Cox Insurance

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Archives for August 2020

“Top 12 clues a storm-chaser is at your door”

Due to recent hail storms, “storm-chasing” contractors are showing up in affected areas. The Star Tribune recently published an article with heads-up information about what to watch for when hiring a company to repair hail damage.

The top 12 clues to watch for are:

1. “We’re working with your neighbor!”
Storm-chasers win by being first. 

2. They show up faster than humanly possible.
Storm-chasers insist that you need to get your roof fixed quickly.

3.  They convey a sense of urgency.
Storm-chasers insist that you need to get your roof fixed quickly.

4. They’ll offer to nail down some tarps.
They’re not doing you any favors.

5. They want to put a sign in your yard before you’ve signed anything.
They’ll beg and plead to put a sign in your yard.

6. They’ll cover your deductible.
This is illegal, but it happens. Your contractor can’t reimburse you for your insurance deductible.

7. They want you to sign something on the first visit.
They’ll tell you it’s simply a permission slip to inspect your roof, but it’s not.

8. They want you to call your insurance company, now.
Again, this is about creating a sense of urgency and locking you in.

9. Bashing the competition.
Good local contractors know who their competition is, and they view them as colleagues, not enemies. 

10. They won’t give you proof of the damage.
Good contractors will take pictures of storm damage and show it to you.

11. They’ll promise the world.
They’ll tell you they can get your insurance company to pay for new gutters, windows, siding, and all of that other stuff.

12. Their vehicle isn’t local.
Storm chasers won’t drive vehicles lettered up with local contractor information.

Read the full article

Reuben Saltzman. “Top 12 clues a storm-chaser is at your door” Star Tribune, https://www.startribune.com/top-12-clues-a-storm-chaser-is-at-your-door/572214302/. August 25, 2020.

Since 1950, Cox Insurance Associates has provided personal and commercial risk management services as an independent agency. The heart of our business is building genuine relationships with our clients and business partners. We work as a team toward collective goals, inspired by a commitment to provide an outstanding insurance experience.

We are proud to be a third-generation, family-owned business celebrating our 70 year anniversary. Learn more about our core values, read recent news, and meet our outstanding team! 

Navigating Risk Management for Businesses in 2020

We are living in some unique times right now. The global pandemic has created so much uncertainty in almost every aspect of our lives, both personally and professionally. If you are a business owner, how has COVID-19 affected the business that you have worked so hard to build?

These additional stresses certainly have not been fun to navigate. While we won’t be able to provide much advice personally on how to cope during these unique times, from a business perspective we can help entrepreneurs navigate through the increased volatility of running a business during this pandemic. In particular we help business owners navigate the often-confusing world of business insurance and risk management.

Background

For 70 years, Cox Insurance has been a stable force in the community, providing risk management services for individuals, families and businesses. That stability is something we are proud of and the mission has remained the same – provide insurance and service that exceeds expectations.

It’s with that mission in mind that during the past 6 months, Cox Insurance has put an emphasis on providing more focus for business owners in the community. With the added complexity of the pandemic, it’s become more apparent that business owners need help more than ever. Business owners who work tirelessly to run their company are finding less time to work on important aspects of their business like risk management.  It’s during challenging times like this that it’s more important than ever to evaluate all areas of risk or put their business in further jeopardy.

To that point, that’s where customers rely on Cox Insurance and our business advisory approach. By understanding their business on a deep level, we can identify areas of risk and possible solutions. The best part to our approach means our work doesn’t stop there. Our ultimate goal is to continue to work with our customers throughout the year on key touchpoints, thus ensuring their risk doesn’t change much from the program design. It also helps us to identify new threats or changing tolerance from the customer. This proactive approach is something that is often missing in our industry, and something we hope to change. It’s with this approach that customers can then focus on other areas of their business and have trust that this key area of their business is well protected.

How We Can Help

Cox Insurance advisors are available to help any business owner who:

  • Needs help simplifying and/or consolidating a complex risk program.
  • Is experiencing tight cash flow situations and needs to reevaluate their current insurance program to check that their payroll and sales exposures match their new forecast.
  • Is planning to or has made recent capital expenditures like acquiring new businesses or new buildings/equipment.
  • Feels they haven’t been paid attention to through careful stewardship planning, and that their broker “just goes through the motions.”
  • Is in growth mode. Chances are you have outgrown your coverages.
  • Has questions about cyber liability and data protection.
  • Needs a business advisor or strategic resource to help navigate during these unique times.

We encourage anyone who has questions to reach out to our team. Often times we can improve their programs simply by getting together and discussing their needs.

Be Well,

Derek Gruber
Director of Commercial Lines