| FEATURED AGENT
Lee Wiglesworth
Lee Wiglesworth, President of Wiglesworth-Rindom Insurance Agency, in Stuart, FL, has been working with Tower Hill for over 10 years.
How do Tower Hill’s values of providing excellent service with compassion and empathy align with yours?
That is a shared core value between you and us. We both have an interest and concern for others. One of our values is treating others the way we want our moms to be treated, which is a twist on the golden rule. We work really hard at saying we’re not in sales. We are in sales, but we feel like we’re in service. We’re selling, yes, but we’re providing a promise. We’re educating. We want to be more like educators and advisors than salespeople. It always starts with listening. Staff who listen carefully also identify coverage gaps that customers don’t directly state. That goes farther than just doing transactions.
Why did your agency choose to carry Tower Hill?
“For us, providing the level of service and quality we aim for in South Florida wouldn’t be possible without Tower Hill. Not having Tower Hill would be a gap and a disservice to our customer base.”
We are strictly a personal lines agency. For us, providing the level of service and quality we aim for in South Florida wouldn’t be possible without Tower Hill. Not having Tower Hill would be a gap and a disservice to our customer base.
What are the most common things that you find you have to explain about home insurance?
Providing education and service usually reserved for the affluent market is our mission.
Many people treat insurance like a commodity. They match Coverage A on their dwelling, check their deductible, and pick the cheapest premium. But they don’t understand that not all policies or carriers are the same.
There’s a big difference between a startup company and a company like Tower Hill. A difference between a Demotech rating and an A.M. Best rating. We spend a lot of time explaining that.
People moving from out of state often ask for “A-rated” carriers. We explain that yes, these are A-rated carriers, but what they likely mean is A.M. Best-rated, which is different. A.M. Best rates national carriers like Travelers, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual. But those carriers have mostly left Florida.
That leaves domestic, Florida-only carriers rated by Demotech. They meet mortgage requirements, but not all Demotech-rated carriers offer the same strength or stability. I just signed one yesterday. Another has been around 50 years. I’ve gone through claims with some of them since 2005. I know how they handled Wilma and Ian. That experience matters.
So, we help clients understand it’s not just about whether something is “A-rated.” It’s about who the rating is from, and how that company actually performs when disaster strikes.
Why is flood insurance important?
Customers worry most about hurricanes, so they spend a lot on hurricane insurance, understandably. With rising premiums, people are taking on more self-risk, but they still want catastrophic coverage if a storm hits.
But all these storms, Katrina, Harvey, Superstorm Sandy, Ian, they’re all massive flooding events, which hurricane coverages won’t cover.
We explain that. You might be covered for wind, but not for water. It’s the water, the storm surge, the flooding that ends up causing the biggest losses in a lot of these storms. People don’t realize it until it’s too late.
How can consumers identify gaps in their insurance coverage?
I just wish consumers knew that not all policies are the same, and not all coverages are the same. If you’re calling anyone, or going online to get quotes, and you’re just trying to match Coverage A on your dwelling, check your deductible, and pick the cheapest premium, you’re more than likely to be disappointed come claim time. That disappointment could be about what actually happens next or how a company responds.
I think it’s very wise for everyone to talk to an agent who seems like they know what they’re talking about, someone who talks to you like an educator and informs you about what’s going on. You shouldn’t feel pushed to buy anything, they should provide options. Not every home is the same, not every customer is the same, and not every risk tolerance is the same.
Don’t be disappointed at claim time to find out you have limited water coverage or no water coverage, or that you don’t have wind-driven rain coverage. There are agents who know the policies very well and are good at explaining them, and I would encourage consumers to find those agents.
You would much rather know all your options, be educated to make your own choice, and know what your coverage is before claim time. Instead, we get so many calls right before a storm where people ask, “Do I have coverage for this, this, and this?”
That’s too late. When the storm is coming, we can’t add or change coverages. It’s the wrong time to be asking those questions. And if you find out then that you don’t have the coverage you hoped for, you’re going into the hurricane with added fear on top of everything else.
At the very least, have peace of mind knowing your properties are properly protected, just as you expect.