Nothing's Wrong With 800-Insurance Companies, Except...

...except for the fact that you almost never talk to the same person twice. And except that no one's going to be pro-active and check with you every 6-12 months to find out if your needs have changed. Also, they typically only sell one kind of insurance, e.g., auto coverage, so they don't bring to your attention any other kind of policy and they can't answer your questions about any other kind of coverage. If you should have a claim, you might talk to Mary today and when you call again, you may talk to Harry or Rasneesh.

There's nothing wrong with these companies (examples: Progressive and Geico) or their people, but there's no continuity and no relationship between you and them, other than your monthly payment.

If you've been insured by one of these companies, you already know what I mean. In fact, I used to be insured by each of the companies I mentioned. I never had a problem with their people (though I know others who have, occasionally), and I assume their insurance was fine, but I never had a claim, so there was no real test.

That said, I'm sure they handle most claims well. The issue though is that you have no agent (this isn't still universally true, since one of them has started selling through independents), and an agent can help you with: navigating your way through the shoals, to get your claim paid; taking care of your other insurance needs; and, looking out for your best interest and answering questions you have about other insurance.

Is that worth the extra price you pay, in order to have an agent? The answer isn't a simple yes or no. It's also a false choice. I've had an opportunity to go head-to-head against the prices of companies like this and we (Farmers) usually provide a lower price, in which case you get your "hands-on" agent free.

In fact, today I sold an auto policy and saved the client over $100 per month on his auto coverage, as compared to what he was paying Geico.

We don't ALWAYS beat the competition on price, but we usually do. And when we don't we're still worth it. Let me explain how and why. Please give me a call at 602-466-2636 or 480-628-9786. I'll provide a no-obligation quote on auto, life, homeowner's, renter's, or insurance for your company. Let's see whether we can save you money. I'm betting we can.

Thanks for your attention.