You thought I was kidding ?   I’m serious as a heart attack here… I am so confident that my office provides at least ten times the value of others that I’ve given a written guarantee and placed it on my website for the world to see. Now that’s conviction, let’s see if I can convince you that we’re better than what you have now.

TOP TEN REASONS

-Reason #1-  Same day callbacks to all inquiries/claims/questions/quotes, etc.  You may have waited days to be called back with other companies and we heard your complaints years ago. That is why we implemented our ”same day callback” promise.

-Reason #2- We’lll find you Discounts that other agents don’t even know exist. Our promise is to sniff out discounts like a bloodhound. We’ll search for bigger, better discounts and make sure you’ve got the best price possible. We never forget about the clients who are our bread and butter.

-Reason #3- Constant review of your account. You won’t get a renewal policy with a rate increase without knowing that we have already shopped around with other companies to search out better bargains. Other agents might “say” they shop for you, but our clients experiences prove this is rarely true.

-Reason #4- Many Companies to choose from. If you are insured with a “captive” agent then they have one choice for you insurance. We have many choices and 23 years experience to know which company is the best choice for you circumstances. Would you go to a doctor who prescribes “one” medication ?

-Reason #5- Quarterly newsletter to all clients. We want you to know what’s going on with your insurance, your agency and important changes that may affect you. We have found that a simple 4 page quarterly newsletter to all our clients keeps them abreast of all the happenings. Many times we feature items of specific concern and suggestions on additional money saving ideas.

-Reason#6- Referral Rewards program. We have a client appreciation program to reward those who “just keep talking” and send their friends and family to check with us about insurance. Each referral earns you a $10 gas card and one entry into our monthly drawing for a $50 gift card and one entry into our annual drawing for $500 cash. We want to put our advertising money back into the pockets of our best advertisers. In 2009 we gave out over $3000 back to our clients for their loyalty.

-Reason #7- Many different payment plan options. From monthly checkmatic to getting a 7% discount for paid in full, we believe we offer more convenient payment plan options than any agency in the area.

-Reason #8- We do all your paperwork ! Yes that’s right…no more worrysome paperwork. We take care of everything for you, you simply sign and go. We even take care of terminating your old contracts and dealing with the old agent.  Who else offers that type of service for their clients ?

-Reason #9- Award winning claim service. Our customer satisfaction rate is at 100% with our agency’s service at the time of a claim. Who else follows up 30 days later to see how you were treated and if you require any further assistance.  Our claim follow up is another reason clients stay with us for the great service. They know we really do care about their satisfaction. We also represent the highest rated insurance companies for claim satisfaction.

-Reason #10- I really wanted to save this one for last..and still say it in as nice a way as possible. We absolutely blow away the competition when it comes to customer satisfaction. Have you looked at the testimonials we’ve received from our happy clients ? Now think about that for a minute…have you ever been so pleased with your agent that you wanted to write a testimonial for him/her ? From what our new clients tell us that is probably a big fat NO.  We are truly blessed to have clients who think enough of us to write it down for others to see. It actually makes our job a lot easier.

Remember to get a pennsylvania auto insurance quote from us and see if what I say isn’t the honest truth. If my staff doesn’t make you feel like they’ll go above and beyond to earn your business, you’ll get my personal apology.

Economy is still bleak… Unemployment at record levels…Record deficits..

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Will Pa auto insurance rates fall as well?

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Insurance companies are looking for ways to recoup some of their huge stock market losses. Would they dare to try for rate increases. In this highly competitive insurance marketplace nothing will surprise me. Just when you think the last company has tried the “underpricing” strategy and fallen flat on their face…another gunslinger company comes along with the answer to our prayers. In the last ten years I’ve seen more companies enter the state of Pa than ever before. All of them are hungry for business and willing to take some losses in order to grab some “market share”

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If you’re thinking that you’re in for some lower rates in the upcoming year you may be dissappointed. According to the Pa insurance department’s website, many pennsylvania insurance companies have filed for rate increases in the upcoming year. Despite what you might think about companies tightening up their belts, layoffs and overall lackluster growth many companies are taking the gamble. In a time when the consumer is looking for ways to save a few dollars, many insurance companies are gambling on rate increases to grow revenue in these troubled times. Will it be suicide for those companies ?

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Now may just be one of the best times to shop for new car insurance. The smart companies are taking advantage of the frugal consumer’s need for savings by offering new, lower priced options for new and old clients alike. These companies are finding ways to cut costs internally and pass along those savings to their clients in many different ways. If you think your pa auto insurance has been steadily creeping up in cost this may be your year to find significant savings. We handle insurance from many different companies and we see firsthand who is agressively pricing their product and who has the financial strength to come out of these times lighyears ahead of the competition. We’d be glad to help you find the company the has the product that fits your circumstances perfectly.

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Don’t wait, log in to our quote screen and we’ll get to work finding you a great deal immediatelyon your pa auto insurance rate.

If you have water seepage following storms, take corrective measures to alleviate future problems. Water damage such as rust, rot, mold and mildew are specifically excluded in standard homeowners policies. Mold contamination is only covered on a limited basis under the homeowner’s policy if it is the result of a covered peril such as a burst pipeline.

Erie Insurance recommends the following tips to prevent the growth of mold in your home:

• Keep the humidity level in your home between 30 to 60 percent by using air conditioners or dehumidifiers. 
• Put exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms and don’t install carpets in damp areas such as bathrooms and basements.
• Clean bathrooms with bleach and add mold inhibitors to paints before application.
• Fix leaky pipes, faucets and hoses.
• Keep gutters clean of leaves and other debris and maintain your roof to keep water from seeping into your home.
• Remove standing water since it is a breeding ground for microorganisms, which can become airborne and inhaled.
• Wash and disinfect all areas that have been flooded. This includes walls, floors, closets, shelves, as well as heating and air-conditioning systems.  Properly dry or remove soaked carpets, padding and upholstery within 24-48 hours after a flood to prevent mold growth. Anything that can’t be properly dried should be discarded.

Although cleaning up the mold is important, it will reoccur if the area is not kept dry.  The most effective way to treat mold is to immediately correct underlying water damage and clean the affected area as soon as it appears.

I think you’d agree that your car insurance is higher than you’d like. Up until a short while ago I would have agreed but not fully understanding the depth of the problem. After researching the competition and many different scenarios, I’ve discovered that a large percentage of pennsylvania drivers are unknowingly throwing away hundreds of dollars each year on pennsylvania auto insurance. In fact, when averaged out, it was close to $320 per year for each customer.

I think a lot of people are being ripped off without even knowing it. I always knew a lot of drivers were paying too much, but until earlier this year I just didn’t realize how much. Soem local drivers were paying as much as 67% more than we would charge under our newest program. After being selected by A+ carrier Mercury Insurance to feature their new program we hit the ground running. As the word spread the public seemed to really grab ahold of this concept and enrollment took off. Focusing on a set of 14 different discounts, this program has been a tremendous opportunity for folks to save a bunch of money they can now use for more important things.

Williams Agency was the only local agent selected to participate in this new program. I think it’s a shame that people are being misled by insurance agents who seem to have no regard for offering their clients savings. The real kicker is that many of our newest clients claim they were being told that they couldn’t save money on car insurance. That’s just not fair.

A few of our clients offered their comments on our newest program:

“Definitely saved us money…close to $300 for substantially more coverage. We were also very impressed with the speed and efficiency of the staff”                                             S & R Knapp         Lewis Run, Pa

“It has saved me money that I could use for something else. It has also been very good as far as calling and they have taken care of any problems that have been asked of them. They are good to deal with”                              P & B Smead                 Bradford, Pa

“Williams has provided us with the best policy ever. Our premium is great, our coverage is great. Never have had any paperwork crossed up, unlike other providers. Always able to help when I call. The Williams Agency is very well maintained and always pleasant”                               B & J Shall              Custer City, Pa

I am becoming the Most HATED Man In The Insurance Business !  Well…it could be worse.  I’ll consider myself lucky that insurance agents aren’t my “target market” and let it go at that!

Give us a call or email and we’ll be glad to get you started on the way to saving money on your pa auto insurance right away.

Get calls every year on some of these issues regarding pennsylvania auto insurance so I thought a refresher might help some folks understand a bit better.

Comprehensive Coverage- This is one of the coverages that is referred to as “physical damage” coverage. It covers the vehicle for damages incurred under the definition of “other than collision or upset”  What does that mean ? Well here’s a few we get every week: deer damage, animal damage, falling objects such as hail-trees-softballs-birds,etc. Some of the ones we get occasionally that also fall under comprehensive are flood water, animals chewing up wiring, animals building nests in engine parts and vandals scratching paint, etc. 

Remember, “other than Collision or Upset” and you should determine if it is covered under comprehensive. I’ll cover a few of the oddball things that are frequently covered under collision that surprise most people as well.

Collision Coverage- This coverage applies in all other circumstances than comprehensive. Collision or upset is the most frequent cause of losses. Suprisingly, a good deal of these claims are misunderstood by clients.  Of course we all know that any “at fault” collision with cars, houses, mailboxes, bushes, trees, guardrails, etc will be covered as a collision. A few that we aren’t so clear on might be….

Hit and Run…Oh these ones really burn me…What a nice surprise when you come out to find that someone busted your mirror, backed into your door, scraped the side of you car and then took off.  We almost never find out who it was. You always get stuck with the $$ up to the deductible and rarely is the damage over the $500 deductible that most of us carry. I think Amy and I have had three of these in the last few years that we ended up paying “out of pocket” so I can sympathize with you when this happens. 

Roadbed Collision..  You hit a monster pennsylvania pothole so hard it knocked a tooth loose ! I know some of those stretches of road… Frequently I get a call from a client who actually suffered some serious damage to their car as a result of this type of loss. Unfortunately, this falls under collision due to the fact that the road is a stationary object. I know the drill…you didn’t see it !…I get that..I’ve had my share of pothole experiences after dark that were totally unavoidable. Bottom line is “collision”

Uninsured Driver- This ones tough to take as well. The driver you got tangled up with has no coverage to pay your damages. Only two options: You can file suit against the driver and hope for the best, or turn it in as a collision loss and we will pay everything after your collision deductible. Of course we will then persue the other driver and try to get your deductible back for you. Normally, the first $500 or $250 or whatever is collected will go straight back to you for reimbursement of your deductible.  I know it doesn’t seem fair and it will probably get your blood pressure up, but its much easier to just let us handle it for you.

Miscellaneous…

Tractor, ATV, Snowmobile in the back of your truck, slid forward and hit the back of the cab…collision!

Hit an object laying in the road…collision

Hit a pedestrian…comprehensive

Swerved to miss a dog, deer, person and hit a tree,pole,etc….collision

Bicycle ran into the side of your car…collision

Shopping cart ran into the side of your car…collision

I’m sure there are more but It’s 6am and I’m probably not using all the braincells I need….

Next time we’ll go over what type of claims will affect your rates. 

Pennsylvania auto insurance rates can be affected by many different types of claims, be sure to stay tuned for more information shortly. Same bat station!