
Prospective caller: “I’d like to get a car insurance quote please.”
Me: “I’m going to need information from you to do this, such as drivers, vehicles and current coverage.”
Prospective caller: “Oh. Can’t you just ballpark it?”
Me: “How does $10,000 a year grab you? Is that “ballparking” enough?”
No, this conversation didn’t really happen. It may have started in a similar fashion, but I’ve never retorted with a smart ass number before (although I’ve been SORELY tempted).
But what this example makes abundantly clear is the predominant mindset of today’s consumer. I’ve honestly lost count of the number of times a potential customer has called wanting an estimate without wanting to pony up very much information. So, with all due respect to Jerry Seinfeld- I’m telling you for the last time………
Crap In = Crap Out
At my Agency, Alan Galvez Insurance, we don’t give “estimates” and we don’t guess. Why? Because we want to get it right the first time. We want to spend our time and your time wisely and give you solid figures that you can take to the bank.
What we return to you is based on what you give to us. You give us crap info, you get a crap answer. It’s that simple. When you know the expectation and what we need it can only make your insurance experience positive and as easy as possible.
Here’s a guide to getting the most accurate car insurance quote:
- All licensed drivers in the household- this includes names, birthdays, driver license numbers and social security numbers. Most company rating systems run a Motor Vehicle Report, CLUE (to check for claims history) and an insurance score to both underwrite and rate a policy. If you don’t provide this, game over.
- All vehicles- year, make, model,VIN. VIN is important because if you’re insuring the vehicle for damage (comprehensive & collision coverage), that rate is dependent on the corresponding symbol. The VIN automatically pulls up the correct symbol.
- Which drivers operate which vehicles and their usage (drive to work, school, pleasure)
- Existing policy coverage- limits of liability, along with deductibles and supplementary coverages like rental reimbursement and Towing. This is a starting point for discussion. Depending on what I see, I’ll probably make recommendations. And even if I can’t help, I can offer guidance on ways to improve your existing policy to help your bottom line.
Yes, it’s a lot of information. I know. It may seem like we’re asking for your first born (trust me, we’re not. We’ve got our own kids.) But we’re long gone from the days of pulling out a notepad and a rate book and scratching out the figures. Each calculation is very sophisticated with lots of other “stuff” being computed in the background. It is very specific to YOU. Not your neighbor. Not your brother. YOU. So we need YOU to get it right.
You can get a handy “cheat sheet” of the above information- just hop over to my agency’s website and Download our Guide to Getting the Most Accurate Auto Insurance Quote. Provide your name and email address and the guide will come to you directly. Please note- we don’t sell or share your information. And we HATE spam. So your info is safe with us.
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