Progressive makes commitment to locals

     By Chris Jones
     View staff writer
      Michele Strub-Heer claims Las Vegas is a progressive kind of city.
      Perhaps that's why Progressive Insurance, the nation's fifth-largest auto insurer, has made such a strong commitment to establishing a presence in Southern Nevada.
      The company, which currently insures more than 30,000 local drivers, relocated its Mountain West Regional offices from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas in late February. Strub-Heer acts as the regional general manager, overseeing Progressive's interests in Nevada and three other western states.
      "Our business is growing here and we're committed to doing more in Las Vegas," said Strub-Heer, who has been with the company for 13 years. "This is a 24-hour city and we respond to claims at any time. We also allow customers to do things like buy insurance over the Internet or on the phone on a 24-hour basis. Las Vegas is a city that appreciates that kind of flexibility."
      Although Progressive has had offices in Las Vegas for more than a decade, Strub-Heer said the area's recent growth, coupled with changes in the company's service policy, necessitated the increased local presence.
      Beginning in 1990, Progressive adapted its business approach to better fit the needs of its customers. By allowing policyholders to file claims by calling an 800 number 24 hours a day, dispatchers are able to take the initial information about a claim and send a representative to the site of an accident regardless of the time.
      "We encourage people to call from the scene of an accident," Strub-Heer said. "Usually within minutes of the accident call, we can be on the scene to estimate the damages. On many occasions, we can issue a check right on the spot."
      Using one of the company's six Las Vegas-based Immediate Response Vehicles, Progressive representatives can reach policyholders throughout the valley and as far away as Mesquite, Pahrump or Primm.
      The vehicles are equipped with laptop computers and cellular modems to tap into the company's database from the road, allowing deductible information and the estimated repair bills to be calculated on the spot.
      "Prior to 1990, we settled the claims on our time," Strub-Heer said. "Some consumer surveys showed that people didn't like insurance companies because the relationships seemed adversarial. From that point, we set out to do things differently and to make insurance as convenient and smooth as possible."
      Although the company's office at 5250 S. Pecos Road is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, dispatchers are on call around the clock.
      "If an accident takes place after hours, we can be paged at any time," said Angela Himegarner, who has worked as a Progressive claims representative for the past two years. "People are impressed that we get there so soon, and even the others involved (in an accident) who might not be our clients tend to ask us for business cards."
      Progressive's representatives usually handle 50 calls in a given week. Himegarner said the typical call takes between 30 to 90 minutes, although travel times and the severity of accidents can increase that amount.
      Himegarner said the claims representatives will undergo a series of training programs, as well as working inside the office for one year, before they go out on the road. Claims representatives are also trained on auto parts and repair practices to ensure a more accurate estimate is made.
      "Before I started this job I didn't know a fender from a spoiler," Himegarner said. "Now I can tell you where it is and how much time it takes to be replaced. I recently came back from additional training that taught about exhaust systems and (parts) under the hood. Progressive's pattern of providing the proper training will benefit everyone in the long run."
      Representatives can cut checks for up to $5,000 on-site, allowing many claims to be closed almost immediately. Himegarner added that accepting a check on-site doesn't limit the company's coverage for further damages, however.
      "People are sometimes apprehensive about taking a check, but we explain that by accepting a check on a vehicle it is not a final settlement," Himegarner said. "If we missed something or more damage is discovered later, we will work with the body shops and repair services to do re-inspections."
      Said Strub-Heer: "It sounds very expensive to have all of these people and their equipment out on the road, but we're actually saving money for the customers by keeping their rates down. By getting out there immediately where we can see the scene, figure out the liability quickly and settle it quickly, we're actually saving the total time of making calls and tracking these things down after the fact."
      In fact, the increased response time has been good for business in more ways than one. An unexpected benefit has been an increase in referrals from non-customers involved in accidents with Progressive clients.
      "There are usually two parties involved in every accident, and usually only one of them is our client," Strub-Heer said. "We get all kinds of calls from referrals who see the service we give at the site, so those referrals are one of our best sources of business."