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It is hard to believe that 10 years ago was the start of the NCM Insurance Agency. It has been an amazing ride, with MANY MANY ups, and of course, very few downs.
Over the last 10 years we have insured THOUSANDS, yes THOUSANDS of customers with some amazing vehicles, and it has been an honor!
We are asked quite frequently how we came to be, and we hope you will follow along.
Our management team at the National Corvette Museum was approached by a larger insurance agency about feeding leads (customers) to them. In return we would obtain a small finder’s fee. This small seed is what started us down this path. Wendell Strode, Museum Executive Director, felt that instead of getting a small finder’s fee it would be beneficial to start our own insurance agency.
I was tasked with the job and embraced it as if it was my own. Starting with completing the proper credentialing in not only Kentucky, but the other 42 states that we service. This was not an easy task, but I was up for the challenge.
We started off with a clean slate, policy zero. No insurance background what-so-ever, however, because of the relationships we had with our members/donors we felt like it was a natural step for us to take.
I will never forget day 1 that we made the announcement. Calls didn’t stop! I still have the yellow legal pad with the HUNDREDS of names and phone #’s. We were not prepared, I should say I WAS NOT PREPARED! I was the only agent that we had, I was the CSR, I was it! I quickly put a call in to our carrier and asked for help, STAT! American Modern sent down two to help with the phone and processing quotes/policies. They were coming in quicker than we could handle!
Over the course of the next couple years we would continue to fine tune the process to make the journey for our customers easy and help provide the best possible experience for our customers.
Part of the “best possible experience” was to hire a Customer Service Rep. In April of 2012 I was able to bring Bobbie Jo Lee back into the NCM. She had ventured away to follow her husband, Darrell, as they embarked on a new career which took them to Arizona. A short time after they left, they found themselves back in Bowling Green, and I knew that she would be perfect for this position. Perfect she was! She has this inherent sense of compassion that makes people feel at ease. Within a year she moved from a CSR to an agent, and we have never looked back!
We plugged away for the next couple of years continuing to hone the process. We were quickly becoming one of the top agencies for our carrier. Calls were not slowing down, and because of this, we were servicing more and more customers. Because of this, our customers were waiting on hold, our responses were short, and our quality was suffering. It was time to hire and move from our small 11×14 office to a legitimate office, what I have dubbed the “NCM Insurance Agency WORLD Headquarters!”
With the blessing of our management we were fortunate to move into the lobby of the National Corvette Museum and build an amazing storefront! We also were able to hire Jeff Forsythe and Sharon Smith. Jeff was freshly retired from the police department in Sheridan, Wyoming and Sharon was in banking.
Sharon and her husband were customers from 2011, and local to Bowling Green. I attended church with her, and both Chris and Sharon taught Sunday School to my daughter, Gracelyn. While at a local Cars & Coffee one morning I mentioned that we were looking for a CSR and Chris’s ears perked up. Sharon is the one that makes sure that our i’s are dotted, and t’s are crossed. Sharon is now a licensed Agent and she keeps us compliant and consistent! We really need this!
Jeff is a car guy, passionate about talking cars to customers. He wasn’t too sure about this insurance role, but did a great job working with our customers. Eventually, another position opened in our security department and he moved to that. We then hired Sam Milam.
Sam had a couple years in the insurance industry and provided some great insight into the standard auto world to our customers. He is super cool under pressure, and nothing seems to faze him! We are thoroughly enjoying watching him go from engaged to married to his wife, Jasmine, and he is about to be a dad to little girl. We love seeing our team and their families grow!
This team is amazing! They are rock stars! They hear your stories about your cars, they hear why your car is important to you…They have heard the memories that you and your loved ones have shared with your car….They have helped you through the claim process….They have been yelled at, but they have also consoled you when a loved one has passed. They are the best in the business, and I am proud to work with them.
None of this would have been possible without you, our customer. Regardless if you have a single vehicle policy with us or one with hundreds of cars we value your relationship the same. We are honored and humbled to be your choice to insure your prized possession.
I often remind customers that feel like we are just in the money-making business that the #1 reason insurance was created is to PAY COVERED CLAIMS! We are fortunate to travel the country to many car shows throughout the year, and we hear your stories about how you were satisfied with the claims process. We get no greater joy when we hear or read this.
To our current, past and future customer, thank you! The last 10 years have been amazing, and it is all because of YOU!