photo credit: andrijbulba

Imagine going on vacation with friends or family and you wreck your car, your car gets stolen, or it breaks down.

Well you’re likely stuck where you are for the night - which will cost you hotel fees, and extra meals at restaurants to pay for. Did you know that there’s an auto insurance endorsement that may cover those certain expenses?

Certain criteria apply such as how far you are away from your home, and how long your car is out of commission. Contact us if you’re interested on hearing more about this type of trip interruption coverage.

photo credit: blair_25

What you may not know is that most car insurance claims are based on an Actual Cash Value (ACV) basis. This means replacement cost value of the car minus depreciation.

As several drivers out their fianance their cars - the amount their vehicle depreciates may not necessarily equal the amount they owe on their loan. So in the event of a claim, the amount paid out by the insurance company might not be adequate enough to pay off your car loan.

This is where auto loan/lease coverage comes in to play (also referred to as gap coverage). I quoted a client gap coverage on their truck today, and it was only an extra $8 per year.

photo credit: Lee Nachtigal

Had a meeting with a health insurance company rep. who gave me a few nuggets of inside info…

Takeaway thought: RX Copayments & Physician Office visit Copayments are to Health Insurance as Oil Change Copayments & Engine Tune up Copayments are to Car Insurance. If you utilize your car insurance your premium will go up… if you utilize it too much the company will drop you or force you into a very expensive high risk pool with reduced coverage. Good drivers are rewarded for Good driving and Bad drivers are incentivized to get better.

I had a routine checkup with my physician last week who gave me some insight into the name brand drug industry…

Takeaway thought: The drug industry frequently creates new drug compounds when a competing low cost generic drug is released. The new compound is patented, priced, and pitched to the physician along side free lunch for the entire staff. Example: The latest brand name cholesterol pill was a version of the older pill combined with an existing compound that reduces risk for heart disease. (2 seperate meds that have generic equivalents on the walmart/foodcity $4 drug list packaged together as 1 pill and sold at a monopolized price)

photo credit: curiouslee

Twitter is so many things but to me its about six distinctive opportunities: Owning your news, marketing, customer service, promoting culture, finding info, and simply efficient communication.  I have experience with twitter and social media as part owner of a Knoxville, TN blog called Knoxify and my outdoor insurance agency, John Bailey Company does some online marketing. Honestly, what has really happened is hours and hours of research on campground websites messing with some twitter use; this has made me realize how important Twitter is to the campground industry.

First off, Twitter is full of thousands of people looking for something…looking for info on topics, directions, friends, and passions.  After reviewing my @rvparkinsurance twitter account I found so many great people searching for a vacation camping spot, referrals about what RV Parks to stay at, not to mention the amount of directories, organizations, journalists, bloggers, travel sites, tv channels, and magazines following campgrounds throughout the country.  If I was traveling the USA as a retiree or a lucky vagabond; twitter would be as important as my cell phone.  There are so many reviews, pictures, events, and comments about campgrounds and camping on twitter.  Great folks looking to connect others to their experience, and become connected to new ones.  What a great chance to invite these people to experience your business culture.  The best part about twitter is…its free, where else can you reach thousands of campers for $0.

Below are some ideas already creating buzz on twitter, some “easy” definitions to help others understand, and some advice.  As an RV Park Insurance agent my mission is to provide a specialized insurance relationship dedicated to our clients, and if I can help to grow your clientele….then that actually builds a healthy campground community and a strong relationship for the future of the campground industry.  I want to help you succeed as I have invested my time, family, and revenue in your industry.

For more info you can email me at brandon@johnbaileyco.com or phone at 865.524.0785

Tips:

• Social Media is a very simple idea, keep it simple.  Just tell us about you, your campground, campers, experiences, how many canoes or rafts you rented, the brand new bikes you purchased, how busy the pool is, events in your area.  All you are doing is simply telling us about your day to day operations.  Its not complex, its simple….just give us a peek inside.
• Be yourself, simply be genuine.  People want to do business with those that give them a choice don’t push product, push your culture, educate the public on what it is that your campground provides.
• Be positive, don’t be a Debbie Downer..or a One Upper.  No one wants to read sad, distasteful, or competitive comments.  Remember, Twitter is an open media - you can be held responsible for what you tweet.
• Should the owner twitter, or an employee/marketing person?  That is a huge question, put the control in the person’s hands with the most knowledge, time, and enthusiasm.  Find the one who you think can represent the culture of your campground.
• How will people recognize you? Use your logo, landmark, or a fun picture of yourself as a profile pic.  Your Twitter Picture is the brand, your mark..think Nike swoosh.
• Make sure your bio contains a unique elevator speech with your website link.  Nothing long, again simple.  Example - A campground where the lake is your backyard then insert your web page
• When registering on Twitter, they asked me for my email address, why?  You will receive updates on who follows you as well as Direct Messages from those who are interested in your campground or tweets.
• What is @ mean?  It is part of your twitter name, when you want to mention someone in a post include the @ in front of their name.  That will que them and the followers on the open Twitter stream.
• “Follow” those people who fit your interests, demographics, campground writers, and bloggers, industry reps, RV dealers, vendors, business consultants, teachers, campers, other campgrounds, pro athletes, Hollywood, and of course your friends.
• What if I decide I don’t want to follow someone?  Well, that depends on you…remember you don’t have to follow someone because they are following you.  Its a choice.
• How should I use the search button, that’s easy use it like you use google.  Type in RV Park, Campground, TACO, KOA, Yogi, camping, rv, rv dealerships, ARVC, or of course anything you want to search and learn about….like @masters
• When twittering keep it to 140 characters or less (Twitter counts them for you) tell us whats going on at your campground, maybe link to an interesting article on the web about camping, sports, community activities, fishing activities, ATV trails and events in your area, music you like, etc..
• The occasional link to your website or blog is great!  Tell us about your specials, the weather report, how big the fish that was caught, how many hook-ups you have, the fact that you sold out of firewood due to the cold weather….all that day to day stuff that you experience, tell your twitterati…that is true promotion.
• I think one of the best things on twitter is being able to link to a picture that you took at your RV Park.  “A picture says a thousand words about your campground.”  How clean the bathrooms are, what does fall look like at your campground, what does an RV Slip look like?  You can do this via a site called Twit-pic
• It is amazing how fast news and info travels, remember I said you can own your news?  Do just that!  Tells us about changes at your campground, where accidents on the interstate may be, where we can get a bite to eat in your area, what convention is held 20 minutes from your campground, hurricanes, wildfires, or even if the local college or high school football team won.
• Engage your followers, ask them what products you should carry in your general store, about Wifi, sewer hook-ups, water, electric, jumping pillows, if certain picnic tables are important to them?  Twitter provides so many chances to ask your clients what they want…use that to develop your business.
• Promote your followers, this is called Re-tweeting or RT.  If you like what I have to say RT it!  (RT @RVParkinsurance is enjoying smores by the campfire)
• Giveaways, ask your followers a question, first one to reply receives a free stay, free firewood, etc..
• Be Consistent, maybe even schedule your tweets into the day
• Try it, if you don’t produce results in a few months…at least you have you have access to your twitter name…or your brand like @rvparkinsurance
• Have fun, camping is fun!

There are so many ways to use Twitter for campground use….we want to hear from you?  What do you think, how can a campground use Twitter?  By the way, if you want to follow me personally check out @brandonclarke

photo credit: Aidan Jones

The key to finding someone you trust is seeing whether they really want to make a difference in our current healthcare system. It’s the difference between a sales person and an advisor/consultant. One is passionate about making money and the other is passionate about making a difference.

In the world of insurance a lot of people carry the title of “consultant”, but not a lot of people take on the fiduciary responsibilities associated with that title. This is where the whole “caring about making a difference” thing comes in. If I care about making a difference, then I care about knowing all the options.  If I know all the options, it will allow me to confidently explain them to the individuals and business owners who need to know the truth. This will allow them to make the best decision regarding their health insurance.

So how do you know if you can trust a consultant??? After speaking with one, if you still think there is no hope and no solution exists then there is a good chance you need to get a second opinion.

Click here for more info

photo credit: dimnikolov

Over the past few weeks we have been reviewing blogging insurance and where coverage exists.

Personal Blogs - Sometimes personal blogging and social media can be covered by a homeowners policy, under special endorsements, we have several companies in house that offer coverage for personal blogs and social media as long as the EXCLUSIONS do not Apply. We recommend you contact your home insurance agent to find out if this coverage exist for you, and what exclusions apply.

Business and Revenue Generated Blogs - First we recommend speaking to your insurance agent about your commercial insurance coverages if you are using a blog, twitter, facebook, or other social media sites in connection with any business or revenue generated activity you are involved with or are a part of. Another option you may want to explore is joining the Media Bloggers Association, Katie Allison Granju and Silence have discussed in the past. Below is some info on the association program, we have not reviewed the policy, nor have we contacted the association directly so we can not speak of coverage, but we have heard the following:

1. The Minimum premium and cost of membership should run around $500 - $600
2. An online course must be completed.

Marketing and PR Firms - BE CAREFUL! If you advise or lend advice to a company who is blogging or using social media, make sure you advise them to review their coverages, they may not have coverage for the activities you are leading them into….

We would expect as the years go by and the true liability is realized; insurance product and underwriting innovation will occur. For now, ASK, ASK, and ASK your insurance agent! This exposure is new, therefore the market will need to figure out the coverages, underwriting info, model, rating, loss history, and companies open to the idea of providing coverage.

photo credit: Bah Humbug

During wedding/engagement season several guys spend thousands of dollars then get down on one knee to express there love, commitment, etc. Now that I’ve shown my sensitive side, lets discuss how these engagement and wedding rings can be covered.

You can add specific jewelry insurance coverage on your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. This is done based on a scheduled personal property basis. It usually covers all sorts of perils in the event that something happens to your ring. (theft, mysterious disappearance, etc.)