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Welcome Linda Robertson and Erika Higgins to Founders Personal Lines Sales team!

Linda and Erika joined Founders in August of 2011 as Personal Lines Account Executives.  Linda will be working out of our Torrington location, while Erika will be based in Lakeville.  Please help us welcome them into our communities!

Commercial Lines News:

Monique Abreu has been promoted to a Commercial Lines Account Executive.  Many of you will recognize Monique, as she has been at Founders in several capacities including personal lines and commercial lines service.  Monique will be handling new business in our commercial lines department and will also head up our new niche program AgriProtect helping local farmers, vineyards and agricultural programs with their insurance.  Congrats on the move Monique!

We’ve also hired two new people in our commercial service department:  Nancy Swenson and Adam Winters. Both Nancy and Adam bring with them years of commercial lines experience and are a great addition to our team.

Linda Robertson, Personal Lines Account Executive

Monique Abreu Commercial Lines Account Executive

Erika Higgins, Personal Lines Account Executive

Our Commercial Lines Service Team: Nancy Swenson, Adam Winters & Sora Garlasco

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,100 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Chris Garlasco, Owner & Managing Partner - Founders Insurance Group

There is a startling movement within the world of auto insurance that all drivers should be aware of, especially in this difficult economy. It would be easy to conclude that in difficult times, folks trying to save some money may choose to drop or cancel their auto insurance coverage in an effort to save some money. Rather than pointing out the obvious, I want to talk about an even more troubling and wide spread problem. It is the apparent rise in drivers carrying coverage that is far from the amount needed to protect you from their negligent mistakes.

Here in the state of Connecticut, the minimum required limits to legally operate a motor vehicle are 20/40/10. What that simply means is that a driver carrying minimum limits must carry $20,000 of liability coverage per person with a maximum of $40,000 per accident. In laymen’s terms, if you in an accident with one of these drivers, the most you can expect to receive as an individual from their policy is $20,000! This $20,000 is designed to help pay for your medical bills and any long term pain and suffering award. The “10″ refers to $10,000 of property coverage, the maximum limit of the policy available to repair your vehicle from the negligent driver’s policy. If your car is valued at more than $10,000, you can expect to be paying the additional cost in an accident that is not your fault.

The required minimum limits have not changed since the 1980′s! Efforts by some legislators to increase the minimum required limits have failed in the legislature each and every time. It is reasonable to believe that $20,000 doesn’t have the buying power it did nearly thirty years ago. Opponents of raising the required limits have cited an increased burden on lower income families that would be the result of a required higher limit. Both sides of the argument have strong points, however, at some point a compromise will have to be reached as the burden of negligent party is being felt by hundreds of thousands of innocent state residents as they are forced to shoulder the negligence of others.

What makes this issue especially troubling is the rise of the “fifteen minutes will save you 15%” or other “800″ number and internet insurance companies. I would offer a challenge to those companies to make public their percentage of minimum limit, and low limit (25/50) drivers. In other cases, unethical agents have gone so far as to use the “blood from a stone” argument. Meaning, if you have no assets to protect, the innocent party won’t have any recourse anyway so why not carry just the minimum limit. At Founders, we will not offer minimum limits except in the rarest of special circumstances.

It is hard to tell what percentage of drivers on our roads happen to be carrying minimum coverage, but forty percent may be a good guess. What we do know for sure is that there is a substantially higher number of under insured motorists on the road than those that are actually not insured at all.

Lastly, rather than just point out the problem I would like to offer a simple, but effective solution that should satisfy both points of view on this subject. Rather than the state requiring a minimum limit of coverage, why not offer two minimum limits of coverage? First, a higher required limit for all of the state’s residents while keeping the current low, 1980′s limit for those that can show proof of low income. The motor vehicle department could be required to verify the income of those seeking the special lower limit, while forcing all other motorists to carry at least the new minimum limit. The end result would be a substantial number of drivers carrying low limits now being forced to be responsible for their actions. It would create more work for the Department of Motor Vehicles, but the trade off to the hundreds of thousands of innocent drivers would be well worth the cost. In fact, those drivers in the end, may see a decrease in their rates as they would be shouldering far less of the burden.

Think about it.

Chris Garlasco

Cheers to the New Year

from all of us at

Founders Insurance Group!

Cindy Donaldson, Director of Marketing & Sales - Founders Insurance Group

Back in the day, before insurance, I use to be a salesperson. Now I manage salespeople – I gotta say the selling was a bit easier than the managing! Everyone needs a Yoda – that all knowing guru who guides you to greatness. I had two major Yodas that beat a few things into my stubborn head over the years. You know what? I listened to them. You know what else? They were right. I sold a bunch just for following a few simple rules and tricks. Meet my yodas: Mark Johns and Phillip Crum – Brilliant, great sales people .

I’ve decided to pay forward some of their wisdom.

Here is the advice that stuck, and now I’m preaching to my team:

Mark Johns

Rule 1 (Mark Johns) – The only way to get out of a sales slump is to sell something.

Rule 2 (Mark Johns) – When you cold-call you want to accomplish 2 things – get a name and leave a name. That means ask for the decision maker’s name and leave your business card. Oh..and see rule 3.

Rule 3 (Phillip Crum) – food woos. Phillip used donuts to get past even the toughest gatekeeper. I used cookies. Do what works for you.

Rule 4 (Mark & Phillip) – Hit the road on Fridays or in the rain. It shows dedication.

Rule 5 (Phillip & Mark) – Have a game plan. No plan leads to chaos, leads to not reaching your goals.

Rule 6 (Phillip) – surround yourself with winners and you will be a winner. Surround yourself

Phillip Crum

with losers..well you get the picture.

Rule 7 (Mark) – sales isn’t rocket science – it’s a process.

Rule 8 (Mark) Contact the right people, the right number of times, with the right message and ask for their business. THIS is the sales process.

Rule 9 (Phillip & Mark) – you have to go through a bunch of “no’s” to get to one yes. Don’t give up at no number 3 – you got a few to go.

Rule 10 (Phillip & Mark) No one is going to buy from you unless you ask for the sale – no one.

Sell on people….Sell on!  Oh…and if you would like to join my salesteam, give me a call! 860-482-3506 or send  your resume to cdonaldson@foundersgrp.com. 

Cindy

p.s. Mark has a new book out Life Sentences. Check it out!

http://www.sirspeedy4092.com/markjohns-ebooks/

Chris Garlasco, Owner & Managing Partner - Founders Insurance Group

If you are like me, I often think of the police as the guys I need to watch out for when I accidently have the “pedal to the metal.” When it comes to the men and women of the fire department verses the police department, to the public, it’s often “bad cop verses good cop,” pun intended. Our fondness for firemen often doesn’t seem to carry over to the police. The three hundred and forty three brave men and women of the New York City Fire Department are often mentioned and remembered when we think of that horrible day in 2001. I don’t know about you, but I often think we tend to overlook the sixty or more police officers that lost their lives on that terrible day too.

I guess my sometimes conflicted feelings about the police are a result of the “authority figure” that the police department represents. I think it’s my inner rebel that whispers in my ear every so often. It has been more than twenty years since my last speeding ticket and even having a brother-in-law that’s a state trooper in Massachusetts hasn’t made me feel any better when a police car is lurking in my rear view mirror. But, fear not, I am working on my issues!

This year, in the midst of a very bad economy, the Connecticut State Police, along with the Torrington Police and Torrington Fire Department will be continuing their annual ritual of standing in front of local stores collecting toys for needy children. Each year, the men and women of the thin blue line spend their day in the late fall chilly air chatting with the community and helping to provide for children that they often see under the worst of circumstances. It is a very noble thing.

The economy is making the Christmas season a little tougher on most families, and often times the children are hit the hardest. It’s in times like these, when it’s tough for all of us, to make the sacrifice to make a child’s life a little better that it is so important. My entry today is to ask you to join with me and my family in helping out the men and women whose job it is to help others. If you happen to be shopping locally and see these fine folks standing out in the cold, offer them a kind word of thanks, and if you can, a toy for a needy child.

Have a great day!

Chris Garlasco

Chris Garlasco, Owner & Managing Partner - Founders Insurance Group

 I was sitting today in Las Vegas’ McCarran airport waiting for yet another delayed flight. I have needed to fly four times in the past twelve months, which fortunately is far less than I have had to do in past years. Of the four, one of my flights was cancelled due to computer problems at the airline, nearly forcing me to miss a vacation that had been anticipated for nearly a year! Another flight was delayed a mere seven hours due to storms somewhere else in the country, causing me to miss the first day of the biggest pipe collecting event of the year. One flight, actually made it nearly on time. And of course today’s flight, only two hours late, leaving me wondering here at 30,000 feet if the lot will be closed where I need to pick up my car.
 
 We all have had experiences like this, and with the airlines, it’s just getting worse. It is a system that is clearly broken. Two of the three hotels on this vacation messed up my reservations. I later found out that one of the hotels made it appear that I was speaking with the front desk only to find out later that I was speaking with someone in another state. A “someone” that the folks at the front desk had never heard of and whose promises were not honored. Of course, a last name wasn’t offered.
 
 Recently , Capital One, a bank my wife and I had be loyal customers to for more than ten years lost our business due to abusive behavior of their fraud unit. Countless times stopping our normal day to day business transactions for fear of fraud. We had made a number of complaints to Capital One. On one occasion they gave us a $50 credit along with the apology. Of course the problem continued. Finally, in frustration and fear of being embarrassed in front yet another retailer, we began calling Capital One before each transaction to make sure that we wouldn’t have a fraud alert stop our transaction. We were assured that there wouldn’t be a further problem due to our “preemptive” call, yet they went on to stop not only one purchase, but two! We cancelled the card on the spot. We had spent unreasonable amounts of time on the phone and often had to give them our card number several times during the same call as we were transferred around the country and possibly the world. It should have raised a red flag when on one vacation we couldn’t get The Capital One representative to understand that we would have to cross part of Canada in order to reach Alaska.
 
 I have had similar issues with Expedia, one time spending more than forty minutes on hold trying to change a reservation.
 
 From credit card companies to airlines and travel companies things on line are fine until there is a problem. I have experienced this with insurance companies too. At many companies like these the company representative will not even offer their first and last name, let alone the state in which they are located. Try asking your “800″ number insurance company! It feels like wrestling a gorilla. Wrestling a gorilla is a no win proposition. It’s the feeling of standing in the shadow of a faceless, monster size organization somewhere off in the distance. A destination not offered to the customer and often times the full name of the person that you are doing business with is not offered either. A gorilla is a company with many layers of personnel protecting the actual decision makers from speaking with the customers they supposedly serve. A gorilla is a company that scripts their phone conversations to the point that the “customer service” person when pushed off script is like a politician without a teleprompter.

The next time you are on the phone, experiencing a problem with a gorilla, ask yourself this question, “Do I really want to do business this way?” “Is my money being well spent?” “What if I have a serious problem, who will be there for me?” Personally, unlike much of America, I am no longer willing to do business this way. I am the customer and I want to be treated like one! I don’t want to be just another number that matters little if I take my business elsewhere.
 
 Even though Founders Insurance Group has several thousand customers, we never hide the names or faces of our team members. Our customer service team members, their managers and the owners are all with reach of contact. I strongly believe that most folks like to do business that way. When your name and face are out there it means a deeper level of commitment to problem resolution. I am proud of the fact that our company has tripled in size over the past ten years we will not waiver in our commitment of personal service. Even though it would lower our expenses, we will not have a computer answer your call. If you should ever receive the voicemail of one of our employees, you can expect a prompt response. That is our promise, is it your insurance provider’s?
 
 After all, gorillas are for the zoo!
 
 Have a great day!
 
 Chris Garlasco

Chris Garlasco, Owner & Managing Partner - Founders Insurance Group

Just over one year ago, I posted an entry with the same title and I am again inclined to revisit the subject with more things that shouldn’t be done when looking for a new position, especially in a difficult economy. It’s been just over a year since my last post on this subject and the unemployment rate in our state continues to be above 9% and is showing no sign of relief any time soon.

Fortunately, Founders is selectively hiring qualified candidates for new positions. As you might imagine, it’s an “employers market” as the labor pool in our area is fairly large. In order to be hired by Founders or other companies in the area, it’s important to remember that you are selling YOU! Remember that setting yourself apart from the pack takes some thought and professionalism.

The advent of technology has led us to see more than 90% of the resumes that we receive come through electronically. The use of electronic resumes through sites like Career Builder or Monster has made sending one’s resume fast and easy. However, it also allows candidates to “Carpet Bomb” employers. We have seen a dramatic increase in folks that have not taken the time to read the job description and review the qualifications required. Our most recent posting is for a position that requires a very narrow and specific set of existing skills. Our current need prohibits us from taking a candidate through the nearly two year training process as our need is immediate.

Even though the requirements are clearly listed, each day we receive an email box full of resumes from candidates that appear to not have read the listing. We receive resumes that are missing contact phone numbers or even worse, are using a friend’s email address as the point of contact. In the past week, I have received three resumes that are simply a half page list of prior jobs with no description of those jobs, no dates of employment and no cover letter. Even worse, I recently had two candidates that put a specific skill related to the job on their resume only to find out that they had never used that skill in the past! Remember, the only thing an employer has to select a group of interview candidates from is that resume. Be proud of your background and let it be seen on your resume. It is a snapshot of you!

Once you make it to the interview, arrive on time. Take the time to know something about our company. I am often surprised be the number of candidates that have not taken the time to look at our website, blog or Facebook page. Generally, in the first interview, one of the very first questions of the candidate will be centered on how much they know about us. Come to the interview dressed professionally. Our positions are “career” positions that pay well and offer substantial benefits, don’t come in as preparing to interview at your local sandwich shop.

Be prepared to ask pointed questions and take a few notes. Make sure that they are the right questions, appropriate for a first interview. On two occasions, I have been asked in the first five minutes of the interview about compensation or vacation time. One person that I asked to meet with me responded by saying and I quote, “before we set up an appointment, how much does this job pay?”

Remember, it’s a very tough economy on businesses too. We are forced to be more careful than ever in our hiring decisions as a wrong decision can be very costly.

Good luck in the hunt! I am rooting for you and your success!

Chris Garlasco

           That’s what we thought.

HVAC Protect

by Founders Insurance Group is the answer!

Integrated Workers’ Compensation Solutions
including options such as:
  
    Pay as You Go Billingvirtually eliminating annual audits
    Payroll Processing
    Risk Reduction Services
        Ensuring OSHA compliance
        Safety Training Modules
        Employee background checks, drug testing and motor vehicle records
Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) – defending you from legal issues such as wrongful termination, sexual harassment and age discrimination.

HVAC Protect also includes:
Comprehensive Cost Containment Programs
Affordable business auto solutions
Extensive tool and machinery coverage
Knowledgeable customer service team and claims services
Group health & life benefits
Specialized Home & Auto programs for you and your employees.
Annual an/or semi-annual reviews

Contact:

Michael Gagnon

mgagnon@foundersgrp.com  800-762-7369  ext 11257

Michael Gagnon, HVAC Protect Specialist.