Google to Sell Insurance

[scooter33]

I've been mulling this development around in my head for a while, and all I have to contribute is this. 1) Adapt or die. 2) Worry about your business, not the competition. 3) Due your diligence and learn from the competition, without worrying about them. Google will probably broaden the reach of the online-shopping market for insurance, which is good. When people have a claim they run through their agent, they learn how valuable the agency model is. The clients that purchase online and have a claim will likely talk to an agent in some form or another, possibly be googling agents that represent that company, in the future. Get your online live-quote portals up (I'm working on mine), keep true to your values of service and honesty (you do have those, right?) and you'll be just fine.

I agree with all your points..except one, I think we do need to pay attention to what Google, carriers and consumer behavior, otherwise we will be caught with out pants down.

I am not saying we should all put our hands up and sell our books. What I am saying is, big change is coming and many ways already here.

 

[AIRECS]

Many of you PC agents are afraid and you have no reason to be. I think I speak for a lot of 'us' who are younger than most of you. I'm not a PC agent. I don't know beans about auto and home coverage. None of my contemporaries do either. We're an online, social media, "what's hot" generation. If something is good we hear about it at the speed of light. If something is bad we 'yelp' about it. Last week a rock put a huge 'hole' in my windshield. I have AAA auto coverage... for years... ever since college... I also have the agent who sold me the policy. He's an employee of AAA and has been there over ten years and he says he is very happy there and makes a good living while still having time for family. I call "Jim" and tell him about the rock. He says "Don't worry, I'm on it." That's it. A thirty second phone call. An hour later a woman from Safelite Widshield Repair calls and the next morning Safelite is at my home with a new windshield which took no more than an hour to repair. It cost me $120 out of pocket and AAA paid the rest. There was no (that's right, NO) claim form to fill in. I don't know for sure but my bet is that I'd have to go through root canal with Flo or The Lizzard. But "Jim" took care of it all... it was effortless and painless. Here's my point. I'm telling this story to everyone I see. I'll post on FaceBook and Twitter and LinkedIn and on the church chat board and to community leaders and to friends, relatives, and clients... that if you want good service contact "Jim" at Triple A. Younger people are savvy. We've learned that while buying stuff online is convenient, when there is an issue, it is NOT convenient. I notice a marked trend back to buying from small businesses and the people who work in them. You PC agents don't even have to market that much. We'll do it for you... but you have to provide solid gold, "bust your butt," 24/7/365, "I'm on it" service. I bet I can buy car insurance cheaper than AAA. But will I get "Jim?" Will I get an "I'll take care of it" agent who is going to do for me the service that I want (or hope for?) I don't think so. Stop selling price and start telling people "Yeah you can buy from the lizard, but when you need me, be it in the middle of the night in the middle of a holiday weekend, I'm going to be there for you... not to tell you to call an 800 number... but really BE THERE to 'take care of it' for you." If some of you folks market a bit 'smarter' you not only meet the competition, but beat the $#@! out of it. It's a lot of work, but once you are known as the 'go to' guy/gal in your area for home/auto coverage you will be "the millionaire next door." “The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory.” - Aldo Gucci

This was maybe the best response to any post on this forum I have read in the past two years!

 

[BigIVU]

There would be no claim forms for many insurers today for this type of claim. And a number of carriers cover 100% of windshield damage without deductible. The true test of the policy and service is when the loss reaches 4 figures or more. Atypical exclusions, restrictive interpretations of policy language, and "low ball" valuations of damage may negate the few dollars the insured thought he or she saved based in a purchasing decision based solely on price and advertising cleverness.

 

[kybrd]

Many of you PC agents are afraid and you have no reason to be.

I think I speak for a lot of 'us' who are younger than most of you.

I'm not a PC agent.

I don't know beans about auto and home coverage.

None of my contemporaries do either.

We're an online, social media, "what's hot" generation. If something is good we hear about it at the speed of light. If something is bad we 'yelp' about it.

Last week a rock put a huge 'hole' in my windshield. I have AAA auto coverage... for years... ever since college... I also have the agent who sold me the policy. He's an employee of AAA and has been there over ten years and he says he is very happy there and makes a good living while still having time for family.

I call "Jim" and tell him about the rock. He says "Don't worry, I'm on it." That's it. A thirty second phone call. An hour later a woman from Safelite Widshield Repair calls and the next morning Safelite is at my home with a new windshield which took no more than an hour to repair. It cost me $120 out of pocket and AAA paid the rest. There was no (that's right, NO) claim form to fill in.

I don't know for sure but my bet is that I'd have to go through root canal with Flo or The Lizzard. But "Jim" took care of it all... it was effortless and painless.

Here's my point. I'm telling this story to everyone I see. I'll post on FaceBook and Twitter and LinkedIn and on the church chat board and to community leaders and to friends, relatives, and clients... that if you want good service contact "Jim" at Triple A.

Younger people are savvy. We've learned that while buying stuff online is convenient, when there is an issue, it is NOT convenient. I notice a marked trend back to buying from small businesses and the people who work in them.

You PC agents don't even have to market that much. We'll do it for you... but you have to provide solid gold, "bust your butt," 24/7/365, "I'm on it" service.

I bet I can buy car insurance cheaper than AAA. But will I get "Jim?" Will I get an "I'll take care of it" agent who is going to do for me the service that I want (or hope for?) I don't think so.

Stop selling price and start telling people "Yeah you can buy from the lizard, but when you need me, be it in the middle of the night in the middle of a holiday weekend, I'm going to be there for you... not to tell you to call an 800 number... but really BE THERE to 'take care of it' for you."

If some of you folks market a bit 'smarter' you not only meet the competition, but beat the $#@! out of it. It's a lot of work, but once you are known as the 'go to' guy/gal in your area for home/auto coverage you will be "the millionaire next door."

“The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory.”
- Aldo Gucci

Newbie here:

This is SO well put.

The beauty of it all, is that old school and NEW school meet with social. It's kinda like an old timer telling you about the "good fishing in the pond down yonder", but on steroids. One quick text, yelp, or share and the drop has created a HUGE ring that reaches faster than a "speeding bullet". It reaches them in their pocket, or purse.

Mobile is the key, and being setup with a good social network is highly recommended due to many people start looking up who knows what they are talking about, and what social is saying about them (who knows someone who has done business with someone... etc).

Moving forward with Social and spreading the word

 

[somarco]

Update to an old thread. Ran across a news item on Google selling insurance and remembered this thread.

Google Shuttering Comparison-Shopping Site for Auto Insurance, Credit Cards, Mortgages - WSJ

https://www.google.com/compare/

 

[goillini52]

Update to an old thread. Ran across a news item on Google selling insurance and remembered this thread.

Google Shuttering Comparison-Shopping Site for Auto Insurance, Credit Cards, Mortgages - WSJ

https://www.google.com/compare/

Well, that didn't last very long.

 

[somarco]

That often happens when you venture into areas you don't understand. Google is very good at what they do, which is curating and delivering information. But they don't understand insurance.

There is so much money flowing into that company they can afford to take on projects, dump millions into it, then abandon it without a care. Alphabet (the parent) was created to oversee and manage all the various projects.

http://mashable.com/2015/08/11/google-alphabet-timing/#T1M8UtjdukqV

http://www.forbes.com/sites/roberth...ons-google-will-become-alphabet/#4bc3e981243a

 

[thomasm]

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What's the Franchise fee? Split?

And what makes you any different from just joining a cluster?

 

[childress]

Google is running into everything now...Won't be anything new if this happens..