What Can You Do When Your Car Insurance Company Just Won't See the Big Picture?

Do you remember when you were little and your grandparents used to tell you the stories of how they used to haggle for their goods? Nitpicking and hassling the merchants until they lowered the prices? This is an excellent example of a consumer who gets results by looking at the short term rather than the long term results, and while this is a great attitude for your average bargain hunter to take it's the kiss of death for a car insurance company!

When was the last time you were in contact with a car insurance agent for any reason other than to cut a check for your monthly premiums? Car insurance companies love to please their customers. A driver is going to need insurance from the first day they slide into the driver's seat to the last, and any good businessman (or woman) knows that repeat customers are the heart and soul of your business success. It's your job to do the haggling and their job to look at the long term-that making you happy now, whether it's helping you adjust your rates so you can actually afford your coverage to working out a payment plan for your back payments to nudging along a claims officer who's dragging their feet, is going to go a long way toward helping insure your customer loyalty and keep you coming back for renewal year after year.

That's the big picture. Now, not all car insurance agents know how to look at the big picture. They get hung up on details and helping their company turn a hefty profit and forget that if they continue making their customers angry and driving them into the arms of their competitors that profit isn't going to be around very long! When you stumble across one of these bad apples (and they're the exception rather than the rule) it's up to you to take action to defend your rights under the terms of "the customer is always right."

Of course, before you can stick up for your rights it's important to make sure you're right! Is the claim you're arguing specifically included (or not included) in your policy? Are you picking at a tiny loophole hoping it'll open up? Rules are rules, guidelines are guidelines, and there's only so far car insurance companies are willing to bend.

If you're clearly right and they're clearly wrong, ask to speak to a supervisor or contact the corporate office. Like I said, insurance companies love to keep their customers happy. Chances are, the big boss is going to be happy to come in on your side if it means they'll be able to keep your business. If that doesn't work, consider shopping around (and actually do it) and file a complaint with your state insurance office. Not only will that keep other customers, who have access to these complaints, from making the same mistake you did, but if enough complaints pile up your car insurance company is going to find themselves doing business with the not-so-proverbial monkey on their back.