June 8 2018
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I & E Insurance Agency Point Pleasant NJ
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If you recently looked for a new insurance policy you may have read about several new startups like Lemonade that have gotten into the Insurance industry and the word is that Amazon will be in the biz too, so my opinion (and 15 bucks you can cross the Hudson) and this can apply to almost any industry in a world where robotic websites and overseas call centers are destroying Industries One can buy any product at a cheaper price— Dad always said “Son, you get what you pay for” That is still true today— all that stuff on Amazon, where’s it from? China? who knows, what about quality? Does that matter anymore?— Some People swear by Amazon, but has convenience morphed into plain old laziness? Everybody is So busy, doing what-I have no idea—some things I just can’t see buying online- food, veggies clothes shoes —Seems like everything is online-even drugs and eye glasses. Call me old fashion, but I still need to touch and feel and compare, and I like to go to stores, look at variety, see the crowds, I enjoy the insanity of Christmas Shopping, and I hope there are still many like me, but the world is changing saying Online is everything.
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Human beings are supposed to be social creatures, but people don’t interact anymore with others -Is being social in today’s world defined as being linked to strangers? Some on Facebook have hundreds and even thousands of so-called friends, but when was the last time a FaceBook friend called you and you went out to lunch? Let’s FACE IT —Sharing pictures with Family and real friends over the miles does have its merits, but some see Facebook as a device whereby they can feel important by sharing photos, opinions and pictures of animals. Its almost every day we learn of another seeker looking for their “15 mins of fame”— Reality TV was built on those narcissistic self-centered creatures who will do anything for publicity, the Jersey Shore so called reality TV show more proof that bad behavior sells.
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So Facebook and Google take our data—mix it up and then we can get sold advertising based on our own research… Have we lost OUR privacy? Well if that means anyone on line can see what we like, where we live, our relationship status, our education and even down to the car we drive and the food we eat etc. then we’ve lost our privacy…Onto Facebook– are these people really friends? Seriously? Does being on line on some interaction social site really mean Social? No one really talks anymore. Verbal Communication has lost a whole generation, and news and information is absorbed in less than a paragraph at a time. Many make major decisions based on 120 characters. Seems foolish yet its happening—Our younger generations have trouble stringing a few words together–ever try to hold a conversation with your kids? My youngest has trouble answering me with more than one syllable despite my own CONSTANT interactions with him, he has been indoctrinated by Facebook Twitter and the internet- This dividend is getting wider, the difference between my eldest son age 28 and the 18 year old – I could drive a truck through — technology has effected both of them but in very different ways. My eldest and I both use technology to solve problems, my youngest is dependent on TECH for amusement. Hopefully the younger generations will grow out of this dependency when they are faced with challenges, at least that’s what I pray for. Kids today have the whole world in the palm of their hands, yet they have a hard time researching anything —But one thing is apparent, Technology has made us all Bigger coach potatoes, we sit at home on phones and TV buy online and don’t move, malls are dying and the only place anyone goes anymore is out to diner… Trump would say SAD… But getting back to the real discussion of this article, Has technology completely replaced the need for the human experience of human conversation and advice to solve problems? Or has Technology created the next generation of 100{087d17640603a337667256787b24190956b30259a6495194059f124d228c56a4} do it your selfers who lock themselves behind their doors ? —In the Insurance industry, sales people were always ostracized on par with car salesman, and now the talk is about lower and lower prices as we reduce human involvement even more. New websites and APS are popping up everyday to sell products without any human involvement . But Human nature being what it is, most people end up buying the cheapest product they can without realizing the consequences. Many people tend to buy a piece of paper to appease a regulatory authority or a mortgage company never considering that an insurance policy is really a legal contract with limitations. We get it all the time, “I want the cheapest policy possible” a familiar refrain, but when its explained, the customer seems shocked. A cheap policy is great — Till a claim or disaster strikes and then that cheap policy blows up in the customers face, they are stuck with a loss with limited or no-coverage , blaming everyone else but themselves.—that’s what happens when a customer’s concerns are only cost and they fail to understand the substance of the contract. This approach of selling cheap policies without the understanding of the terms of the Insurance contract from companies like Lemonade and Esurrance could lead one to think that these companies are another business, like selling Wallpaper, because a cheap policy will end up being very expensive toilet paper if the customer doesn’t get what he expects when he needs it the most during a claim—-So what’s the solution? It’s the same as its always been, Professional advice and service. So I’m in the service industry, I don’t sell Insurance policies, I provide solutions to problems and the level and amount of Insurance is the tool that helps solve those problems — The Insurance industry shouldn’t be selling insurance policies but providing Solutions and support -otherwise any idiotic robotic website can throw out a cheap product, Amazon will be doing it Next— The real question —will most people read what they are buying or is it cheaper for these virtual companies to hire teams of attorneys who will fight future lawsuits when people claim they were misinformed — So who the hell services these people? Ive never gotten anyone at Amazon on the phone to solve any problem, if fact its irritating as hell to have a problem, sit there on the phone for hours and then not be able to talk with anyone, and all you get is more emails ! So NOW My Amazon account is closed and yea when I want something I get in the car, get the hell out of my house and office, walk and go into a store. We all need more exercise anyhow, God forbid more people use their legs —In any case most consumers will have a better chance of winning a lottery than talk with the same person twice at Geico, other large monolithic firms and online Virtual companies . Personal Service is why there are still Agents and Brokers. And frankly if a customer doesn’t want advice and prefers price to all other considerations, then I don’t want that customer for a client- that Customer just wants a piece of paper, and He will turn into a problem and blame others for his mistakes later on. I will not subject my business to this uninformed risk. Most people still want to talk with human beings and need Advice and guidance—Our challenge is to show them that service and professionalism doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and guidance provides a substantial value to their overall plans.
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Human interaction like Relationship building, Service and Personal Attention to details grew the Financial Services and Insurance Industry for last 100 years and these Old fashion guidelines should allow those that excel in these convictions to continue to Prosper in the future.