“We think HomeQuote Explorer will compel a lot of homeowners to take a few minutes to make sure they’re getting the right coverage at the right rate.”
Spare us. The objective is to provide a DIY based quoting system that enables consumers to shop for a lower cost, and NOT to understand the terms and conditions of the coverage they are considering.
The quote I secured did not even identify the HO coverage form being offered, but not surprisingly it DID lead with the annual cost. Yet another ploy to deceitfully peddle insurance as a commodity, cleverly crafted by the shell-game marketing gurus at Progressive. How proud they must be.
So they don’t offer HO for writing to their Independents unless they are a big dog, but offer online. I am really sure consumers will know the ins and outs of HO for quote. Not much telling what the consumer will end up with.
Agents are indeed very good at explaining coverage to clients but clients, non-insurance professionals, will only remember and retain so much of that. Any claims person can tell you that.
I think that, at least for personal lines, a really well designed system might be able to decrease prices for insureds without lowering their long-term outcomes to an unacceptable level.
I went online and got a quote. Two of the companies they quoted don’t even write insurance in Georgia and the two that do write in Georgia were, $1,529 per year and $1,412 per year. I am currently paying $890 per year. No thank you progressive.
I just tried my HO4 which is higher than what they can offer contents wise. Never even got to my schedule. Need one of FLO’s guns to lower all those premiums ha
Progressive agents/brokers are all on the chopping block unless profitable at the end of the year. Direct sales are now surpassing the agency channel. New CEO Tricia Griffith wants customers to quote online, buy online, pay online, make changes online, and do claims online. Glad to be an independent with so many other carriers with better products, prices, and commissions. Progressive will suffer backlash on branding, high losses, and ultimately low retention.
Chopping block? Progressive is certainly more tolerant of the year to year fluctuation in loss results than other carriers. “Backlash on branding, high losses……”. Like it or not, I suspect Progressive is past the point where direct distribution could/would cause these issues.
We have had them for a long time and have had profitable years and a few not so profitable which is what you get writing more non standard risks than standard. They also like to lie to agents saying their online quotes are the same as agent quotes. We proved that was wrong since they don’t pay commissions to themselves. Hey, they do allow us to write HOBT’s with them. We should be happy with that, right?
You’re lucky! Not all agents in California get to sell the home products. Only an exclusive hand picked group of agents do. Now they come out with HomeQuote Explorer so all other agents can offer auto policyholders a tool to buy direct. Not a good strategy. Honestly thought I would be appointed to sell the home products but now am moving all my Progressive auto clients to other carriers for the cross sell and discounts.
Agents are still very important to the process. But more millenials and adults of all ages shop online and research prior to calling an agent. But – most do and will call an agent. They just want to be informed. See what is out there. You likely do the same exact thing when shopping for anything – go online, check prices, get informed before calling someone – think about it – this happens in the Realty and Mortgage markets with people seeking homes and loans and yet there are still agents. Because you are valuable to the process. You are the professional that can answer their questions and just handle it. What’s so wrong with them trying to be slightly more informed to “feel” they are smart consumers? Problem is the experience many people get when calling agencies is lack of urgency in helping them, poor customer service, dated agency websites or worst no websites, no personable sales skills that promote value and quality over premiums push prospects away toward buying online. Many agents haven’t advanced with the times. When agents do offer value they don’t worry that Progressive is offering another tool for potential clients – instead they will think of some great idea to use that same tool to their advantage to grow their agencies. Think more SEO search engine optimization, using key words, greater online presence for researchers, blogging or social media presence posting about the tool and talk about how using a tool like this can start your conversation with your local agent on what is right for you… That’s just a few things off the top of my head so I am sure there are more incredible ideas of how to focus more on opportunity than negative reaction to change.
I would estimate that over half the renters policies we write at my agency are because the landlord required liability as part of the lease and not because the insured felt a need for renters insurance. However, many of those insureds do like the fact that it gives them a discount on their auto insurance. We also make the insured aware that the renters policy starts a claims record for them. If they have a good claims record it can transfer over a home policy when they wish to become homeowners. However, that claims record becomes a bigger problem if they have losses.
Further confirms my thought about Progressive / Allstate
(and I represent both out of need for markets).. Every time we quote / write a policy I feel like a “pimp”, stating I’m against prostitution but continue to use the services of these dual marketing companies.
And, here comes the flood……Section I: Property Conditions
Q. Concealment or Fraud
We provide coverage to no “insureds” under this
policy if, whether before or after a loss, an
“insured” has:
1. Intentionally concealed or misrepresented any
material fact or circumstance;
2. Engaged in fraudulent conduct; or
3. Made false statements;
…relating to this insurance.
Section II: Liability Conditions
J. Concealment Or Fraud
We do not provide coverage to an “insured” who,
whether before or after a loss, has:
1. Intentionally concealed or misrepresented any
material fact or circumstance;
2. Engaged in fraudulent conduct; or
3. Made false statements;
…relating to this insurance.
GEICO once wrote their own homeowners insurance, got stuck with misrepresented multi-families, rooming houses, vacant property, unacceptable business occupants, morale hazards and other unacceptable uses and conditions, and they found a sucker in Aetna to purchase that book. When Travelers bought the Aetna p&c operations, they got stuck with that turkey, and they kept if for a while until they realized they couldn’t get enough rate to attract quality customers to offset the dreck, so they put the lid on the thing and ran it off. Now Progressive thinks they should take a run at it? Good luck with that. I mean, they did build their company by depopulating the state-based auto assigned risk pools, but homes and cars are quite different when it comes to misrepresentation, concealment and fraud.
I constantly get solicitations from Allstate, GEICO, Hartford for being a member of the American Kennel Club or Hartford through AARP and recently got a quote from Progressive’s homeowner. Every time I get a quote it never comes close to the rates I have with my own carriers. Some of the ads cross the line and are false but no one seems to care.
If progressive wants market share I say go for it pigs eat hogs get slaughtered especially in Michigan which is a perfect model for what not to do if you are a auto carrier just ask 21st century, nationwide, ameriprise, Geico, and there are a few others. Here today gone tomorrow. People want a agent they find value in it.
Such a stupid gimmick. Independent agents can not only give multiple quotes from their websites, they can write everyone of them too. Why would they ever want to be a direct-writer for homeowners insurance, anyway? They surely will get their share of misrepresented crap put on the books. Why do they think GEICO got out of writing their own homeowners product years ago?
“We think HomeQuote Explorer will compel a lot of homeowners to take a few minutes to make sure they’re getting the right coverage at the right rate.”
Spare us. The objective is to provide a DIY based quoting system that enables consumers to shop for a lower cost, and NOT to understand the terms and conditions of the coverage they are considering.
The quote I secured did not even identify the HO coverage form being offered, but not surprisingly it DID lead with the annual cost. Yet another ploy to deceitfully peddle insurance as a commodity, cleverly crafted by the shell-game marketing gurus at Progressive. How proud they must be.
Progressive is getting closer everyday to eliminate the agent.
So they don’t offer HO for writing to their Independents unless they are a big dog, but offer online. I am really sure consumers will know the ins and outs of HO for quote. Not much telling what the consumer will end up with.
Agents are indeed very good at explaining coverage to clients but clients, non-insurance professionals, will only remember and retain so much of that. Any claims person can tell you that.
I think that, at least for personal lines, a really well designed system might be able to decrease prices for insureds without lowering their long-term outcomes to an unacceptable level.
I went online and got a quote. Two of the companies they quoted don’t even write insurance in Georgia and the two that do write in Georgia were, $1,529 per year and $1,412 per year. I am currently paying $890 per year. No thank you progressive.
I just tried my HO4 which is higher than what they can offer contents wise. Never even got to my schedule. Need one of FLO’s guns to lower all those premiums ha
Pick your own price? Oops!
Progressive agents/brokers are all on the chopping block unless profitable at the end of the year. Direct sales are now surpassing the agency channel. New CEO Tricia Griffith wants customers to quote online, buy online, pay online, make changes online, and do claims online. Glad to be an independent with so many other carriers with better products, prices, and commissions. Progressive will suffer backlash on branding, high losses, and ultimately low retention.
Chopping block? Progressive is certainly more tolerant of the year to year fluctuation in loss results than other carriers. “Backlash on branding, high losses……”. Like it or not, I suspect Progressive is past the point where direct distribution could/would cause these issues.
We have had them for a long time and have had profitable years and a few not so profitable which is what you get writing more non standard risks than standard. They also like to lie to agents saying their online quotes are the same as agent quotes. We proved that was wrong since they don’t pay commissions to themselves. Hey, they do allow us to write HOBT’s with them. We should be happy with that, right?
You’re lucky! Not all agents in California get to sell the home products. Only an exclusive hand picked group of agents do. Now they come out with HomeQuote Explorer so all other agents can offer auto policyholders a tool to buy direct. Not a good strategy. Honestly thought I would be appointed to sell the home products but now am moving all my Progressive auto clients to other carriers for the cross sell and discounts.
Agents are still very important to the process. But more millenials and adults of all ages shop online and research prior to calling an agent. But – most do and will call an agent. They just want to be informed. See what is out there. You likely do the same exact thing when shopping for anything – go online, check prices, get informed before calling someone – think about it – this happens in the Realty and Mortgage markets with people seeking homes and loans and yet there are still agents. Because you are valuable to the process. You are the professional that can answer their questions and just handle it. What’s so wrong with them trying to be slightly more informed to “feel” they are smart consumers? Problem is the experience many people get when calling agencies is lack of urgency in helping them, poor customer service, dated agency websites or worst no websites, no personable sales skills that promote value and quality over premiums push prospects away toward buying online. Many agents haven’t advanced with the times. When agents do offer value they don’t worry that Progressive is offering another tool for potential clients – instead they will think of some great idea to use that same tool to their advantage to grow their agencies. Think more SEO search engine optimization, using key words, greater online presence for researchers, blogging or social media presence posting about the tool and talk about how using a tool like this can start your conversation with your local agent on what is right for you… That’s just a few things off the top of my head so I am sure there are more incredible ideas of how to focus more on opportunity than negative reaction to change.
Property Cas 360 did a survey last year and discovered that 70% of all Millennials who rented do not buy a Renters Policy. They don’t see the need.
I would estimate that over half the renters policies we write at my agency are because the landlord required liability as part of the lease and not because the insured felt a need for renters insurance. However, many of those insureds do like the fact that it gives them a discount on their auto insurance. We also make the insured aware that the renters policy starts a claims record for them. If they have a good claims record it can transfer over a home policy when they wish to become homeowners. However, that claims record becomes a bigger problem if they have losses.
Further confirms my thought about Progressive / Allstate
(and I represent both out of need for markets).. Every time we quote / write a policy I feel like a “pimp”, stating I’m against prostitution but continue to use the services of these dual marketing companies.
How to choose your own price? What
And, here comes the flood……Section I: Property Conditions
Q. Concealment or Fraud
We provide coverage to no “insureds” under this
policy if, whether before or after a loss, an
“insured” has:
1. Intentionally concealed or misrepresented any
material fact or circumstance;
2. Engaged in fraudulent conduct; or
3. Made false statements;
…relating to this insurance.
Section II: Liability Conditions
J. Concealment Or Fraud
We do not provide coverage to an “insured” who,
whether before or after a loss, has:
1. Intentionally concealed or misrepresented any
material fact or circumstance;
2. Engaged in fraudulent conduct; or
3. Made false statements;
…relating to this insurance.
GEICO once wrote their own homeowners insurance, got stuck with misrepresented multi-families, rooming houses, vacant property, unacceptable business occupants, morale hazards and other unacceptable uses and conditions, and they found a sucker in Aetna to purchase that book. When Travelers bought the Aetna p&c operations, they got stuck with that turkey, and they kept if for a while until they realized they couldn’t get enough rate to attract quality customers to offset the dreck, so they put the lid on the thing and ran it off. Now Progressive thinks they should take a run at it? Good luck with that. I mean, they did build their company by depopulating the state-based auto assigned risk pools, but homes and cars are quite different when it comes to misrepresentation, concealment and fraud.
I constantly get solicitations from Allstate, GEICO, Hartford for being a member of the American Kennel Club or Hartford through AARP and recently got a quote from Progressive’s homeowner. Every time I get a quote it never comes close to the rates I have with my own carriers. Some of the ads cross the line and are false but no one seems to care.
If progressive wants market share I say go for it pigs eat hogs get slaughtered especially in Michigan which is a perfect model for what not to do if you are a auto carrier just ask 21st century, nationwide, ameriprise, Geico, and there are a few others. Here today gone tomorrow. People want a agent they find value in it.
And yet, I wouldn’t purchase anything from Progressive even if they were offering for a penny.
Such a stupid gimmick. Independent agents can not only give multiple quotes from their websites, they can write everyone of them too. Why would they ever want to be a direct-writer for homeowners insurance, anyway? They surely will get their share of misrepresented crap put on the books. Why do they think GEICO got out of writing their own homeowners product years ago?