My Car was Hit by a Hit-and-Run Driver
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My car was hit by a hit-and-run driver.
Thankfully, this is not an everyday event. Even though I work in the insurance industry (duh!) and should be familiar with the process, it’s still a bit disconcerting. I must admit, however, I did want to take the car for an estimate at a rather vocal auto repair facility known locally for exorbitant charges just to see how much they would charge (although "they do a good job"), but I just didn’t have the time.
I must say there seemed to be some confusion in dealing with the claims department for our insurance company, which I did not understand. To send photos or not, or whether the approval was provided or not, but we got beyond that. And yes, I admit to having some "fun" with the car rental company on how much of their insurance I should get and "What exactly does it cover?" questions they were clearly not allowed to discuss.
Again, I took the car to a local repair firm (that was not on the insurance company's "select" list) that was convenient and close to my home. Since we pretty much live in the woods, we’ve sadly become all too familiar with the local deer and their normal crossings. The people at the front desk are quite the professionals and very efficient. They know the majority of people that show up to the office are not excited about being there and many I’m sure have to make serious financial decisions. Anyway, the front desk people are nice, competent and helpful. I was there on a Tuesday, and the expectation was the car would be finished on Friday.
On Wednesday, my cell phone rang. I looked at the number, and it said it was from Mechanicsville, but it didn’t say who was calling. I almost didn’t answer the call because I have been getting a lot of calls from political parties asking for money, and they have a way of having bogus numbers show up on the caller id. However, for some reason I answered the call and it was Crystal from Collision One ? the repair facility. She wanted to give me an update on the progress of my wife’s car, what was happening tomorrow, the "expectations are that the car will be ready for pick-up on time Friday" and did I have any "questions or concerns."
Wow! Again, I couldn’t tell you if this is normal or not ... I expect it’s not, but Crystal was calling to make sure I was up to date and had answers to my questions before, in fact, I had any questions. Moreover, the call preempted any call from me asking ... "Is it ready yet???" Crystal was being the best when it mattered most. She was being a hero when it mattered most.
That’s the theme of our keynote speaker at the convention in Virginia Beach. Simply put, besides all the other fun and games you will NOT want to miss our keynote speaker Kevin Brown and his presentation on "Being the best when it matters the most." I’ve been in the association business for well over 30 years now and Kevin Brown easily makes the top ten best speakers I have ever heard. His message is perfect for our industry, especially for producers and account representatives.
Insurance agents are special people. People come to you when it matters most and when it’s important to them. Generally speaking, your customers come to you in need or during an event where they probably don’t have a lot of experience. It’s an unlevel playing ground and they know it, and they need your help. When they come to you ... how can you make sure your cape is on? How can you make sure that you are absolutely as helpful as you possibly can? How can you put your customers/clients completely at ease because "We planned for this event and we’re ready."
Insurance agents have the opportunity to be the hero and they can excel at this, pawn it off on someone else or be the goat. I believe IIAV members want to be the hero and I urge you to make sure you take the time to hear Kevin Brown’s presentation. You will be talking about this one for a long time.
Bob Bradshaw
IIAV President & CEO
To register for the IIAV convention go to: www.iiav.com
