Dear Neighbor,
A
belated Happy New Year 2014!
It’s
January in Colorado. It’s cold. Your neighbor didn't shovel their share of the
sidewalk. Starbucks just discontinued making the banana-ginger-rosemary latte,
you so dearly love. You’re kicking yourself for not spending the extra $500 to
have seat warmers installed in your new car (#firstworldproblems)…
ugh, winter in suburbia.
Obviously
we all know that we’re fortunate in some way. But those items – and due respect
for lack of political-correctness here – still
suck. Funny enough, over my time working at Pure Risk Solutions, I've encountered
numerous people who have said the same about insurance.
Why?
Well, I get it. I dearly love the
industry, and its innovation and ability to help people. But some have had bad experiences - perhaps a claim which was never paid, or three hours spent filling out a mind numbing application. Let me try
and counteract the stereotype a bit - or at least show you how you can be proactive
in mitigating these common frustrations, by pointing some of them out.
Confusing Policies
“You
need to obtain this policy because of x/y/z, and although this other policy is
perfect for you in 99 ways, the 100th will disqualify you.” It can
be smoke and mirrors, and also frustrating, indeed. In an ideal world, there would
be one policy perfect for everyone. But it’s important to realize that there’s
no one-size-fits-all explanation or policy. Which can become even more apparent
if you have...
Bad Agents
Seriously.
Not to throw any of our competitors under the bus or write a Jerry Maguire-esque
manifesto, but a good agent (such as those you’ll find at PRS), should be
someone you can trust and relate to. A good agent will take the time to learn
about the needs of you and your family, and through knowledge and experience
within the industry, provide policies, understanding (explain the technical
jargon!), and results which are best for you. Goals should not be driven primarily by sales, or boxed into quotas, but should focus on the
satisfaction of clients.
Insurance is Intangible with no Return on Investment
Hey,
we’re 21st century Americans here. There’s no shame in saying that we
enjoy material items. But you can’t hold an insurance policy in your hand or
display it on your mantle (and by this I mean the benefits, not the actual paper contract), and unless you need it, it may feel like you’re
getting absolutely no return on your investment! The thing is – you don’t want
to have to collect that return. Think of it as if you’re paying for peace of
mind. It’s not 'glamorous', but it’s necessary, even if…
Some Insurance is Mandatory
Do
you drive? Do you like to do it legally? Boom – you need car insurance. Live in
the United States? Bam – you need health insurance. It’s a fact we all need to
live with. But in an imperfect world, accidents happen. The peace of mind mentioned
above is worth the part of your paycheck that is extracted to provide it.
Please
just know that like my colleagues at PRS – I, Dave Godel, am in the insurance
business because I’m in the business of helping people. My goal is to get to
know my clients and earn their trust, so as to take the guesswork out of
choosing a policy by providing them with options. Attention to detail is a big
thing to me, and one I pride myself in having. It’s also the
reason why I work at a small agency - to avoid the corporate bureaucracy, to be
able to do just that.
Further,
the insurance industry is important to me now more than ever because I’m a
father. If I were to tell you honestly, my main goal in life is to provide
guidance for my children so that they can become caring, productive adults, who
are hardworking and honest. Their protection and the steps I can take to ensure
their future peace of mind and successes are of the utmost importance to me. In
this, like with insurance, I’m looking at the long term rather than just the
present.
Overall,
insurance can be confusing, but it doesn't have to suck. Please feel free to call me, and allow me to take care of the legwork for you. Oh, and of course - all the best to you
and yours as we embark on 2014.
Cheers,
Dave
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