Big personal insurance companies spend billions each year on TV ads convincing people that price is all that matters when shopping for insurance. In the commercial world, that is horrible advice. Instead of shopping for the cheapest insurance, you should be shopping for the right insurance agent. Just like not all insurance is the same, not all agents are the same. Towing is a niche market for us because Hal Kresser, the agency principal, is very interested in the industry. He worked for a towing service when he was young and even today he is Wreckmaster Level II certified and can operate your equipment. Can your current agent do that? Hal is also involved in the industry. He is an active, participating member of the Towing and Recovery Association of Ohio. In fact, he is so well respected that he was nominated and elected to be president of the local region and is currently serving his fifth term. Before he was an insurance agent he spent 20 years as a cop. He is certified in accident reconstruction and knows the laws and how to deal with police officers. He’s good to have as an advocate in some of the collision claims that happen when there are disputes as to fault and he can help you decide when to fight traffic tickets and violations and when not. For example, we had one two years ago where a person on a bicycle rode into the side of a rollback that was making a right turn. The police officer listed the driver at fault for violating a crosswalk. After talking to the driver, Hal learned that the bike hit the truck by the back axel. That meant the truck was almost fully through the turn before being struck. That makes it the bicyclist’s fault. He contacted the traffic supervisor and discussed how the report was improperly written and explained why it was not the driver’s fault. The supervisor agreed and got the officer to re-write the report correctly. This saved the customer from having a chargeable accident on his record and saved the insurance company from paying a personal injury claim. Claim adjustors are trained to take a police report as gospel. Unfortunately, not all crash reports are written correctly. Hal has the experience to know and can help when it happens to keep our clients from being unjustly charged with accidents.
When you choose the right agent, he will be able to place you with an insurance carrier that best suits your needs. As an independent agent we have the ability to add new companies that enter the market. We have seen companies come into the towing market for a few years and then get back out. When that happens, you can lose your insurance through no fault of your own. A good agent is on top of that and can make transitioning to another carrier seamless. You need to build a relationship with your agent. He can help you decide when to file a claim or when to pay out of pocket. He can advise you on ways to keep your rates down as well as help you implement plans to avoid liability claims. We recommend things like putting cameras in the trucks to document crashes. They can be invaluable in situations where fault is in dispute.
Choose the right agent and build the relationship on trust and integrity. The agent should be viewed as a stakeholder in your business. In a recent Google review of our agency, Tiffany Corey of John Wayne Towing wrote “even when we were told there was no hope by everyone else, they didn’t give up and kept pushing forward. I work for John Wayne Towing and we are a small company so something as major as insurance can really make or break a company. So, if you are needing insurance, I would highly recommend giving them a chance.” You need a good, well managed insurance portfolio to help your business be successful and the agent needs your business to be successful to make his business successful. If you are contemplating any big expansion plans such as adding a new building or moving to a larger facility in another part of town, or adding more trucks you should involve your agent during the planning stage to find out in advance what the impact on the insurance will be. Many times, I get the call to add something like a building, a second location, or a 50 ton rotator to the policy after the fact. Then the insured is upset when he sees how much it costs. Now it’s too late.
To learn more call Hal Kresser today! 877-412-3434 or email him hal@kresseragency.com.
