I believe that this is a good time to acknowledge all of the st andup insurance agents out there. You know who I am talking about. I am talking about those agents that take the time to sit down with you to make sure that you are getting the proper coverage for your particular situation. In a time when there are a lot of agents out there that only want to sell the policies that produce the greatest commissions, it is good to have someone who is seriously concerned about their customer.
Just imagine if all agents only thought of their commission statement, some of us might actually have to think for ourselves. We might actually have to do a little research and educate ourselves on the different products and the benefits associated with each. I recently read where the American consumer is becoming smarter. I remember thinking, okay are they all living in the same city or state somewhere, because sometimes I have to wonder.
Actually the truth is that the vast majority of consumers are looking to gain more insight on their purchases and this includes home, auto and life insurance. Insurance companies, like all other companies are learning that a smart consumer creates challenges. The one size fits all policies will no longer cut it. Consumers are beginning to see insurance policies for what they really are: financial transactions.
Insurance policies are not only to insure property and life, the products can be used to insure financial stability later in life. You can use these negotiable documents to arrange early retirement. All this sounds great right? Not really! Have you ever heard the saying: You know just enough to be dangerous? Well that is the case most of the time when you have a consumer that has been on the internet comparing products. They believe they have it all figured out until they sit down with an agent.
The agent is prepared, they have carefully reviewed their notes from the initial interview with the customer. They have used their industry expertise to pick out several different packages that will fit perfectly into the customer’s situation. There is only one problem, the customer has been surfing the web over the last couple of days and has now become an expert in assumable risks and finance. If you are thinking what I am thinking, things are about to get ugly.
The internet is a very powerful resource, but it has the power to turn some of the nicest people into total arrogant jerks. There is nothing like a person who thinks they know something about something they know nothing about. The agent says, “I selected these products because I believe that they will work perfectly for you” The customer says, “but what about policy “Type A”, I have been reading about it and everyone says that it is the best policy to have. Who is everyone exactly? Everyone is the blogger who did one hour of research to write an article for their blog for the purpose of promoting products that have nothing to do with what they are blogging about. What does the agent do? Because they are committed to doing what is right for the customer, they overlook the arrogance and ignorance and take the time to convince the customer to buy the policy they actually need.
Thanks once again to the agents who care.
