July 23, 2010

Two Reasons To Speak To An Auto Insurance Broker

The insurance business is rapidly moving onto the internet, out of offices and the phone lines of insurance experts and onto "do-it-yourself" auto insurance quotes sites, giving quotes over forms and skipping the insurance broker altogether. The forms are short, the payments taken by credit card in a flash, and if television advertisements are to be believed, cutting out the middleman provides cheaper prices than any brick-and-mortar establish ever could, mostly because there will be no store, but rather, the business model is moving entirely online.

However, just as any business, the core of the insurance business is human interaction, something a website simply can't provide. Certainly, the customer can email or sometimes even chat with a customer service representative, but it does not come close to the kind of interaction one receives with an insurance broker. For something as important as auto insurance, a deal today isn't even concluded with a handshake, but rather, a "congratulations" web page as well as a new line on one's credit card statement. When it comes to auto insurance quotes, a website with a few tantalizing but ultimately empty promises and perhaps a "low price guarantee" cannot match the kind of service an insurance broker can provide. From the basic questions to the more complex, once-in-a-lifetime scenarios that may just pop up, an email address sent to the ether is simply not good enough. If you, the customer, needs an answer from a qualified, friendly, and knowledgeable expert in the auto insurance industry, you must talk to a broker, on the phone or even better, face to face.

Nothing beats human interaction, and for something as important as auto insurance, questions such as "what's the best plan for me, considering how much time I spend on the road" or "what kind of insurance should I get if I'm moving across the country to a climate and driving conditions I'm entirely not used to?" These are just some sample questions, but would you, the customer, not rather get the straight answer quickly and from a human, instead of form letter? Just because a policy is cheap, it does not mean it's the best. Drivers in different parts of the country, in different circumstances, and even in different cars simply need different auto insurance options, not just the "guaranteed lowest price," and to have a personalized relationship with one's insurance broker is essential, as only someone who truly understands the customer's needs on a personal level can offer the best insurance plans that would fit the needs of the customer.

Sure, "low price guarantee" sounds great, but "insurance that suits you" is much more important, and only a one-on-one interaction with a broker can make ensure this.