Tom Colone Farmer’s Insurance

Farmer’s Insurance has a renewed presence to Central New York through agent Tom Colone.  Tom has worked in the insurance industry for over ten years, but recently opened a Farmer’s office in Baldwinsville.

While Tom has been in the insurance industry for over ten years, he believes that the other companies are becoming more and more impersonal.  Claims are often processed out of state where knowledge of the market and environment are skewed because of the lack of local understanding.  We have all had those experiences where your once available agent, with whom you had a real relationship, is no longer able to take your calls, concerns or questions.  In many cases, you can’t even get the same staff member each time you call, and calls are rarely returned by your once reliable agent.

Tom believes that insurance has to be a personal experience and that’s why he changed to Farmer’s.  This company agrees with Tom’s personal conviction of being more customer oriented in both mission and service.  Even if Tom can’t answer your questions because he’s working with another client at the moment, be assure that he will return your call as soon as possible, and usually within the same business day.  “I believe the most valuable asset in this business is the relationship between the client and the agent.  You have to have a personal connection to be successful.”

Farmer’s has policies that cover a wide array of client needs, such as, Home, Personal and Business Auto, Businesses, Term and Whole Life as well as any collection of toys one may have – RVs, boats, skidoos, etc.  Other agencies often only offer discounts when bundling home and personal auto insurance, but if you’re a small business owner like me, you need to save money wherever possible.  Tom not only offers discounts on all your bundles, but he even provides written estimates.  This is a service that’s gone the way of the Dodo!  Rather than provide a corporate static quote, Tom takes time to research each policy and the discounts available for your circumstances and budget.

When asked about what he likes best with the change, Tom stated, “Well of course, there’s being my own boss because there’s minimal corporate involvement.  That allows me to be more available to customers, and the people are the best part of the business.  I love to listen  to their stories about where they came from or what they do for a living or talking about their kids.  In this business, you meet all kinds of people with great diversity that you learn about through their conversations.  It’s personal and that’s what makes it fun.”  It’s obvious that Tom values his customer, but more importantly, there is a genuine concern for his clients that comes through when speaking to him.
I asked Tom, “Why Farmer’s?”  He said, “I really like their ability to listen and change as needed.  All corporate offices ask clients about their experience, but don’t necessarily listen to the agents.  Farmer’s ask for agent feedback and take our concerns very seriously.  That makes a huge difference for the agent.”  This combined with the local processing of claims is a winning advantage for his clients, and Tom will be there every step of the way to make sure you are served properly.

Tom’s office is located in Baldwinsville, but when I asked him about life insurance, he was eager to meet with me.  The fact that he will come to me and work around my busy schedule is a service I haven’t experienced for a long time.  Furthermore, his experience was evident by the questions he asked me.  I never thought there were so many options to life insurance, nor did I know any of the perks that other companies offer.  I have been with the same agent pretty much since I was 19 years old and because I had no real problems, I didn’t notice the change.  When I had to start going to the office rather than have my agent come to me, I accepted the change without question since most entities work that way now.  But recently my doctor told me he made a house call and now Tom Colone goes to his customers to make sure he meets their needs.   I truly believe that some business are suffering from their lack of personal interaction, and Farmer’s certainly seems to be making changes for the benefit of their customers.

Tom Colone and Farmer’s are changing the way insurance is done in the Syracuse area and making a real impact on the community.  They offer better service with a personal touch.

Janet LaFrance