Trusted Choice Pledge of Performance
As a Trusted Choice® agency, we are dedicated to you and are committed to treating you as a person, not a policy. This commitment means we shall:
• Work with you to identify the insurance and financial services that are right for you, your family or your business and use our access to multiple companies to deliver those products
• Guide you through the claims process for a prompt and fair resolution of your claim
• Help you solve problems related to your coverage or account
• Explain the coverages and options available to you through our agency, at your request
• Return your phone calls and e-mails promptly and respond to your requests in a timely manner
• Provide 24/7 services for our customers, offering any or all of the following: emergency phone numbers, Internet account access, e-mail and call center services
• Use our experience and multiple company relationships to customize your coverage as needed
• Commit our staff to continuing education so they may be more knowledgeable in serving you
• Treat you with respect and courtesy
• Conduct our business in an ethical manner
We pledge this to you, our clients and ask that you let us know if we fail to meet our commitment, so we may take corrective action
Insurance: 3 Questions Consumers Want Answered
Insurance comes in a wide array of choices for a variety of consumer and business needs. Even the best-educated consumer who spends time researching insurance issues will come across a topic he or she doesn’t understand.
Let’s take a look at what consumers say when asked: “What’s one thing you don’t understand about insurance?” Here are three common questions that Trusted Choice® insurance agents and brokers hear:
Q: Why do I need insurance?
Insurance is for the uncertainties of life. Accidents and catastrophes happen. What can’t be predicted is when they will occur, and whom they will affect. Most people understand they’ll get sick at some point in their lives, but they can’t predict the severity and extent of the illness nor the cost of the treatment.
Catastrophes strike: In 2005, there were 24 weather-related or other disasters causing a total of $61 billion of insured losses. Hurricane Katrina alone caused $41 billion in damage from 1.75 million insurance claims.
Even the safest drivers face the risk of an accident, and even the safest homes can catch fire. In 2006, about 5 percent of insured homes had a claim, according to the Insurance Services Office. About 94 percent of these homeowners insurance claims were for property damage, including theft.
Lawsuits are another uncertainty that businesses and homeowners face. They’re costly: In the 56-year period from 1950-2006, the costs of the tort lawsuit system in the U.S. increased an average of 9.2% each year, reported Tillinghast-Towers Perrin. While most lawsuits are settled before they reach the courtroom, Jury Verdict Research data show that the median plaintiff award in personal injury cases was $45,000 in 2005, compared with $32,000 in 2002. Insurance provides two benefits to those who are sued: It pays for the cost of defending the lawsuit and pays for any liability payments for which the insured is found responsible.
Q: How do you define what insurance is … or does?
Insurance is simply a vehicle for transferring risk from one party to another. You need insurance if you have financial risk (and everyone does) and you want to reduce that risk. To do so, you pay someone else (e.g., the insurance company) to assume much of the risk for you, in return for a payment known as a “premium.”
Because American consumers hold a tremendous amount of wealth in property—ranging from homes and cars to collections of baseball cards and Christmas ornaments—they have a basic need to protect themselves from losing that value.
Insurance is designed to “make people whole” after their property or assets are damaged or