Client Service

How to Switch Insurance Agents or Insurance Companies

Posted on by Bob O'Brien

Do you want to switch insurance agents? Has your agency sold or merged? Your favorite contact gone? Tired of talking to agents who don’t seem to know who you are? Or you just don’t click with your current agent. Maybe you want to switch insurance companies too. In any case, you’re in the market. Where to start?

You can switch insurance agents or insurance companies. It's easier than you think.

You Can Switch Insurance Agents with the Same Insurance Company

Satisfied with your insurance company, but not your agent? Most insurers can transfer your policy to a new agent. Check the insurance company’s “find an agent” page and reach out to one. If they don’t feel like the right fit, contact another until you’re comfortable. However, timing matters here: Many companies only transfer policies at the renewal date.

You Can Switch Insurance Agents and Switch Insurance Companies

If you don’t love your insurance agent OR your insurance company, you’re ready for a fresh start. Here are some ways to find an agent that’s the right fit for you:

  • Ask a trusted friend who they use
  • Check online reviews at Google or another platform.
  • Call or meet them to explain your needs and preferences. Have your insurance policies handy. Can you picture yourself working with them? If you get that “square peg, round hole” feeling, contact another agent on your list.

What Kind of Agent is Best for You?

There are 2 kinds of insurance agents: exclusive (sometimes called “captive”) and independent. What’s the difference?

Exclusive agents work with one insurance company. They may be an employee of the insurer, or they might own a local franchise. The good news is that they will know their company’s policy terms, billing and procedures inside and out. Because they’re local, they also know your area and can provide individual advice.

On the other hand, independent agents offer a choice of several insurance companies. They can compare the policies, pricing and underwriting of each company to help you find the best fit. Moreover, if one insurance company hikes rates or changes in ways you don’t like, you don’t have to switch insurance agents. An independent agent can help you switch insurance companies.

Looking to Switch Insurance Agents or Companies in Maine?

If you live in Maine and are looking for an independent agent, contact Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance in South Portland at 207-799-5541. We offer a choice of many of Maine’s preferred insurance companies. Because of that, we can compare and help you find the best fit.

We’re independent and committed to you.

Your Insurance Claim is Reported – What Happens Next?

Posted on by Bob O'Brien

We’re sorry to hear about your loss. You’ve reported an insurance claim. What’s next?

Important insurance claim information includes who's responsible for what.

After you report your claim to an insurance company, they assign it to an adjuster. The adjuster determines whether your policy covers this claim, and, if so, what it will pay.

The adjuster should contact you within 24 hours. It might be longer if you reported your claim on a holiday or a weekend. If you haven’t heard from the adjuster after a full day, or if your situation is urgent, contact the adjuster or your agent.

Your insurance policy is a contract.
It requires you AND your insurance company to do certain things.

Your Responsibilities in an Insurance Claim

  • Prevent further damage to any property until it can be inspected and repaired.
  • Respond promptly to any claim communication. That helps speed the process.
  • Keep copies of any documents important to settling your claim. That might include: police reports; receipts; estimates; or notes of conversations.
  • Cooperate with the insurance company to settle the claim. That may include providing a list of your lost or damaged items.

Your Insurance Company’s Claim Responsibilities

  • Investigate your claim thoroughly, promptly and fairly.
  • Pay or deny your claim within a reasonable time.
  • Provide a written explanation for any denial, referencing your insurance policy wording.
  • Fairly compensate you for a covered loss, according to the terms of your policy.

Your Agent’s Role in Your Insurance Claim

One reason you do business with Noyes Hall & Allen is assistance after a loss.

Most claims go faster if your agent doesn’t get in the middle. You and your adjuster work together to settle your claim quickly and fairly.

Sometimes you need more help. We’re here! Your agent can:

  • Explain any insurance terms, or how the process works.
  • Help get your claim back on track if communication falters during the process.

Contact Noyes Hall & Allen if you need assistance with your claim: 207-799-5541.

Insurance Broker or Agent – Which is Better?

Posted on by Bob O'Brien

Insurance broker or agent. Which is better? Is there even a difference between a commercial insurance broker and an independent business insurance agent?

Insurance broker or agent can help you get the best value for your insurance

Insurance Broker or Agent – the Legal Difference

Agent and broker are legal terms. They mean something different.

Independent insurance agents contract with insurance companies represent them to the public. Those contracts grant agents the authority to “bind” the insurance company to certain commitments. Agents offer efficiency, flexibility and local knowledge that big insurance companies don’t have. That benefits both the companies and the clients.

Insurance Brokers have no authority to bind insurance companies. The insurance company or its agent must approve a broker’s request to bind insurance coverage.

Duties Owed by Insurance Broker or Agent

A broker’s duty is to their client. They have to be honest with insurance companies, of course. But they have no contractual obligation to any insurance company. In theory, a broker could place their clients’ insurance with any insurer licensed to do business in their state.

An agent owes a duty both to the insurance companies and their client. Because they’re contracted directly with insurance companies, therefore they owe an extra duty to those companies in return for the authority that the companies give them.

An agent also owes duties to their client. In Maine, those duties include:

  • firstly, to act in good faith
  • secondly, to use reasonable care and diligence in serving best interest of the client
  • and finally, to carry out the client’s instructions

Sometimes an Agent is a Broker

Sometimes insurance agents use non-contracted insurance companies to get the best deal for their clients. They may even work with another agent who has a contract to represent a company that they themselves don’t. In those cases, they’re essentially acting as brokers. They have no authority to bind or commit the insurance company. And they owe no contractual duty to the insurer.

How An Insurance Broker or Agent is Paid

Both agents and brokers work on commission. Insurance companies pay a percent of the premium to the producing agent or broker. That commission may also be shared between an agent and a broker.

Some brokers also charge fees to their clients for certain services. For example, clients could hire a broker to help them improve their claim history. Some brokers also charge for transactions, for example issuing proof of insurance.

Advantages of Insurance Brokers vs. Agents

  • First, brokers represent their clients, not insurance companies. They have no contractual obligation to the insurance company.
  • Second, brokers may have access to more insurance companies than an agent. Agents often have contracts with 8-10 insurance companies. In theory, brokers can access any licensed insurer.
  • Third, brokers may provide additional services that agents cannot. For example, claims management, self-insurance or safety consulting.

Advantages of Independent Agents vs. Brokers

  • Speed and efficiency. Agents can bind coverage on behalf of insurers. That reduces the time to put coverage in force. They also know their insurance companies well. They know how to quickly get things done.
  • Insurance company influence. Insurers work closely with their agents. They trust them. They also rely on agents to bring good customers to them. Therefore, agents often have influence with insurers to advocate for their clients.
  • Local knowledge. Many agents are embedded in their communities. They know the geography, culture and customs of their area. They work with families and businesses of all sizes. Brokers tend to be larger and operate in a wider area.

A Maine Independent Agency

Do you live in Maine? Looking for a Portland area independent insurance agent? Contact a Noyes Hall & Allen agent in South Portland at 207-799-5541. We offer a choice of many of Maine’s top insurance companies. In other words, we can help you find the best fit and value for your insurance. Because we’re independent and committed to you.

Continuing to Serve You – Remotely

Posted on by Bob O'Brien

We are available to serve you by:

At its core, insurance is about
SPREADING RISK and
HELPING OUR COMMUNITY.
Noyes Hall & Allen believes in these causes.

SPREADING RISK

Insurance customers pay a small amount of money to help those who suffer a catastrophe avoid financial disaster.

While researchers feverishly work to develop a vaccine, health professionals recommend limiting human contact. The goal is to save capacity in the health care system for our most sick and vulnerable neighbors. We care about our clients, our co-workers and our community.

HELPING OUR COMMUNITY

Insurance contributes to the community in many ways. It pays for losses of course. It also enables people to buy vehicles and homes; to start businesses and hire people. Insurance promotes safety and risk education. It provides good jobs for thousands of families. It supports local economies and non-profits.

By serving you remotely, we hope to reduce the community spread of a very serious virus. We want to practice public health safety and risk management. We live and work here, too. Working remotely also allows our team to be with their families. To provide care and comfort during a stressful time.

INDEPENDENT AND COMMITTED TO YOU

Noyes Hall & Allen has been locally owned since 1933. We’re independent – not beholden to any insurance company. That allows us to be committed to YOU, our clients.

We know that you need us. We’ve prepared for an interruption like this. You can still accomplish any insurance transaction thing that you normally do. 

We hope that you and your loved ones remain safe and well. We remain independent and committed to you. We’re always happy to answer any questions about your insurance. Together, we will get through this tough time.

Access Your Insurance Policy Info 24 X 7 – Noyes Hall & Allen Client Center

Posted on by Bob O'Brien

We have invested in a new service for our clients: 24 x 7 access to your insurance documents from the Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance Client Center. Now you can view your secure policy information, download insurance cards and other proof of insurance, and request policy changes anytime. This 6:17 video explains how:

  1. Log in to the Noyes Hall & Allen Client Center from our home page. Simply enter the email address associated with your account. We will email a one-time code. Enter it in the field, and you’re in!
    Note: some mobile users may have difficulty with certain browsers. We’ve found that Google Chrome works reliably with most devices. 
  2. Select View Account to see the information you want.
  3. Select Policy to see your in-force policies and coverage info, or Documents to see or download proof of insurance, correspondence, or other information we have shared with you. Note that you can also request a change to your insurance policies from the Client Center.
  4. When you’re done, you can log out by clicking on the person icon in the upper right, or simply closing your browser. Our vendor uses the latest security technology to keep your personal information private. You can view our privacy policy here.

THAT’S IT! 

We hope you find the Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance Client Center useful to access your information when it’s convenient for you, whether the office is open or not.

Please note that these are very simplified views of your policy info. You may have purchased additional coverage which doesn’t show on the Client Center policy screen. Your actual insurance policy is always the definitive document of your coverage.

If you have any questions about your insurance, call a Noyes Hall & Allen agent at 207-799-5541. We’re independent and committed to you!

Access Your Maine Insurance Policy Info 24/7

Posted on by Bob O'Brien

We’re pleased to introduce a new feature for clients of Noyes Hall & Allen Insurance. Now, you can access policy documents and information from our secure web site, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Lost your Maine auto insurance card? Want to check on your coverage at night or on the weekend?  You can log on easily and get the information you need in two minutes or less. Here’s how.

Step 1 – Visit NoyesHallAllen.com


Look for the “My Account” icon on the upper right of the page (or in the list on a mobile phone). It opens to a drop-down menu. Select an option.

 

Step 2 – Log In Using Your Email Address

You must use the email address that our agency has on file for you. This is usually the one that we have emailed correspondence to in the past. Let us know if we should use a different email address.

 

Step 3 – Log In With a Secure Verification Code 

This is sent instantly to your mobile device or your email address. This code helps keep your personal information in your hands alone. It expires after 5 minutes.

 

Step 4 – Choose the Policy or Documents You Want

The default view is “policies. This allows you to view the details of your coverage by clicking “view policy” below the snapshot.(click on the image for a larger version)

Note that there’s an option to switch to “documents” as well as the default “policies”.

 

If you want to download your insurance cards, choose “documents” click “download” on the right. You can print or save them to your device from there. By law, Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, city and town halls and law enforcement officers accept electronic proof of insurance. You aren’t required to produce a paper copy.

(click on the image for an enlarged verson)

 

We hope that you enjoy the convenience of 24/7 access to your insurance policy information.

Please note:
1) Most insurance companies share their information with us electronically in a compatible form with this feature. If your documents aren’t available, call us and we can send them to you.

2) The policy information on the Client Center is a very simplified recap of your policy. You may have purchased endorsements that the Client Center can’t show, so your coverage might be different. Your insurance policy is always the definitive document of your insurance coverage.

Insurance Service in the 21st Century

Posted on by admin

Our insurance agency prides itself on providing personal service. We figure that when people call us, they want to talk to someone as soon as possible. So, we avoid voice mail as much as possible, and give callers options to speak with someone who can help them – even if they're not the person they originally called for. 

But we try to be tech-friendly, too – for those clients who want to communicate that way. We're proud to offer:
  • Real-time chat support. Clients or prospective clients can click on an icon on our home page which opens up a chat window. This is great for those who have relatively simple questions that might take a minute or two to answer: "was my payment received?" or "how much do I owe on my car insurance?", or the ever-popular "can you send me another insurance card so I can register my car?". Clients can work or play on their computer while we research their question. We can even send documents -an insurance card or payment receipt – right in the chat window. It's perfect for multi-taskers. It's also good for those who might be hard of hearing, or who want a written transcript of our answer (one can automatically be emailed after we're done). After business hours, the "chat button" automatically generates an email to us that we can answer later.
  • Extensive email capabilities. We can email virtually any form, application or documentation that we can mail, speeding up the turnaround time by hours or days compared with faxes or snail mail. 
  • Web-based request forms. Our commercial clients can request Certificates of Insurance, and our other clients can easily download forms for discounts, electronic payments or underwriting information.  
  • This blog, which we hope provides timely information on various risk-management trends, tips and topics. There's even an RSS feed, so you can have updates automatically emailed to you. 
  • Text messaging to cell phones and PDAs.  Let's suppose that your mortgage company pays your homeowners insurance premium. Except, they sold your mortgage last year, or changed addresses, and your insurance policy wasn't updated. When the insurance company doesn't receive your payment by the due date, they send you a cancellation notice. The only problem is you're away on an extended trip, so you don't get the notice. Wouldn't it be helpful to get a reminder that your policy is about to cancel tomorrow? That's one example of when text messaging (SMS) to a cell phone can be handy. We have that capability, if you notify us you'd like to be contacted in that way.

Insurance will always be a people business, no matter what the 800 number and web site insurance sales people say. But, technology can help a good agent provide excellent service. Our goal is to be positioned on the busy intersection of service and technology, providing the best insurance experience we can.