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.