We are aware that not everyone has a history of positive experiences when working with insurance agents or through a traditional insurance carrier. We also know that insurance itself can be a bit complicated, but that is precisely the reason that working with a trusted agent to help you navigate the process is so necessary.
At Winter-Dent, we are committed to giving our customers the best experience possible as they work with our independent agents. That's why we've outlined some things to know and expect as you consider working with an independent insurance agent.
First things first, we must begin by considering what it means for someone to be an independent insurance agent. This in the simplest of terms means that the agent represents multiple carriers and is therefore not bound or required to just sell products from a single entity. They in essence serve as a middleman between you, the insurance buyer, and the insurance sellers to facilitate the very best transaction possible. Consequently, as you might imagine, working with an independent insurance agent can offer you more options, better service and many other benefits.
As outlined above, this particular way of handling your insurance can be an advantageous setup for you in terms of savings and other benefits. A few of the most applicable are outlined below:
When using an independent insurance agent, you basically are employing your own built-in customer service representative, embodied in your agent. This means you give them a call with questions pertaining to a claim or other inquiry, and you will receive a direct response. This can be a big time saver when you are in a rush to figure out what is your best option for a specific scenario.
Unlike an insurance agent who works for a specific insurance agency—also known as a captive agent, an independent insurance agent is uniquely positioned to give you the best price by allowing competing offers. Our independent agents are more than happy to move you to another company if doing so will mean a better rate or more beneficial coverage options for you.
In many cases, because you are working with an independent insurance agent, you will enjoy the benefit of premium savings. With traditional companies, insurance premiums will often go up for unexpected or unusual reasons. This can go unchecked or unnoticed in standard captive agents setups. However, our independent agents perform periodic reviews of your policy, typically when it is set to renew. This review process allows the agent to recognize your rate increase and inquire about what’s going on on your behalf. If the rate cannot be lowered, they can even suggest another company that could offer you a more competitive rate. What all this means is that long term you should save money by having an independent agent on your side working to keep your rates competitive.
While working with an independent insurance agent doesn’t necessarily mean you will get a claim covered, it does mean that you will be working with a fighter on your side who understands your policies immensely well and can serve as your advocate in any situation. Our independent agents are highly skilled and have a specialized knowledge base that they have garnered by being experts in the industry. This knowledge base can prove invaluable in many situations that come up when dealing with the nuances of policies and coverages.
At Winter-Dent, we are an independent agency that has built a business on taking care of each individual customer. We put you first…we are “Humans Helping Humans.”