Arizona Insurance Blog

Anyone who knows the difference between a “Zonie” and an “Arizonan” can tell you what May brings–the beginning of wildfire season.  As the last traces of coolness head toward the mountains and beyond, homeowners in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler  and Tucson and surrounding counties can look forward to the simple joys of burn notices, monsoons, and eventually, wildfires.

Last year, the Wallow Fire near Alpine burned more than 500,000 acres in Eastern Arizona, destroying homes and businesses and claimed the title of largest wildfire in Arizona history.  Arizona insurance adjusters were swamped with claims, and many home and business owners found out too late that they were underinsured.

The reality of life in the desert is that sooner or later, there are going to be fires.  According to the U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, drought conditions in Arizona are expected to persist or intensify through the end of July, 2012.

There are some tips to protect your home during drought seasons.  The Arizona Division of Emergency Management offers several tips to help homeowners protect their assets.

• Housekeeping is your friend. Old branches, dead leaves, overgrown or drying shrubbery, and clogged gutters are just a few of the hidden flash spots for wildfires.  By removing both organic and man-made debris to at least 30 feet from your home, you can create a defensible space around these structures.
• Don’t skimp on storage.  Combustible or flammable materials need to be stored properly, in approved containers.  Also, remember to keep wooden structures like picnic tables and woodpiles a safe distance from your home.
• Be aware of power lines.  It’s important to prune bushes around the house, removing dead leaves and branches.  But don’t forget any trees that may have branches hanging near power lines.  All it takes is one monsoon wind to turn that lovely tree into a fire trap.
• Protect your most precious assets.  A house can be replaced.  But your family cannot.  Always be aware of hazardous conditions, and make sure your family has a well-defined emergency procedure.  Identify more than one route to and from your home or neighborhood, and agree on a predetermined place to gather in times of disaster.

Homeowners can also use some of the following preventative measures to decrease their risk of suffering wildfire-related losses.

• Replace roof with fire-resistant materials
• Provide fire breaks to prevent the spread of fire
• Provide fire roads to aid in firefighting.
• Install smoke detectors in your home
• Teach each member of the family how to use a fire extinguisher
• Regularly check fire extinguishers and smoke alarms to ensure they are in working order.
• Create a Disaster Supply Kit which includes the following items: a three-day supply of water (1 gallon per person), non-perishable food, a change of clothing, a medical kit that includes prescription medications, credit cards and important documents, personal hygiene products, extra eyeglasses, matches in a waterproof container, and a map of the area which includes important phone numbers.

Finally, ask a family member who lives outside of the are to act as your “family contact.” In times of disaster, this contact would be the go-to person to coordinate information, keep track of family members whereabouts, and maintain contact addresses and phone numbers.

Arizona is an amazing place to live, with abundant natural beauty.  While wildfires are to be expected, they don’t have to be devastating.  With preparation and common sense, you can protect your home and your assets from the dangers of summer.

We would alos recommend that you take the time to sit down with your local insurance agent, and let him/her know your fears and get their expert opinion on any changes you should make to your Arizona Insurance Policy. If you don’t have a good relationship with your insurance agent it’s time to find a new one!

We saw this funny (fake — we hope) photo recently and tweeted about it, it cracked us up. 

You’d think it would be hard to find anything funny about life insurance, but it turns out that there is.

It’s like the old quote, comedy equals tragedy plus time. Whenever you talk about insurance that pays off only when someone dies, well, there’s a tragedy in that so comedy just needs a little time to make it stick.

We were wondering if there’s any humor at all with Scottsdale Homeowner Insurance. It turns out that there’s plenty.

Indeed there’s a whole section on the humor site Funny or Die devoted to homeowner stuff. There’s a bunch of great videos and more there, not all of it appropriate for all audiences, but it’s worth taking a look at.

We looked around, however, and found that most of the homeowner stories out there aren’t funny at all. People don’t turn to the internet to post stories about how they had a problem and it resolved just fine. No, they go to the internet to complain.

And they do.

They often start with lines like this: “Surprisingly, my washing machine saga is NOT concluded today.”

The best way to avoid these kinds of not-funny stories is to make sure you have insurance that will really take care of you when something goes wrong. Sure, you could get some cheap insurance or inadequate insurance, but then when something goes wrong all you’ll be able to do is go complain about it on the internet, and that won’t be funny (or fun) at all.

Scottsdale Insurance Home

(480) 712-0400

20875 N. Pima Rd

Scottsdale, AZ 85255

No matter what kind of business you’ve worked for, or what position you held, you always dreamed of having the ideal client. Even if you are/were an employee for a major corporation and have never interacted with your prospects or customers, you are serving and working for those in your company. So, you can still imagine the perfect “client” in your head.

Well, with Christmas coming up, it seems appropriate that “the ideal client” should make it on to our Christmas list. The question is…what does our ideal client look/act like? Here’s our list (feel free to determine if you fit in this category):

Someone looking for their best policy – too many people looking for Arizona car insurance or Arizona home insurance merely seek out the cheapest prices. The clients we love best are the ones that want a perfect policy to meet their needs at the cheapest prices. Far too often we hear from individuals who chose their Arizona insurance based on the premium. Then, when they had to submit a claim, they discovered that very little of their loss is covered by their cheap insurance.

We love helping people cover their needs, and they are nearly always astonished at the great rates we find them. But that’s one of the benefits of working with an Arizona insurance brokerage, we have all kinds of options and can shop your insurance for you.

Someone who wants to understand their coverage – let’s face it, understanding your insurance policy is tricky. You might read your yearly statements and pretend you know what they say, but very few people do. There are all kinds of provisions, limits, and stipulations.

Naturally it’s not fun to try and figure all of it out. But do you really want to risk being surprised when it comes time to call the AZ insurance company? The ideal client for us understands exactly what’s covered and can ask for additional coverage if they need it. Of course we’ll do our best to meet your needs. However, that’s a whole lot easier if you are part of that process.

Someone who bundles – you’ve seen the commercials about bundling your policies. And there’s a reason for it…when you bundle, you save. You see, AZ insurance companies are benefiting more from your patronage so they’re more willing to split that money with you in the form of savings.

At Bennett and Porter Insurance, we offer AZ home owner’s insurance, renter’s insurance, AZ auto insurance, business insurance, recreational vehicle insurance and more. We can offer you much better deals if you choose to move all of your assets to the same company. And there’s nothing we like more than getting you some great deals.

Someone who communicates – the last thing you want to deal with is calling your Scottsdale insurance company. Whether you have a crack in the windshield or get in a major accident, that call to the insurance company might feel intimidating. But if you’ve stayed in communication with us (about your change of address, the small stuff that you need to keep an eye on, or your policy needs and renewals) it sure makes things easier down the road. Then, we’re up-to-date on all your details and can get you all the help you need.

Obviously we love all of our clients, but if Santa were to drop a few of these ideal clients under the tree for us, we sure wouldn’t complain. If this describes you and you haven’t called one of our agents yet, be sure to do so soon! We’ll do our best to make your holidays bright.

If you take a look at your friends and family members, chances are you’ll find an insurance agent among them. Or…if you don’t know an insurance agent directly, you probably chose your insurance agent because they were the friend of a friend.

We believe in helping out friends and family. But the fact of the matter is, times are tough right now and no one can expect your loyalty where money is concerned. You’ve got to save every dime you’ve got. And if you can get a better insurance rate somewhere else, well, maybe it’s time to consider that option.

Our insurance agents hear it all the time. When our agents talk to others about insurance, they often hear the phrase, “I’m not getting that kind of rate.” This is not surprising. Most people shop the major insurance companies and choose from those. But there are dozens of insurance companies and only a brokerage like Bennett and Porter is going to shop them all for you.

So let’s say, hypothetically, that you have a Bennett and Porter Insurance agent give you some quotes on insurance. What do you say to your current insurance agent? We’ve got a few ideas:

1. The boring but effective approach – tell them the truth. You can get a better insurance rate somewhere else. When they ask where, tell them Bennett and Porter Insurance Co. That should bring the discussion to a halt.

2. The evasive approach – change the subject. Naturally your insurance agent will want to know why you’re canceling your insurance policy. Simply say, “You know…hey, did you see the game on Monday night?” Just be sure that you quickly reiterate your desire to cancel your policy before the conversation ends. And if you can just send an email canceling your policy, that’s even better.

3. The joking approach – make them laugh. Your insurance agent won’t be laughing when you decide to switch insurance companies. But if you crack a joke, your agent will laugh, breaking the ice. They have to. Even if it’s a bad joke, they’re still hoping to change your mind. So tell your joke, get that policy canceled, and move on.

4. The hyperbole approach – exaggerate the great deal you’re getting. When your insurance agent wants to know why you’re switching companies, tell them you’ve found someone who can save you millions. No one can blame you for saving that kind of money. Saving money is the one thing almost all of us understand.

5. The avoidance approach – sadly, it may be time to block calls from your insurance agent. Who wants to explain that you just plain found a better deal – and you had to take it? Just be careful before you head to a party that you won’t be running into that friend or family member who used to provide you with insurance.

One of the reasons Bennett and Porter Insurance is so effective is because we really do provide you with great rates and great customer service. Sure, everyone says that, but they are usually blocked from offer the kind of rates and policies we can get you.

Do yourself a favor, call a Bennett and Porter Insurance agent and find out if it’s time for you to say goodbye to your current insurance guy (or gal).

First of all, this blog post has absolutely nothing to do with insurance. With Thanksgiving coming up, we simply wanted to mention some of the things the employees at Bennett and Porter are grateful for.

If you get on Facebook, you’ve seen your friends and family mentioning something they’re grateful for every day. Well, we’re not going to write a post each day of this month. So we’ll just use this one opportunity to tell you the things we appreciate most:

The chance to work in the insurance industry. Insurance agents have not always enjoyed a positive reputation. And, we have to admit, some people have given insurance a bad name. That’s why we’re grateful to be working for Bennett and Porter. We get a chance to work closely with our clients and make sure they are getting the best policies for their situation. We help people. It’s rewarding. And that’s definitely something to be grateful for.

Our clients. Obviously, we wouldn’t enjoy our jobs so much if we didn’t get the chance to meet people like you. Working in a service industry, we have to expect cranky and sometimes mean clients. However, we’ve been seriously lucky. We love the people we work with/for. Another reason for gratitude.

Our families. We receive a lot of comments about the “young kids” we’ve got working in this office. But most of us have families. Families who let us work late hours so we can be available to our clients when they get home from work at night. We love our spouses. We love our kids. And we’re really grateful for ‘em!

The great State of Arizona. Okay, so super hot weather in the summer is not our favorite thing. But during the winter months, Arizona can’t be beat. Plus, Arizona offers a diversity of individuals to work with. So while we enjoy the sun and fun of Arizona we get to work with all kinds of people.

Safe drivers. Maybe this is because we have families, and maybe it has something to do with caring for our clients, but we’re grateful for drivers who take the time to play it safe. We hear far too many horror stories of car accidents and lives that are lost when drivers make silly mistakes.

Our Veterans. No, we didn’t write a special post for Veteran’s Day, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about them. We are extremely grateful for a free land and the men and women that give their lives to keep us free.

This Thanksgiving, we hope you all find yourselves safe and surrounded by family, friends, and good food.

Super Insurance Agent in Training

Apparently, when you’re a big-time insurance company, it’s a requirement to have a mascot represent you. Geico has the Gecko. Progressive has Flo. Allstate has Mayhem. (Although maybe that’s an anti-mascot. Hmmm.) We could list a whole bunch of others. But, well, we’d rather focus on ourselves.

Thanks to our wonderful clients – and of course our amazing employees – Bennett and Porter Insurance is making quite a name for ourselves in the great state of Arizona. That being the case, we debated it and decided it might be time for us to have our own mascot.

However I have no idea what or who our mascot should be. That’s where you come in. Below you will find a list of all things Bennett and Porter Insurance. Based on this information, we’re hoping you can help us come up with some good ideas.

Okay, here we go…

• Bennett and Porter is an Arizona-based insurance agency. (Translation: cactus, road-runners, a burning sun, etc may inspire you somehow.)
• We offer all kinds of insurance in AZ: home insurance, auto insurance, life insurance, business insurance, renters insurance, watercraft insurance, and recreational vehicle insurance.
• The company has roots dating back to 1959.
• We have amazing insurance agents who above the call of duty for their clients.
• We use social media to stay connected with our clients…because we have a vested interest in you, your needs, and your lives.
• Our primary goal is to get you the very best policy available. We do the shopping for you so you don’t have to. (But we are highly opposed to the idea of a mascot who shops – unless it’s shopping for great rates.)
• After getting some great rates for their clients, a few of our agents may have delusions of being super-heroes. (Important to know as a super-hero mascot may be a great fit.)

If you need a few more ideas, then be sure to visit our website. Okay then…the word is out. You know a little bit more about us. So, we’re ready for the creative genius in you. Any ideas for a mascot? Be sure to include your ideas in the comments below and just maybe the winner will get an extra cool prize.

(Yes, that is my kid in the picture above. I am just glad he had his undies on the right way!) -James

Last week, we introduced you to some of our great employees at Bennett and Porter. Today, we’ve got another handful to introduce. And next week, you’ll meet even more.

Why? Well, not to brag, but the agents at Bennett and Porter have a reputation for being friendly, helpful, and sympathetic. So we think you deserve to meet the people behind the company.

So, meet:

Christian Huth

Christian originally planned to be a firefighter. However, after September 11, 2001, the competition to become a firefighter skyrocketed. Anxious about his future, Christian talked to a few of his own friends who were pursuing careers as insurance agents. He’s been an agent for 9 years now.

Here’s what Christian said about working at Bennett and Porter: Many people think insurance agents are a dime a dozen and there isn’t any difference from an agent with State Farm, Farmers, Allstate, or any other independent local mom and pop shop on the corner. This is why I love working for Bennett and Porter Insurance. This agency is 180 degrees different from those other insurance agencies.

Christian is passionate about protecting his client’s assets. He knows you can call an 800 # and get coverage from a Lizard, Cave Man, or talking cartoon, but he takes the time to educate his clients and help them understand why they should carry the coverage he suggests. He wants to be the agent looking out for their best interest.

Christian enjoys outdoor activities, traveling, and studying the stock market.

Karen Koziatek

Karen is an Account Manager who has been with Bennett and Porter for just under a year. But she has been in the insurance industry for 12 years. She started out in the billing department at an independent insurance agency in Indiana.

Karen’s favorite thing about her job is: talking to a variety of people every day and using her customer service skills and insurance knowledge to help her clients. About Bennett and Porter, Karen said she loves the integrity and honesty of the company and everyone in it. “It’s nice knowing I am working for some of the ‘good guys,’” she said.

When she’s not working, Karen can be found riding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle, working on their house, hanging out with friends, and patiently waiting for football season to start – Go Bears!

Karen first met her husband while jumping on a trampoline when they were 18 and 12. It wasn’t until 11 years later that they met again and started dating. Chocolate and sugary treates are her weakness. And she describes herself as loyal, friendly, energetic, patient, and bold.

Ready to work with a new insurance agent? Then check out Bennett and Porter Independence Insurance Agency and work with people you’ll want to work with!

For most people, insurance is completely impersonal especially AZ insurance. You stick with the company you’ve been with for the last ten years. Or, you ask for quotes online and find the cheapest coverage you can. After all, it’s just insurance, right?

At Bennett and Porter, our relationship goes deeper than just insuring you. Our goal is to make you feel like part of a well-cared for and supported family. So, we thought we’d take the next few blog posts and introduce a few of the “family members” to you.

Meet Leslie Turner

Leslie has been at Bennett and Porter for three years. She has been in the insurance industry for the last 7 years. As part of the Bennett and Porter team, Leslie enjoys talking to clients and really getting to know them.

Here’s what Leslie says makes her great at her job,“Each client is different and has different needs and wants. This helps me make proper recommendations that can help them now and in the future.”

Want to know a few personal details about Leslie? When not working, she can be found spending time with her family. She enjoys camping and skating. She bought her first house when she was only 20 and now she is buying another one.

To sum Leslie up in a few words, she is: positive, a hard worker, loves to laugh, sociable and happy.

Meet Jeff Chihak

Jeff got his start in insurance 3 years ago when he first arrived at Bennett and Porter. And he’s doing great! Jeff was honored with the Agent of the Year award last year.

One of the things Jeff loves about his job is, “That I am creating something that started from nothing and I am getting the opportunity to build relationships with people every day.” Jeff also mentioned that he’s a great agent because he has great clients.

In his spare time, Jeff plays volleyball and takes care of his newborn son. (Congratulations, Jeff!)

Little known facts about Jeff include: being on the Dean’s list at University of Arizona, that he loves to play video games, and that he worked for Walt Disney World for four months as a lifeguard.

Insurance doesn’t have to be impersonal. You have every right to know and trust your Scottsdale insurance agent. For that matter, take the time to become friends. This person may be someone you’ll be glad to know for years to come.

And feel free to contact us at Bennett and Porter Insurance Services. Who knows…maybe you’ll be working with Leslie or Jeff.