Why Have an Agent?

There are lots of companies flooding the insurance industry that don't have an agent.  You have Progressive, Geico and Esurance.  All of these companies have a hands off approach to how they handle their business.  This post will talk about all of the benefits of having a Farmers agent like myself.

It is hard to talk about the best part about having an agent because there are so many great things.  The first is having a consultant.  As a consultant we break down the policy bit by bit and customize it to the clients needs.  How much liability do you need, what deductibles do you need, what loss of use coverage do you need and many more aspects.  An agent is also able to search for discounts and savings that you might not have know about.  Finally they are trained to help you make decisions that may better your situation.  For instance should you file that small claim, what to do in a claim or even what kind of car should I purchase to promote a better premium.

The next thing that is great about having an agent is the ability to sit and talk with a real person.  This is someone who actually knows you by name, makes time for you and doesn't want to kick you out to move to the next person.  When you call into a call center for insurance they have an ideal time that they should spend with you on the phone.  They also don't care what you outcome is.  They are paid by the hour and expected to service as many people as fast as they can.  This may also lead to large wait times because of the volume of calls.  I know I am not a fan of waiting on hold to talk to someone who clearly does not want to talk to me.

Agents play a major part in our communities.   Would you rather do business with someone who just takes your money that never does anything for you or would you have someone that is helping out in your community.  How often have you seen Flo from Progressive out running a clothing drive or teaching a lifetime sport to boy scouts so they can get their merit badge.  I have done both in the last month.  Agents want to be apart of the community because they are real people who live in the community too.  They want to make sure the people in that community are successful.  Don't you want to see a return on your investment?

My favorite part about Farmers is that you receive all of these great things for no extra cost.  You have the same competitive rates and get the benefits of an agent like myself.  So in closing who do you want to do business with, the fictional Geico gecko that you will never meet or Dan Crawford the Farmers agent who is willing to come sit with you at your kitchen table and do all he can to better your situation, your community and your environment? I know which one my clients prefer.