Talk of the bay: Great service is policy insurers must abide by

By Times staff
Published June 30, 2007

---

J.D. Power and Associates recently completed what they call an Insurance Shopping Study. If you're a Florida homeowner, you might find that about as useful as a referee at a pro wrestling match. But this was a nationwide survey about auto insurance. It found that poor service was a far bigger motivation for people to switch companies than higher prices: Two-thirds of shoppers who had poor service changed carriers. The study also found that nearly 40 percent of shoppers try to bundle their auto and homeowners policies because of the discounts insurers offer. Again, this was a national study. There was no mention of how dropping homeowners policies, which has become a major spectator sport in Florida, affects the decision to change auto insurers.

A heartfelt gift from Ford dealer
In the (hopefully unlikely) event you have a heart attack, the South Pasadena Fire Department has got you covered. Clearwater's Walker Ford, in association with the National Automobile Dealers Association, will present the Fire Department with a free Resusci Anne CPR training unit. The number of surviving heart attack victims continues to increase daily as these training units are being dispersed around the country.

Clarification
Bain Capital was created by three former Bain & Co. partners in 1984. A column Monday was unclear on the relationship between the companies.