We're Proactive (so you don't have to be)

We love seeing our clients. We love it when they drop in to chat about their policies, or when we run into a client at the grocery store. It’s always great to catch up on how they’re doing and what’s new.

While these encounters are usually fun and light-hearted, we also see many of our clients on the bad days. The days when your car skidded into a tree, or when the roof started leaking. When a client calls us about a claim, we know that the last thing they want to worry about is whether or not the insurance company is going to make it hard for them to get it taken care of.

And that’s where your agent comes in. No one likes having to file a claim, but your agent is there to make sure the process is as smooth and easy as possible. We can help you find a repair shop, make sure that an adjuster gets to you quickly, and above all, make sure that your claim is processed as soon as possible so you can get back to living your life.

These are just a few of the ways that your Erie Insurance agent can help you. Just relax. We’ve got this.

Storm Checklist

We had some very strong storms come pass through Wisconsin yesterday, so now might be a good time to evaluate your property and your policy to see if you need to take action.

First dig out your insurance policy:

-- Check your coverage

-- Make sure you've got claim-reporting phone numbers

-- Put your policy in a safe place

If you've planned ahead, you know your best friend might be a camera, according to insurance experts:

-- Inventory your household items in photos or video

-- Keep those photos in a safe place

If you wake up to storm damage, it’s time to take some pictures again.

Take pictures, take videos, show the insurance agency and the company what really happened to your property.  You've probably already protected your property by covering windows, putting your vehicles into a garage, securing the boats, but don’t forget to take grills and patio furniture indoors.

After the storm:

-- Cover holes in roofs or windows quickly so wind and rain doesn't cause more damage

-- Get two repair estimates

-- Keep all receipts

Report all damage to your insurance company or agent as soon as possible and remember, if your home is flooded, that’s a special situation. Unless you have special flood insurance, you may not be covered.

Most homeowners’ insurance policies and commercial insurance policies do not cover flood. That requires separate coverage under the national flood insurance program.  Again, talk to your insurance agent, talk to the company, get the facts, there may be something they can do for you.

Something else to note: your homeowners’ insurance policy may not cover damage to trees, but it may pay to remove the debris if it caused damage to a structure covered by insurance.

If you have any damage to your home or vehicle, give me a call today.  I can help you to determine if a claim is necessary and how to get it done quickly and correctly.

No Brainer

I want to make your life easy. Let’s face it, you have better things to do than spend your time worrying about your insurance coverage. So let me help.

One of the easiest ways to help me help you is to bundle your coverage with us. When you’re in a car accident or your home’s electrical system was fried by lightning, you don’t want to be hunting through your phone for numbers and struggling to remember who your Agent is. Let us be your trusted advocate in the insurance world. Then you only have to remember one number when disaster strikes and then know that it’s all taken care of.

Besides being convenient, bundling your auto and homeowner’s insurance can be incredibly cost-effective (25% off, anyone?).  Convenient and affordable? Bundling’s a no-brainer when it comes to your insurance.  Did you know you can also bundle your Life insurance policies for even more discounts and savings?  It's true.  Find out more at http://burdickinsuranceagency.com/Life.aspx

This is... Spinal Health!

Hopefully you got the movie reference.  If not, your dials do not go up to 11.  I would like to say a quick work about chiropractic care.  This may pertain to your health insurance policy, so I guess it fits into the parameters of this blog.

I recently suffered (yes, suffered) a back injury and sought care.  This was my first experience with a chiropractor.  I had been a skeptic for years, but recently had learned of the many benefits of seeing a chiropractor.  I can say that it has been a great help in managing pain and speeding up recovery.  I had a torn muscle and pinched nerve in my lower back due to lifting something way too heavy.  While it has been a frustrating slow recovery, seeing Dr. Ben was a great idea (thank you, Carmen).  I urge you to look into seeing a chiropractor if you don't already.  It can mean a big difference in your quality of life.

So, don't ask me to help you move anytime soon.  However, I can help you find a great doctor in the Watertown area.

Speaking of Insurance

Everyone’s passionate about something. For some it might be painting, writing the great American novel, or open heart surgery. But all Erie Insurance agents are passionate about one thing: insurance. It can seem a little strange, I know, but I love reading about insurance, learning more about insurance, and telling other people about insurance.

Sometimes it may seem like you need an interpreter to understand your insurance. Luckily, all ERIE agents are fluent in insurance, and I'm here to help you translate. Got a question? No need to go hunting through your policy to find the answer, just let me know, and I’ll get you the answers.

You have enough going on in your life without having to become an expert on insurance, too. You just want to know you’re covered when the unexpected happens. But with an ERIE agent, you can relax and know that there’s someone there – just a phone call away – when you have questions.

Snowflakes

Snowflakes, really?  He's going to talk about snow?  It's April, I don't even want to think about snow for a long time.  Don't worry, it's just a metaphor.  Read on...

We all know that no two snowflakes are alike. But since snowflakes tend to melt pretty quickly, it’s more important to remember that no two people are alike. For instance, some people love to talk on the phone, while the mere thought of a phone chat makes others turn green. Many people prefer to do everything on the computer, while some like an old-fashioned face-to-face meeting.

And that’s cool with me. You can get in touch with me any way you want. I'm always here for you, to answer questions about your policy, make a change to your coverage, or file a claim. Personalized attention is never more than a phone call away.

But if you prefer a cruise down the information superhighway instead, I can help with that, too. Erie Insurance agents can be reached via e-mail (but remember, never send me private information this way). If you prefer to the do-it-yourself route, you can file claims online at http://www.erieinsurance.com, look at Frequently Asked Questions, get an auto quote, or pay your bill with a few clicks of your mouse.

You should never dread getting a call from your insurance agent. So let me know: how can I contact you? I’ll listen.

Achieving Excellence in Customer Service: The Brands That Deliver What U.S. Consumers Want

A report released February 2011 by J.D. Power & Associates listed Erie Insurance as one of the top "Customer Service Champions" among 800 companies analyzed.  This report examined companies from several different industries, from financial services to utilities.

For the full report:  http://businesscenter.jdpower.com/Corp/Store/DocumentDownload.aspx?PDFFile=11-US-ServiceExcellence-SR-sample.pdf&Category=SpecRpt

Some excerpts: 
Despite this period of record-level uncertainty, some companies have successfully weathered this storm. They recognize that a reputation for high-quality service is a powerful market differentiator in the face of changing economic conditions.

Five critical-to-customer features, or the J.D. Power 5 PsSM are key to achieving excellence in customer satisfaction and advocacy. Companies, regardless of the industry, must outperform their competition on some or all of the core areas in order to retain and attract customers.