Trusted Choice® will be an Upset

Putatively, the best race horse of the first half of the 20th century—probably the entire century (with my apologies to Secretariat)—was Man o’ War. During his illustrious two-year racing career, Man o’ War won 20 of 21 races! His one loss came in 1919 at the Sanford Memorial Stakes. A 100-to-1 long shot named Upset beat him by half a length. Many believe that in the common vernacular, the word “upset” took on a new additional meaning as a result of that horse race. Thus, “upset” now also means to defeat unexpectedly, as an upstart beating a champion.

In January 2001, the Big “I” launched the consumer brand Trusted Choice®. With great hope and the realization that independent agents need a distinct mark that conveys why our insurance delivery system is superior to all others, Trusted Choice® was born. By this September, Trusted Choice® agency member locations will top 10,000 and our company partners will count over 40! It is fully our intention that the simple words “trusted” and “choice,” when combined into Trusted Choice®, shall take on a new meaning in the common vernacular. Consumers will understand that Trusted Choice® agents offer the best way of buying insurance.

Great brands are about an emotional connection between a consumer and a product or service. There is an expectation of excellence in the provider’s level of service and behavior so that the consumer looks forward to the experience. This is the way it is when you go into a Starbucks or get a blue box from Tiffany & Co.

The elevation of Trusted Choice® to the pantheon of great brands will only occur when each of us fully commits to living our brand and becoming what our brand stands for. The Trusted Choice® Pledge of Performance speaks to the strongest desires that consumers have about the process of purchasing insurance. They told us this in the extensive research we conducted when creating Trusted Choice®. This is our pledge as Trusted Choice® agencies:

Trusted Choice® Pledge of Performance
Our Pledge to You! Trusted Choice® agencies are insurance and financial services firms whose access to multiple companies and commitment to quality service enable us to offer our clients competitive pricing, a broad choice of products and unparalleled advocacy.

As a Trusted Choice® agency, we are dedicated to you and are committed to treating you as a person, not a policy. This commitment means we shall:
• Work with you to identify the insurance and financial services that are right for you, your family or your business, and use our access to multiple companies to deliver those products.
• Guide you through the claims process for a prompt and fair resolution of your claim.
• Help solve problems related to your coverage or account.
• Explain the coverages and options available to you through our agency, at your request.
• Return your phone calls and e-mails promptly and respond to your requests in a timely manner.
• Provide 24/7 services for our customers, offering any or all of the following: emergency phone numbers, Internet account access, e-mail and call center services.
• Use our experience and multiple company relationships to customize your coverage as needed.
• Commit our staff to continuing education so they may be more knowledgeable in serving you.
• Treat you with respect and courtesy.
• Conduct our business in an ethical manner.

We pledge this to you, our clients, and ask that you let us know if we fail to meet our commitment, so we may take corrective action.

We must commit to training employees to behave as the Trusted Choice® pledge indicates. We should include the pledge in communications to clients. Most certainly, one of the last pages in proposals for new business and renewal presentations should always be the Pledge of Performance. Take the time to explain to your client how you plan to treat him/her in accordance to this pledge, and I assure that you will receive enthusiastically positive feedback. Their reaction should be no mystery—customers told us how they wanted to be treated, and we are giving it back to them in the form of a pledge!

If each of us talk and live the brand, Trusted Choice® will become to insurance delivery what Starbucks is to coffee, what Tiffany & Co. is to jewelry and what Man o’ War was to racing: Simply the best!

Alex Soto
President