Progressive |
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Progressive BackgroundHeadquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio, Progressive is a name that many people are familiar with and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that they are the third largest insurance provider in the United States. The company has a large consumer base, with more than 12 million people being served by them at any one time. Many consumers choose Progressive because they offer a wide range of services, competitive rates, the ability to shop online, and excellent customer service.
Progressive has many different subsidiaries and through these consumers are purchasing auto insurance and even property casualty insurance. Progressive has basically broken their services into three different operational categories which are the Personal Lines, Commercial Auto, and Other Indemnity. The way that this works is that private passenger automobile policies would be written by the personal lines segment while the commercial auto segment would be responsible for looking after the liability of commercial vehicles. Breaking the company up into these three segments is a lot of what has made Progressive so effective, as this allows every department to have a specific task.
Progressive has earned high marks with their customer base. For coverage they get 3.2 out of 5, cost they get 3 out of 5, customer service they have scored 2 out of 5, and on claims they have received just 1.94 out of five.
Progressive History
Progressive is well known today but it was actually started March 10, 1937 by Joseph Lewis and Jack Green. These two men had a plan to provide vehicles owners with security and protection. Since their inception the company has grown to serve more than 12 million customers. As the number of customers being served by Progressive would indicate, the company has always been quite popular with consumers. Progressive has always been appealing because they offered their customers a wide variety of insurance options as well as simple payment options. Consumers have always liked when things are made more affordable and Progressive offers consumers the ability to pay their insurance premiums in installments instead of in one lump sum. This type of payment system allows for everyone to get the coverage that they need without breaking the bank. What this means is that even people who are not independently wealthy can afford to protect what is probably one of their most valuable belongings, their car!
Since the beginning of the company, Progressive grew and soon needed to expand. The company would open new offices in downtown Cleveland and then in 1955 the company would change CEO's when Joe Lewis died and Jack Green took over where he left off. Joe Lewis brought his son, Peter Lewis, on board and with this many new concepts were adopted, allowing Progressive to continue to grow and even compete with the newer and bigger brand names in the insurance business.
One of the changes that was made was in 1956 with the formation of the Progressive Casualty Company. This company was created to write auto insurance for higher risk drivers, and then the Progressive that we know today came to light in the 1960's, as part of an overall expansion of the company. The 1970's were a time of change for Progressive, as well as this is when the main offices for the company were moved to Ohio and it would also be the decade in which the company would surpass the $1 billion mark in current premiums! Many investors started to take notice of Progressive because its stocks were listed in the New York Stock Exchange. Progressive was big news during this time because people were recognizing that Progressive didn't do business like other insurance companies of the time. They took pride in, as they still do, providing a variety of products, response claims service, and customer support that would allow consumers to get in touch with the company 24 hours a day.
It was in 1992 that Progressive became the largest seller of auto insurance, and it would be this same year when the company decided to change the way it did business, leaving behind its focus on non standardized insurance. The company started offering many different products to all of their drivers and through this process the company would exceed the $2 billion mark in premiums. It would be just a few years later when Progressive would start offering auto insurance rate comparison shopping. Customers love this feature because it allows for them to save time and still ensure that they are getting the most affordable coverage. With this feature customers are able to compare at least three insurance competitors, which allows customers to get the coverage that they need at the best price.
The 90's were a busy time for Progressive as this is when they introduced what is known as the Immediate Response Vehicle, or the IRG. This vehicle is one that is driven by trained claims professionals and they will actually travel to the customer when they have been involved in an accident. Just years later, in 2003, Progressive would up the ante again when they became the first insurance company that would begin to manage all of their own vehicle repairs. This was a welcome addition to the services offered by Progressive because customers can get their vehicles fixed through Progressive when they have experienced a loss or accident.
Progressive is the choice that many people are making for their auto insurance. A lot of people choose this company because they have their own website, which is progressive.com where they can contact the company in a straight forward manner. The website has been in use since 1995 and starting just one year later the site became more interactive, giving customers the opportunity to compare rates and then in 1997 real time sales begin to take place. All of the features that the site offers attracts more than one million visitors to the site each month. For those that aren't comfortable buying their insurance online, it is still possible to call them and buy coverage or visit a local agent that will set up with your own policy.
While Progressive has changed a lot throughout the years their dedication to their customers has never changed. A goal was always and still is to look after the needs of their customers and provide each customer with a satisfactory experience. This goal lead to the formation of Personal Progressive, which is an online policy management system, giving the customer the option to change their policy with ease any time they want. This is just one way in which Progressive has always been able to stay ahead of the competition. They offer new products, affordable coverage, and customer service that is simply not seen in the industry other than with Progressive and this is why people keep coming back year after year, and why others are lifetime customers.
