INScompanies Blog

Farmers Insurance Survey Shows 1 in 3 U.S. Drivers Admit to Racing Through Stop Lights

Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA (January 25, 2005 ) - While most people associate fatal auto crashes with speeding or drunk driving, making a trip to the grocery store could prove just as, if not, more treacherous.
A new survey conducted by the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies® showed more than 36 percent of motorists admitted to running a red light in the past year — an offense that is the leading cause of crashes in urban areas, According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), red light running crashes cause nearly 1,000 deaths and more than 200,000 injuries each year.

Red light running is defined as a motorist deliberately entering an intersection after the signal light has turned red.  According to Farmers the problem is then exacerbated because generally when people go through a red light, they accelerate to move through the intersection faster before the traffic in the other direction begins – this impulse to drive faster through the intersection, where there may be pedestrians, does not allow for a proper reaction time.

“Observing red light signals can literally prevent thousands of tragic accidents,” said Jeff Beyer, senior vice-president & chief communications officer for Farmers Insurance Group. “Drivers must always ask themselves if the few seconds they might save by running a red light are worth the risk of injuring, or even killing, someone.”

The Farmers Insurance survey also showed that more men (42.2 percent) than women (30.9 percent) said they had run a red light in the past year. Additionally, nearly half (48.6 percent) of those in the 18–34 age group said they had sped through a stoplight in the past year. Seven of those polled were habitual offenders, claiming to have run more than 20 red lights in the past year.

Red light cameras have been shown to reduce the number of drivers running red lights, but cameras are only currently allowed in 16 states.  According to the IIHS, each year more than 900 people die and nearly 200,000 are injured in crashes that involve red light running.

“Most of the fatalities in these type of crashes are innocent victims — pedestrians and other motorists,” Beyer said. “Losing a life is always tragic, but even more so when it’s the result of something so unnecessary as running a red light.”

OLATHE, KANSAS, (October 23, 2006)—Continuing a deep commitment  to helping their customers immediately after a catastrophe that strikes anywhere in the contiguous United States, Farmers Insurance Group will introduce its new one-of-a-kind Mobile Catastrophe Command Center bus Thursday October 26, 2006 at the Farmers HelpPoint Center, 17150 West 118th Terrace, Olathe, Kansas.

“Nothing is more devastating to a person than losing a home, personal property or a loved one due to a tornado, fire, or other catastrophe,” noted Jim Swope, state executive, Farmers Insurance Group, Missouri.  “Farmers commitment is to be among the first on the scene at any catastrophe to find our customers who suffered loss and get them immediate help,” he said.

“The new Farmers Mobile Command Center bus was chosen as the catastrophe center-point for handling claims and servicing our customers,” explained Frank Soldano, state executive, Farmers Insurance Group, Kansas.   “The bus is equipped with the most state-of-the-art equipment available anywhere in the United States.  It will enable Farmers claims representatives to offer claims help to our customers immediately following a catastrophe, Soldano said.

The Command Center bus is a 45 foot long, built on a superior diesel bus platform. The bus is equipped with the most state-of-the-art equipment available for usage.

The mobile catastrophe command center is the only diesel powered bus in the Insurance industry with built-in data satellite on top of this platform to service customers.  It is also equipped with various advanced technology such as built-in GPS navigation, security / safety system, noise-reduction generator, and in-motion satellite TV which allows Command Center personnel to track inclement weather events and urgent news reports when all other forms of communication are unavailable due to catastrophic events.

“We spent months researching and testing the most sophisticated and high performance satellite service and hardware ever developed and installed in a mobile command unit,” explained Soldano.

Farmers is the first insurance company in the country to incorporate this bus platform with the built-in self acquiring low profile, high powered satellite system / communication technology on a bus that can be dispatched at a moments notice to any catastrophe scene in the contiguous United States.

At the scene of a catastrophe, Farmers policyholders will be notified via the media and their agents where the catastrophe mobile center will be located.  Also, Farmers has a national claims number 1-800-HELPPOINT that can always be called for assistance following a catastrophe.

The Farmers Insurance Group® companies comprise the nation’s third-largest personal lines property & casualty insurance group – helping to restore the lives of over 15 million customers when the unexpected happens. Headquartered in Los Angeles and doing business in 41 states, these companies provide homeowners, auto, business, life insurance, recreational products and financial services to more than 10 million households through 17,000 exclusive and independent agents and district managers.

MEDIA NOTE:  If you would like a tour of the bus or private interview arranged, please RSVP to Jerry Davies, 1-630-287-1541, 323-932-3662 or jerry.davies@farmersinsurance.com

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 9, 2006) – The Farmers Insurance Group HelpPoint® claims call center has been recognized once again for providing “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience” by J.D. Power and Associates for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence.   This distinction acknowledges Farmers continued commitment to customer service and excellence in claims handling.  The Farmers Insurance Group HelpPoint claims call center was the Property and Casualty Insurance industry’s first call center to receive this recognition.

The certified HelpPoint claims call centers are located in Olathe , Kansas ; Oklahoma City , Oklahoma ; and Caledonia , Michigan .  These centers handle more than 4.5 million First Notice of Loss calls each year for Farmers auto and homeowners  insurance customers.   The call centers serve as the customer’s first point of contact when making a claim.

In addition, J.D. Power and Associates conducted a random survey of claims customers who recently contacted the HelpPoint call center.  For certification status, a call center must perform within the top 20 percent of customer service, based on J.D. Power and Associates’ cross-industry customer satisfaction research.

By passing the rigorous standards of the certification process, Farmers’ HelpPoint demonstrates a strong commitment to providing customers with a consistent, positive experience with its claims call centers.   Claims customers of Farmers’ HelpPoint give particularly high ratings to its customer service associates for their courtesy and concern for customers’ problems.

The evaluation criteria used during the survey include: courtesy of the claims service associate (CSA); knowledge of the CSA; the CSA’s concern for the customer questions and/or problem; usefulness of the information provided; convenience of customer service operating hours; ease of getting through to a CSA; and the timely resolution of the customer’s problem, question or request.  Certification is valid for one year.

“We are delighted to have our HelpPoint call center recognized once again by J.D. Power and Associates,” said Ron Hammond, Director of HelpPoint.  “It’s a reflection of the rigorous training we immerse our call center representatives in and we are proud of the strong industry-leading program we have developed.”

The Call Center Certification Program was launched by J.D. Power and Associates in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction and help call centers in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing best practices for handling service calls.

The HelpPoint claims call center was previously named Call Center of the Year two years in a row (2002-2003) by the Professional Teleservices Management Association (PTMA).  It was also named Outstanding Training Department by the PTMA in 2002.

The Farmers Insurance Group® companies comprise the nation’s third-largest personal lines property & casualty insurance group – helping to restore the lives of over 15 million customers when the unexpected happens. Headquartered in Los Angeles and doing business in 41 states, these companies provide homeowners, auto, business, recreational products, life insurance and financial services to more than 10 million households through 17,000 exclusive and independent agents and district managers.