do!

 

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot, it cannot be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder it is well to add something for the risk you run and if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.
There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell for a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this mans lawful prey”.