Years ago I got mad at my P&C Insurance guy. Our auto rates took, what I considered to be, an unfair jump. I shopped around, found a less expensive option and made the switch. I showed the dude who was boss and saved money in the process.
Then…I got a phone call. “Bill, we’re unable to offer you insurance. I apologize but underwriting has declined coverage.
I was stumped. “Why not,” I asked. The agent responded, “you were not truthful on your application. You told us there were no citations.”
I was stumped again. I explained, “I don’t have any citations.” The agent said, “I know. But Mrs. Gillespie does. She was ticketed on 985 for doing 96 in a 55.” I was dumbfounded. She hadn’t told me. It happened six months earlier.
I called a third company, shared the whole story, secured coverage and spent a fortune doing so. I’ll skip the husband/wife conversation details. There is nothing to be gained by sharing how that went. I still can’t figure out how her ticket managed to be my fault. We can explore that later.
What does this have to do with selling? More than you think. Behavior drives outcomes.
Read the rest of Bill’s column on Printing Impressions.
