I'm looking for a new insurance company that isn't one of the major carriers because I think that with my clean driving record opting for a lesser-known one might treat me better. I already know what most major carriers can offer me, but I wanted to see what someone else could do, so I called MAPFRE. When I am looking at insurance policies I like to call companies and talk to someone directly. It's easier than comparing policies online and it seems that everyone has an extra offer they can pull out if they think they are losing you over the phone.
MAPFRE offers both home and auto insurance, and I'm sure that people call at times to talk about both types of policies. They probably also get a lot of phone calls from people who need to file claims and those who need to check on their claims. Therefore, I expected that it might take a few minutes to get to someone, but I was hoping it wouldn't take over an hour. Lucky for me once I got through the system, it only took me a few minutes.
When I first called, an automated assistant stated, "Thank you for calling MAPFRE Insurance. Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed. If you know the extension of the person you are trying to reach, you may enter it now. If you are a MAPFRE insurance agent, press 1. All other callers, please remain on the line or press 2." I decided just to wait in line and then another message stated, "Did you know that you can manage your policy, make a payment, or start a claim online? Head to www.MAPFRE.com. Select your state and log in using your email account."
Then after one one ring, the recorded message stated, "Are you calling for help with claims, have a billing-related question, or do you need to make a payment?" I answered that I wanted to talk about policies, but somehow it thought I was calling about claims and asked, "Are you calling to report a new claim?" I said no, and it told me, "Using examples like deductible-related claims, explain what you need today." This time I said, "Policy questions."
The automated message responded back, "Okay, I can get you to an agent for help, but I need to ask you some questions first." It clearly didn't get that I wanted to talk about a policy because it kept trying to find my account using my phone number, name, and then vehicle number but obviously, it didn't work. The good news is that after gathering that information, it said that it would transfer me to someone who would help. I was quickly transferred to a hold line and after ten minutes was able to talk to someone willing to answer my questions. They were very helpful and I hung up knowing what they would offer me.