Frequently Asked Questions
Here’s a few answers to our most common questions.
I keep getting declined for insurance. Will you accept me?
We love challenges! We also love happy endings.
Many of our longstanding clients originally came to us when they were in a jam. We invested a lot of time up front to untangle the mess, get them insured in some manner, and they have been with us many years.
We have to be available for our existing clients when they need us and often times it is difficult to decide if we should invest a lot of time/energy into trying to sort out a messy situation for a new client whom is not yet committed to doing business with us. We therefore do not take all clients in all situations.
Are you a locally owned business?
Davis Insurance is a locally owned family business, but the insurance carriers we work with are not all Iowa based. Some of our carriers have offices in Iowa. Some of them are only based in Iowa. Some of our carriers are based entirely outside of Iowa. Some of our carriers are owned by the clients (you). Some are for-profit corporations.
I have always bought my insurance directly from insurance carriers on my own. How much extra does it cost to have an insurance agent?
The cost of servicing the policy is built into the policy price. If you are buying the policy directly from a carrier then that money is typically being used to fund a call center with staff who answer your questions etc. In the case of a policy bought through an independent insurance agency like us; most of that goes as a commission to the insurance agency/agent and you can get your service via a local agent/office. Typically, the call center approach is slightly less expensive than paying the local independent agent. That said, the policies bought via a local relationship with an insurance professional typically are priced differently because the overall risk profile of clients who have a connection with a local agency is different than the risk profile of clients who buy directly from carriers. In the end, it is probably about a wash. If price is your #1 objective and you are not really looking to buy via a relationship then you probably shouldn’t work with a local professional agency for your insurance.
Do you serve clients outside of Des Moines, Iowa?
The majority of our clients are in central Iowa. We have clients in all parts of Iowa and some surrounding states. We can consider working with clients out of state, but there would typically need to be a logical reason for doing so. Typically out of state policies are done for existing clients who live in Iowa, but have investments, business interests, and properties in other states.
Do I have to insure everything for my business with you as well as all of my personal policies?
It is generally best to have all of the policies for the business entity as well as all of the policies for the owner(s) of the business done through our office. Doing so enables us to provide a more complete picture and a single point of contact for the client. That said, we will do just the business entity or just the personal policies if that is what the client prefers to have us do.
Do you insure farms?
We have farm products. We have an agent who owns a regenerative sheep and cattle farm. … but we are located in the Beaverdale area of Des Moines, so naturally we don’t insure many farms. Most of the farms we insure are investment land or inherited land that our clients cash rent.
Do you insure short term rental (Airbnb/vrbo) properties?
Yes, and we have an agent on staff who has owned some short-term vacation rental properties. Please keep in mind that we are looking to create long-lasting client relationships and are not really looking to sell individual policies for a single property.
Can’t I just buy insurance online on my own?
Yes. You can and there are many insurance carriers and agencies that cater to people who want that type of experience. You can also buy and install your own flooring in your home. You can repair your own vehicle. Our clients are typically people who want to buy their policies via a local professional. We are here to assist clients who don’t have the time, knowledge, and/or experience to assemble, setup, and service policies on their own or directly with a carrier.
Are all of the policies you sell available if I go online or call directly to the insurers?
Some are. Some are not. Some of the policies we sell are advertised all the time and sold both via agents as well as directly from the carrier’s website. Some of the products we sell are only available via carefully selected professional insurance agencies.
If I don’t understand my policy or have questions about it, do you help me with that after I buy the policy?
Absolutely! We love discussing coverages, what policies cover and don’t cover with clients, etc.
Do your clients love the insurance they buy from you?
Um, well… insurance isn’t exactly that exciting but sometimes the coffee in the office coffee pot can get people excited about life.
Are you guys the cheapest?
The pricing formulas are set by the insurance carriers and typically updated once or twice a year. Often times when shopping for the “cheapest” insurance the buyer is only getting the carrier who has yet to update their pricing formula. Disappointment follows when the policy renews 6 or 12 months later and the customer is out shopping again. For clients who have needs within the scope of our core products; we typically have a policy that is the correct price. Often times the policy we will present will be the lowest cost option, but not always. Generally we try to present a policy that is in the market for the client type at hand.
I have had policies with your office for many years. It was the best priced option when I bought it; is it still the best priced option now?
It depends. Some carriers have changed their target markets slightly and or done other pricing changes. Feel free to give us a call to discuss your file.
I currently have insurance through a different agent/agency. My agent has retired and/or the business was sold. I want the service I used to have. Can I come to your office and expect similar service to that which I became accustomed to for so many years?
Generally-speaking, yes. Every office and every agent is slightly different. In years past the agents in our office would hand deliver policies and collect premiums in person. We typically don’t do that these days, but we still meet with clients face-to-face and via phone. Most importantly, we still try to really understand our clients, their businesses, their hobbies, etc. and their needs. Our desire is that every client would have at least one staff member in our office whom they feel like actually has some level of connection to them. Ideally it works best if new clients get us all of their current declarations pages and schedule an initial consultation with an agent…. But we also have lots of great clients who came to us initially when things were a mess with their prior agent/agency and we started at that point.