Providing Trust & Assurance

Patrick Insurance Agency Offers Peace of Mind

Writer / Angela Cornell

Photography / Jubilee Edgell

Nothing is more stressful than trying to find good insurance. Except for, perhaps, getting into a bad situation and then discovering that your insurance doesn’t cover it. According to Amy Patrick of Patrick Insurance in Culver, neither of those scenarios need to be common problems. On the contrary, insurance should be a way to make sure needs are met.

Patrick got started in insurance 29 years ago in Michigan while working with Bob Parker. “He’s the one who set the tone for what this agency is today. I learned a lot from him. He was a wonderful mentor,” Patrick says. Eventually, Patrick went to work for another agency, this time in management. “I operated the whole agency. And I thought, ‘I’m doing this here, why am I not doing it for myself?’”

Then, in 2019, she decided to branch out on her own and start her own agency. At first, it was just Patrick and her nephew, Jack Rea, who specializes in life and health insurance, annuities and financial planning.

In the last two years, the agency has grown to include two more agents, Rene Roby and Brett Zellers, both of whom specialize in different types of coverage. Patrick’s husband, Rick, has also joined the team as the agency development manager. Patrick Insurance is licensed in Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.

Many agents work for captive insurance agencies, ones that are contracted to work for one insurance company and can only sell their policies. However, Patrick Insurance is an independent agency, offering policies from multiple providers, from typical insurance coverage, like homeowner’s and renter’s, auto, health, life, etc., to the less common varieties, like farm and crop insurance, commercial, boats and other large toys like motorcycles and golf carts, disability, and much more.

“We have many more markets that enable us to provide proper coverage and allow us to meet the needs of our customers,” Patrick says.

When Patrick sits down with a new customer, she talks with them about their current coverage. Then, she reviews their current policy. “I’ll tell you where there may be gaps in the coverage. Discussing current coverages, comparing apples to apples and possibly broadening your coverage.There might be some things that we could change that would be beneficial to where you are in your life,” she says. “I’d access different companies and we’d see what would best fit your needs.”

No matter what insurance a customer is looking for, Patrick’s goal is to establish a relationship built on trust. “It’s more than just a policy. It’s a relationship. Our motto is providing trust and assurance, and that is very important to me.”

Patrick prides herself on her ethics. But caring for her clients is more than just building relationships with them. It’s also about education. “The most important part of the process is providing proper security and finding the best selection for the insurance need,” Patrick explains. “It’s telling people, ‘You can have this and this and this, but you need to tell me if you think you need it or not. I’m not going to force it on you.’ And explain what it is and what it provides and let them make some decisions as well.”

Of course, that relationship is always most valuable when tragedy strikes. “If they get in a claim situation and they’ve never had a claim, and they don’t know what to do, they can call me. I’m going to help them through that every step of the way,” says Patrick. “I’ve had companies tell me, ‘You can have everything sent to the call center and we’ll handle it for you.’ I think it’s important to be there when an insured needs you the most, during the claim. I also like that one-on-one contact with my customers.”

Patrick’s philosophy is something her customers deeply appreciate about her services. “I’ll get emails and text messages from my customers thanking me and appreciating me. They’ll say, ‘I wouldn’t know this if you hadn’t explained it to me,’” says Patrick. “Yes, our time is valuable, but if I can take 30 minutes out of my day and make a difference in somebody’s life and make them feel comfortable and help them understand, that’s what this is about.”

You’ll find Patrick Insurance at 6868 N. Roby Road, Culver. You’ll find more information by visiting Facebook. You can reach them at 574-242-8473 or amy@patrickins.com.