A million thanks from the bottom of my heart
November 25, 2014
how lousy the reason
POSTAGE by Rob Stamp
It’s insurance. I get it. Insurance sucks. is one of life’s more unpleasant subjects for discussion. We can debate its importance for hours on end and there’s probably a good chance that, no matter what I say, your perception of the big bad insurance company will not have changed one iota teeny bit. You wouldn’t be the first poor schmuck person who thought they were getting fu screwed royally over something insurance related. I understand that.
Thankfully, knock on wood, I haven’t found myself feeling like I got fu bent over by an insurance company. I’ve been lucky. Being in the position I am as an insurance agent, I’ve had a few conversations over the past 22 years with clients who felt they were getting taken advantage of. I’ve yet to hear of a claim that turned out to be a good claim. Sometimes, even when everything seems to have gone perfectly, there may be bruised feelings brought about by all sorts of ways. Phone calls not returned promptly. Delays in tracking down statements from involved parties. Settlement offers deemed, by one side, at least, as insultingly low ball. I suppose it’s only natural to feel like you have to get as much as you can because you know damn well the money-grubbing bast other side is going all out to see that you get the least amount possible.
Thankfully, I’m not an adjuster. I really feel for those cats, because they have the worst job not involving something really gross work in a most unenviable position. For starters, everyone they deal with has had a claim and is in a pissy mood, so it’s a negative situation to begin with. On one side, the adjuster is trying to take care of the customer and make it all right and everyone goes on their merry little ways. On the other side, the adjuster has gruff superiors lurking in the shadows, looking over his or her shoulder making sure any payments issued are not a dime nickel penny higher than the company owes. Tough spot, wouldn’t you say?
Thankfully, Meadow Park Insurance Agency represents a group of insurance companies which demonstrate a high degree of care and fairness in handling their commitment to policyholders at the time of loss. That’s truly where the rubber meets the road. If you think about it, isn’t fast, fair claims service what customers are paying for when they submit their premiums? They’re not paying for expensive TV advertising (Hans and Franz? Jesse?) or cutting edge purchasing or servicing technology. Policyholders pay hard-earned, heavily-taxed money to enter into a contract so that, if something bad happens, they have an insurance company shouldering most of the financial load. When you buy an insurance policy, you are replacing an unknown risk (what you stand to lose) with a known amount (your premium and deductible). That’s usually a pretty good deal, but even that can leave simmering resentment a sour taste with even the slightest poor handling by some idiot one in the claims department. I’m glad our companies offer excellent coverage options and consistently hold up their end of the bargain when it’s time for those coverages to be put to use.
Thankfully, we’ve been spared many claim nightmares because of who we’ve chosen to align ourselves with. That’s not to say there haven’t been disappointments, misinterpretations , screaming and shouting and other negative experiences along the way. We’ve already discussed how it’s the nature of the business. Our carriers are financially sound, so we never have to worry if they’ll be around to pay our customers’ claims after a catastrophe we hope never happens and everyone heads for the hills. Sometimes people get mighty pissed off to learn something isn’t covered. Usually, it’s because whatever happened is never covered by insurance. Truth is, insurance companies are like sheep and follow each other and mimic what each does, especially in the coverage arena. What this means is that you aren’t likely to find a whole lot of differences in the policies presented from one company to another, as long as you’re comparing thighs to breasts apples to oranges. There can be some slight variations to certain industry-wide coverage forms, but for the most part, what’s excluded from Company A’s HO-3 homeowners policy is going to be excluded from Company B’s HO-3 policy. There is some differentiation to probe explore and I believe that promotes my role as independent agent who can help steer you through the clutter and, hopefully, make informed decisions amid all the dirty little secrets in an industry full of them.
Thankfully, our customers have been great insureds and I’ve been around long enough now to fully understand how important that is. How do I describe a great insured? It’s a customer who pays their premiums, has very few expensive claims, refers family members, friends and co-workers, and allows us to engage them for ways to better understand their personal insurance program. I enjoy describing what their policies are doing for them, could be doing for them, and, in some cases, should be doing for them. I know price is a very important consideration, maybe more now than ever for a lot of people. I can honestly state that Meadow Park Insurance Agency will not always have the lowest rate for you or your family. We’ve cried when we lost lots of great insureds over the years because of that and I’ve never been shy to tell folks that I’d probably make the same switch had I been in their shoes. What I haven’t said, until now, is that I like to think I add some value to the process of finding and maintaining insurance solutions that helps protect your family’s financial well-being. I’m here and we open our office (almost) everyday so that we can help you sort through some of the shi crap coming your way that you’d rather not pull your hair out over have to deal with. I like to make a point that we’ll always tell you like it is. It may not be what you want to hear, but it’s important you know the unvarnished truth. If you can put up with the occasional snark, friendly ribbing or uncomfortable, prying questions, and overall smartassedness, we think our personal service and attention to detail are worth a little something for the effort.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to continue proving that to you.
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