2024 was a challenging year for the Insurance Industry–and for our Agency! With rising insurance rates across the country, Massachusetts was hit hard by not only homeowner rate changes, but large auto insurance rate increases. As an agency, we do our best to navigate this by reviewing renewals to see if there is a better market for our insureds. We walk a fine line between saving money for our insureds and by making sure no coverage is lost. Changing insurance companies can mean losing deductible credits, loyaly discounts and many other miscellaneous discounts and rate factors.
As we prepare to welcome 2025, we want to take a moment to reflect on the past year.
Welcoming New Faces
This year, we were thrilled to grow our team by welcoming three new employees to our Pembroke office. John Dolim, Carole Stewart and Monique Cole all joined our team in 2024, and all bring a fresh perspective and commitment to exceptional service have been invaluable additions to our agency. At the same time, we celebrated the well-deserved retirement of our long time team member Sue Tucker, whose dedication and expertise helped shape the heart of our business. We thank her for her years of service and wish her all the best in this exciting new chapter.
Appreciating Familiar Faces
While we’ve seen some changes in Pembroke, we haven’t forgotten about our amazing teams in Plymouth and Osterville! Maggie, Maryjo, Paula, Lisa, and Frank have been holding down the fort and continue to keep everything running smoothly. Their hard work and commitment to our agency don’t go unnoticed—and while they might say it’s “business as usual,” we know it’s anything but ordinary. Thank you for keeping things on track (and for keeping us laughing along the way)!
New Ways to Work
In 2024, we began utilizing the Service Center for handling Mapfre policies. This was one of the most challenging changes for not only our staff, but also our clients. Utilizing the Mapfre service center has allowed us to focus more time on reviewing renewals, handle complex billing and claims situations. We sincerely appreciate our teams effort to make this new process work, and the patience YOU- our clients- have had while working out the details. While we’re still ironing out the details of the process, our goal remains clear: to streamline operations and enhance customer experience. As with any transition, there’s a learning curve, but we’re committed to refining this approach to best serve you, our valued clients.
Revisiting The Challenging Insurance Marketplace
A number of factors have contributed to the changes in the insurance marketplace. The cost of building materials and auto parts have steadily increased. Natural disasters play a role in insurance companies deterimination of rates, along with supply chain issues and availabilty of auto or home parts. Medical costs have risen, leading to insurance companies needed to factor that in when calculating liability costs.
As far as finding coverage, companies have begun to carefully review their policies to ensure that homes they insure are well maintained (to reduce the risk of claims) and driving records are scrutinized more than ever by an auto carrier to ensure they are not risking a large claim. Drive safe, trim those trees above your roof, and check that you have handrails (just to start!)
Staying True to Our Values
Through all the changes, one thing remains constant: our commitment to being a family-owned and operated business. Jim Hannon and Steve Murphy are regularly in our offices, and engaged in our local communities.
Retaining the trust of our customers while growing our client base is at the core of everything we do. Your support and loyalty fuel our drive to provide personalized service and maintain the values that have guided us for decades.
Looking Ahead
As we close out 2024, we’re more determined than ever to adapt, grow, and serve you better in the year ahead. We’re grateful for the opportunity to be your insurance partner and look forward to continuing this journey together.
Thank you for trusting us with your insurance needs. Here’s to a safe, happy, and prosperous 2025!
We’re Here for you,
The Hannon-Murphy Team