Say Insurance Provides Customers With Affordable Choices Through Its Digital Services

In a Nutshell: By combining the experience and expertise of traditional insurance with the convenience and accessibility of smartphone technology, Say Insurance is building a new frontier into the auto insurance industry. The company’s goal is to make purchasing insurance and filing claims as easy as possible, and eliminate all the clutter that is typically involved. Say Insurance also offers several benefits to its customers, including many discount options and informational resources.

Shelter Insurance began as a subsidiary of the Missouri Farmers Association in 1946 and branched out over the years into auto, property, business and life insurance. It now operates in several states within the central region.

In recent years, the company realized it should start going more digital in response to how people began shifting to online services, including insurance. So in 2016, Shelter launched Say Insurance as a new online option for consumers to shop for auto insurance. The site is designed to help customers simplify their insurance decisions but with the benefit of having easy access to customer care.

The launch has created a dual system that allows customers to choose between a more traditional service option through Shelter and one that is more independent and online while still providing the service of a licensed agent if desired.

Marc Deiter, Director of Say Insurance, said that the company’s principles are the same whether clients engage through a technology or customer experience approach.

“Shelter’s value proposition is similar to Say, even though we’re doing this with different channels, and that is to provide a great customer experience,” says Deiter. “We want to focus on making things easy.”

As its main focal point, Say Insurance aims to provide auto insurance that reduces all the technical clutter and industry jargon people typically see when selecting coverage options or filing a damage claim.

Say Insurance provides Liability Car Insurance, Auto Collision and Comprehensive coverage, which includes theft, vandalism and extreme weather damage, as well as Roadside Assistance, Uninsured Motorist Property Damage and Medical Payments, among others. Its coverage area currently includes Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Tennessee and Missouri.

Along with its claim and coverage services, Say also offers various discount options that can help customers save over $1,000 in total.

When it comes to auto insurance, people often focus on protection specifically for their cars. While that is understandably important, policyholders also need to protect their net worth, which is where Liability coverage comes into play.

It may seem burdensome to consider whether or not to purchase Comprehensive coverage, but in the long run, having such coverage builds confidence for those who are insured.

Many of us don’t like to think about the unknowns in life. But the reality is that, when we get behind the wheel, there is a certain amount of unpredictability that is outside of our control. It can be poor road conditions that can be the cause of an accident or someone hitting you out of nowhere with no time to react. These are some of the brutal realities in life we choose not to face at our own peril.

As far as confidence is concerned, one of Say’s advantages is the backing it receives from its parent company, Shelter Insurance, both financially and in terms of Shelter’s long history and experience with claims adjustments. While it is not touted as the lowest cost provider, Deiter explains that Say Insurance markets itself as value-oriented and guided by great customer experience.

Watch on

That customer value also ties in with Say’s user interface, which includes its rapid customer service response system, discount options and blog resources. The latter offers tips and numerous examples that explain the coverages.

To help customers reduce costs as much as possible, Say Insurance has implemented a number of discounts. If customers are good planners and follow through on their payments, they can fully benefit from Say’s discount options regardless of their credit scores.

One of the easiest ways to do that is by going green. If customers go paperless and have their documents emailed, they receive a discount on their auto insurance. It’s an effortless way to save, and the adoption rate has been highly successful as up to 97 percent of customers use the paperless option. By choosing the electronic delivery system, customers can potentially gain up to a 10% discount on their six-month rate.

To encourage safe driving, Say Insurance will lower the Liability, Medical Payments, and Collision coverage payments by up to 10% each if customers complete a defensive driving course and provide a valid certificate. It’s a great incentive for those who make safety a priority.

Customers who are very responsible and proactive with their payment methods can enjoy a few other discounts. The Pay-in-Full discount allows customers to save up to 10% on their rates if they choose to make one lump-sum payment instead of paying monthly for their insurance.

Customers who have maintained continuous auto insurance coverage prior to signing up with Say can apply for the Continuous Insurance discount.

And if they choose to begin a policy start date at least seven days out from the purchase day, customers can use the Advance Purchase discount and save an additional 10% for the first year.

Customers who use extra protection for their vehicles could qualify for the Anti-Theft discount. Extra protection includes taking the extra step to secure your car by using either a qualifying anti-theft device like a car alarm, GPS tracker or disabling device (one that prevents the car from being driven without keys).

One thing to keep in mind is that a few of the discounts are limited by state and age. So, as a suggestion, customers should visit Say’s website and check the coverage details.

To aid its customers, Say Insurance has adapted the latest online capabilities to ensure a smooth and expedient procedure. Deiter says the company is always considering newer enhancements and is currently looking at what can be added on to its customer features. Most of Say’s claims can currently be processed via text, phone call, email or submitted online without issues.

Say Insurance also prioritizes educational features for its customers. The ‘Say Insights’ blog offers its customers useful and informative content in various categories. The blog provides information not only about Say’s policies in easy-to-read terms but also basic auto insurance advice many people aren’t aware of.

The company also has a very receptive feedback loop that closely evaluates its customer responses collected during the quote process and policy changes.

So far, the overall customer feedback has been very positive, which is surprising for those in the insurance industry “because typically nobody’s going to give good feedback to an insurance company,” Deiter humbly acknowledges.

It’s no surprise that auto insurance is seldom looked upon as riveting or appealing, to say the least. As Deiter says “nobody really wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Oh, good, I want to deal with insurance.’” But he said he does believe that by making insurance more visually palatable and technologically streamlined, a broader target audience will be able to see the value and importance of having the right coverage for themselves.