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- Written by: Doug Hartley
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We now live in a digital world. I worked toward an entirely paperless office in the first three years of my career. I achieved that goal in September 1996. Even before ‘the cloud’ was a thing, I created a Virtual Private Network (VPN) between four offices and two homes so we could access your data securely from just about anywhere. Now that ‘the cloud’ has developed, I don’t have to maintain that network. It’s done for me. Finally.
Most insurance companies now give you online access to your policy. You can log in, make payments, submit claims, and—with some companies—change your policy without talking to an agent. That part is still a little scary unless you know what you are doing. I still recommend that you reach out to us through text, email, or a quick phone call to make a change if you are dealing with car purchases and coverages. Coverage is the biggest thing. You could accidentally reduce valuable coverage without knowing the consequences that could later have a massive impact on your financial wellbeing.
It’s my goal to have all my clients go on automatic payments if they must pay monthly or pay in full every six or twelve months. Why? A typical payment phone call lasts 6.5 minutes. We have over a thousand active customers/policies. Imagine how much of our day would be spent taking payments—all of it. Clients can pay online, directly to the company over the phone, or through the app they can download.
If the pandemic shutdown taught us something, clients and agents could survive without coming to an office. Phone, fax, email, and online interaction can accomplish 100% of the tasks needed to service an insurance policy if the client has such devices. We recognize that a few insurance consumers are still out there who don’t know how to run a computer or are uncomfortable using technology. That you are reading this is proof you are not one of them. I have yet to encounter someone who doesn’t have a close friend or relative willing to help.
That is why we opted to close our last office location and operate strictly in ‘the cloud.’ There are still a few agencies maintaining an office location. For those who must deal face-to-face with an agent, we encourage you to look for a physical agent’s office.
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- Written by: Doug Hartley
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Liability claims may take a long time to investigate and settle. If the fault of an accident is in question, all drivers, passengers, and witnesses must be interviewed whenever possible. Often, investigators from both sides must visit the scene and review police reports to piece together the event as it transpired. If someone received severe injuries or died because of the accident, the conclusion may take months to settle. If you are found at fault, your liability insurance will pay for the damage to property and the injury to others. The biggest concern you will have at that point will be the adequacy of your liability limits. Will you have enough to pay for everyone you hurt or the damage you caused? Would you please talk to us about your liability coverage? This aspect of your policy is the most important of all. You could lose everything you have if your limits aren’t high enough. If you are already involved in a liability claim, we can help you get the status answers you need.
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- Written by: Doug Hartley
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Your car can incur damage in several ways. Someone can vandalize or steal it. A flood, fire, windstorm, and other natural disasters can cause harm to your automobile. The most likely cause of loss to your car is a crash. Determining fault after the accident requires careful investigation. If you have collision or other than collision coverage on your policy, you can rely on the fact that your claim will be covered unless, of course, you did something purposely to cause the accident. If you find out the other party was at fault, then their insurance can pay the damages from first-dollar, avoiding payment of a deductible. If you have the optional Uninsured Motorist Property Damage coverage, and you find out the other at-fault driver has no insurance, then your policy will pay for the damage from that benefit. We’ll be happy to help answer the questions along the way as you get your car fixed. The investigation and repair process has been taking longer than usual lately. We can help push things along.
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- Written by: Doug Hartley
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If you or one of your passengers suffers injuries in a car crash, your auto insurance policy will pay for medical expenses, even if you were not at fault. You could wait for the other insurance company to pay all your bills, but that might take a long time to investigate. Hospitals are reluctant to treat patients who can’t prove that immediate coverage is available. The benefit on your policy is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and pays for any member of your household or passenger in your car for injuries sustained in an auto accident as a driver, pedestrian, or passenger. The company will require you to complete the paperwork allowing them to see your medical records. If you have questions about the process, please email, text, or call us.
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- Written by: Doug Hartley
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The agent’s role is to estimate the cost of your insurance, complete the application, have you sign it, transmit your down payment to the company, change your policy, and cancel your policy. All the rest is up to you. You go about your life hoping nothing terrible will happen. Insurance is there in case it does. Should you have a claim against your policy, we will guide you through the process. No, we are not the adjusters and don’t have access to the account that will pay you the settlement. The insurance company does. We’ll find the right person who will handle your claim from start to finish. Record the adjuster’s name assigned to your claim, the phone number and extension, and your claim number. Sometimes you can’t resolve a claim issue. That’s where we can help. We’ll assess the status and contact the right people to move the process along.