Yesterday, my mother called me in a panic. She’d traveled to Tallahassee for work and rented a car from the airport counter. Her employer’s travel per diem is fairly small, so she chose an economy car. She wasn’t willing to risk driving around uninsured, though, so she bought the $20 per day rental coverage. That might have meant Ramen for dinner each night, but at least she wouldn’t have to worry about an accident draining her bank account. Right?

Wrong. On her way to the hotel, she rounded a corner just in time to see a deer leap onto the road, inches from her vehicle. She slammed the breaks, but it was too late. Fender, meet deer.

My mother walked away with only a light bruise from the seatbelt, thank goodness. The deer and the fender weren’t so lucky. Mom’s first call was to the insurance company to find out how to get payment for a tow truck. Only the policy she’d bought at the rental counter didn’t cover roadside assistance. That meant $50 out of mom’s pocket.

At least she wouldn’t have to pay for the totaled car, though. Right? Wrong again. You see, the rental policy had a long list of exclusions, including one for animal collision.

I told mom not to worry. You see, I’d already looked over her personal insurance policies, including auto. I knew she had adequate coverage. (What’s the point of having a daughter in the insurance business if she can’t give you this kind of sage advice?) I double-checked that she had a rental car rider on her comprehensive and collision plan. The only bit of bad news was that mom had wasted $20 a day on useless coverage from the rental counter.

If your clients are anything like my mother, they may not be aware that rental car insurance often holds a lot of exclusions. Even if you buy their physical/loss or collision damage waivers, many rental policies exclude:

•         Damage above the windshield;
•         Glass, tire, and undercarriage damage;
•         Theft;
•         Flood damage;
•         And of course, animal collision.

Of course, your clients won’t have the benefit of sitting down with an insurance broker at the auto rental counter. So it’s important that you help them understand the benefits of adding a rental car rider to their personal auto insurance policy.

Zywave can help. Our PL Suite is a powerful tool, designed specifically for Personal Lines agents. The PL Suite is a “sales, marketing, and educational engine.” This tool identifies different types of prospects and customers in an agent’s database—like lost leads or account-rounding opportunities—and then automatically sends targeted email campaigns that provide clients with relevant information and valuable resources.

Not only will the PL Suite improve your insurance agency marketing, it will also help you lock down retention by providing valuable resources to clients that seal your reputation as a trusted expert in your field.