There are many options in the marketplace of insurance.
Both a blessing and a curse, this abundance can overwhelm consumers, particularly when they’re not sure what they’re looking for in an agent. It begs the question, "What qualities should consumers look for when shopping for insurance providers?" What's more, how do they know they’ve found an agent they can trust?
The newly formed Chunn Insurance was founded on the principles of providing customers with a reliable option. Based in La Vergne, Chunn Insurance was formed by second-generation insurance agent Daniel Chunn. A proud Tennessean, Daniel has lived in the Volunteer State his whole life. He's been calling Rutherford County home since moving to the area at age 10.
“[My dad] was an agent for two or three different agencies,” Daniel tells Murfreesboro Voice. With his father, mother, and brother all being insurance agents, one could say that Daniel was born to start his own insurance agency.
Daniel recalls, “Since I was seventeen, I knew that I would eventually find my way into the insurance business.”
Trying Different Things
Daniel was offered the chance to open an insurance agency once before.
Tempted by this first offer, Daniel wound up turning it down. He wasn’t ready to follow the path of his other family members, and instead wanted to explore other work opportunities. These opportunities gave him a wealth of experience, including a decade's worth of time employed by Dave Ramsey's Ramsey Solutions. Daniel's work at Ramsey Solutions dealt with product inventory, as Daniel handled the stock of educational media—books, CDs, DVDs, and other items—for the company.
Daniel took on a lot of jobs over the years. In the many positions he held, he was never really satisfied with what he was doing. After years of looking at other jobs, Daniel accepted his calling to become an insurance agent.
But what was it that finally brought him to the job? Daniel shares that he learned to love being an insurance agent after seeing his father apply social skills to help other people.
“The ‘people aspect’ is what drew me to the industry… Sales is all about understanding and meeting people where they’re at,” Daniel says.
Personalization of Service, Not Just Products
Chunn Insurance is part of the Farmers Insurance family. Daniel’s business. Daniel is a “captive agent,” meaning that the insurance products that he sells must come from Farmers Insurance whenever possible. If the vast array of Farmers Insurance products doesn’t cover the customer’s insurance needs, Daniel may offer them insurance products outside of the Farmers Insurance portfolio.
“We can do almost anything,” Daniel says. “That’s one of the things that I love about this agency, and being a part of the Farmers family.”
Though only in operation for a few months, Chunn Insurance has already experienced notable growth. At the time of writing, Daniel had two full time employees and one part time employee.
“When you start at ground zero, there’s nowhere to go but up!” Daniel jokes.
Chunn Insurance is growing while other captive agents for Farmers Insurance are engaging with the community. Part of this growth may be attributed to the overall growth of Rutherford County, as more residents in the area mean more prospective customers for all.
For Daniel, the explanation of “a rising tide raises all ships” is only part of the story. He tells Murfreesboro Voice readers that since each captive agent is their own small business, they feel like a small business to the customer.
He uses the example of fast food, saying that the difference between locations operating under the same corporation isn’t the product.
“They’re getting it from the same truck, probably,” he says.
Understanding that the products are the same, Daniel says that the key between different captive agents is the quality of service that one might provide over the other.
Appreciating the growth that his own business has seen, Daniel tells readers that many of the other local captive agents working under Farmers Insurance work hard to provide exceptional customer service.
“Every agent I’ve interacted with at Farmers, they have been fantastic,” he says. “They’re [there] to give you free advice, to help support and encourage….”
Being Available for the Customer
Chunn Insurance competes against both other captive agents and other insurance companies. It might sound tempting to do business directly with the company since they’re selling the products. Advocating for the captive agent approach, Daniel says that large companies aren’t in a position to offer personal touches.
“How much does somebody get to understand about you, your family, and what their needs are in fifteen minutes?” he asks.
Because of this perspective, Daniel makes it a point to be considerate, empathetic, and memorable to customers. When there are other options available for insurance, his rapport with the customers is all he has.
He adds, “Our end goal is not necessarily to make a commission… It’s more about making sure that [the customer] has peace of mind. When they walk away from an accident, they shouldn’t have to worry about how they’re going to pay for it. They should worry about making sure that everyone’s safe and healthy. That’s what we’re after.”
For anyone looking for insurance coverage, Daniel asks “Do you like the individual selling the insurance product? Do they recognize your individual needs? And are they more interested in helping you, or upselling to you?”
For further information about Chunn Insurance, be sure to visit its website and social media.