Why Work With an Independent Insurance Agent?
Posted on May 30, 2019
You’ve probably been told or have read that it is best to work with an independent insurance agent. But what you may not have been told is why.
There are many reasons why working with an independent agent is better than working with an agent tied to a single company.
Independent Agents are Committed to Serving Your Needs
Insurance agents that are tied to a single provider owe their loyalty to that company. It is in their best interests to sell the packages and products the provider wants to push rather than focusing on what best meets your needs. When the focus shifts from the insurance provider, to the people and businesses being insured, you come out much better served.
Help You Keep Your Costs Down
Most insurance companies offer specific products and packages. Some offer more options than others. When it comes to packages and types of insurance coverage, but most providers keep their costs down by offering a limited combination of products to a huge group of consumers.
Since independent insurance agents work with multiple insurance providers, they can shop around for packages, prices, and coverage amounts that serve your needs best and have much greater flexibility in finding products and services that work within your budget.
In other words, they have more abundant options to shop around from, offering you lower costs for the protection you require. This is the case whether you’re in the market for personal insurance products or business insurance protection.
Have Better Knowledge of Your Community
Different communities have different needs and requirements for insurance coverage.
For instance, a homeowner in Yuma, Arizona, has insurance needs that are largely different from someone living in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Independent agents work locally. They live in your community. Their children attend the same schools your children do. They have an intimate understanding of what it means to live in your community and what kind of insurance coverage will protect your needs best.
Because they know the area so well, they can help you choose the insurance products you’re most likely to need while limiting coverage for events or situations that are less likely to occur in your location. They can also help you minimize your risks based on their knowledge of the community.
Greater Selection of Specialty Coverages
Technology is changing the world. However, these rapid changes are leaving some insurance companies behind in their efforts to meet the specialized protection needs of business and homeowners. Independent agents aren’t beholden to one specific company which offers them great flexibility.
That means they can offer you more advanced and forward-thinking insurance products to protect your business and home against cyber-attacks, your participation in the “gig” economy, and more. These offerings might not be possible if working with a single provider agency.
Offer Better Customer Service
Because you deal with local independent insurance agents face to face, more often than not, you can expect to receive superior customer service. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding yourself in an endless loop of “Press 8 now” when you’re reeling from your first auto accident, or you’ve experienced the loss of your home to fire.
Local agencies are better committed to offering you a more personal experience when you buy your insurance, and when you are in a situation that requires you to file a claim. You’re not left alone to deal with the aftermath.
Allows You to Trust the Advice You Receive
Because independent agents have many different insurance coverages, policies, and protections to offer, instead of just one company’s products, they are free to offer unbiased advice and recommendations about which products are in your best interests to buy.
You rely on your insurance to provide adequate protection in your time of need. Therefore, it’s important that you trust your agent to offer advice and recommendations related to the types of coverage that meets your need and minimize your risks.
Otterstedt Insurance Agency is an Independent Insurance Agency
Otterstedt Insurance Agency has been serving the needs of homeowners and businesses throughout New Jersey and beyond since 1919 as an independent insurance agency.
