When to Consider Switching Insurance Agencies

When it comes to your insurance agent, you should settle for nothing but AMAZING.

After all, there are so many independent agencies out there providing stellar service in both personal and commercial insurance. How do we know? Well, at Berry Insurance, we’re one of them (if we do say so ourselves), and we know plenty of other greats!

Working with an agency is by no means a requirement -- you could instead choose to work with a direct insurance writer. But people choose to work with independent agents because they’re supposed to provide additional services and make your life easier when it comes to shopping for and managing your insurance. If they aren’t doing that for you, then what’s the point of even working with them? You could just as well cut out the middleman and work with the direct writer.

But we don’t want that for you. We strongly believe working with an agent is the way to go (see the article: Buying Insurance: Insurance Agent vs Buying Direct). You just have to find one that cares about you and is willing to go above and beyond.

So if you find yourself in any of the situations below, it may be a sign that it’s time to switch to one of those above-and-beyond agencies.

If your premium has been increasing over several years

Annual increases in premiums are common in the insurance world, but if your premium has unjustifiably increased significantly, there might be better options out there for you.

Working with an independent insurance agency can help. Agencies partner with several carriers, so they are able to shop your insurance around for you and make sure you have the best deal. 

However, if you already work with an agency and they aren’t doing this for you, you may want to consider finding a new one.

Your agent should be attentive to your policy, reviewing it each year to make sure you have the right coverages at the right price.

If they aren’t shopping your insurance for you and are letting your policy increase significantly year after year, then you aren’t getting the benefits you should be by working with an agency.

If your coverages aren’t enough/you’ve had an uncovered claim

You should never work with an insurance agency that just offers the minimum coverages.

Whether you have personal or business insurance, the minimum coverages that carriers offer are almost never enough.

To learn if your limits are enough, reach out to a reputable insurance agent to review your policies.

But for an example (auto specifically), check out this article: How Much Car Insurance Do I Need? (And Why the State Minimum Isn’t Enough)

Another sign that you don’t have enough coverage is if you’ve had an uncovered claim.

The point of insurance is to cover you from claims, so if you’ve had an uncovered claim, it’s a sign that your policy really isn’t doing its job. It’s probably also a sign your insurance agent isn’t doing their job to make sure you’re adequately covered.

An uncovered claim could mean your limits are too low, or you are missing a coverage or separate type of insurance. 

So if that happens to you, it might be beneficial to start shopping for a new agent.

If you’ve experienced poor customer service

This one should be a no-brainer. Your insurance agent is there to serve and protect you -- simple as that.

Maybe they’re rude to you, don’t return your calls, or have mishandled your policy details or claims. Maybe they treat you like every other customer, not customizing your policy to your individual needs at all.

No matter the situation, if you feel like you aren’t being properly supported or treated by your insurance company, it might make sense to start shopping for a new agent.

If your agency partners with poor carriers

Your agency chooses who to maintain partnerships with, so if they are choosing to work with carriers who don’t have your best interest in mind, then they probably don’t care about you as much as you’d like to think.

For example, here at Berry Insurance, we’re picky about who we let insure our clients. We work with a handful of reputable insurance carriers who we feel confident in placing insurance with, and if we ever feel like they no longer align with our values or aren’t offering our clients the service they deserve, we aren’t afraid to step away from the partnership, even if it means we miss out on some new clients.

You shouldn't want to work with an agency who is willing to partner with insurance carriers who cut corners, under-insure, or try to upsell you on coverage you don’t need just so they can pocket a few extra bucks.

If you feel like that is the case with your insurance agency, you may want to move on to someone who cares about you a little more.

If you’re moving out of state

If you’re moving out of state, you may be able to stick with your current agent, but often, agencies are only licensed to provide insurance in the state they are located in, or limited states.

For example, we are located in Massachusetts and mostly do business in Massachusetts, but we are also licensed to work in some other New England states.

So if one of our clients moved from Massachusetts to Rhode Island, it wouldn’t be a problem, but if they moved across the country, we’d unfortunately have to part ways.

If you’re moving to a state your agent isn’t licensed in, you’ll need to find a new agent. (Hint: we recommend you look for a local, independent agency with a lot of positive online reviews.)

If your agent isn’t offering any additional services:

Maybe your agent is doing everything they’re supposed to be, but are they going the extra mile?

We’ll let you in on a secret. We’re not saying your current agents aren’t hard workers, but some agencies are doing more. (And you deserve more!)

For example, at our agency, we constantly publish educational articles and videos to our Learning Center and our YouTube channel, as well as helpful worksheets and tools. We also offer additional resources (that aren’t always insurance related) to our commercial clients, aimed at helping them effectively manage their business.

Some agencies may even offer to do your RMV services for you!

If any of these perks sound valuable to you, you might find a better fit with an agency that offers them.

Find the best fit for you!

Having any of the issues above? Well, let us pump your tires like we’re your besties and you’ve just gone through a breakup: “You deserve better, girl.”

If you think it might be time for you to find a new insurance agency, we can help you with your search. 

If your residence or business is in Massachusetts, check out this article: 5 Best Insurance Agencies in the Franklin Massachusetts Area where we outline our favorite agencies in the area (besides ourselves). 

Not from Massachusetts? That’s OK -- we have something for you too. Check out this article: What to Look For when Selecting an Insurance Agency or Company