Trick or Treat

Just wanted to say that I have always enjoyed Chris Amrhein's columns for the last 25 years, but even more so recently with his analogies to certain musical groups, lyrics, and blasts from the pasts. Chris got me today, dead on, and I laughed aloud reading his Halloween column in AA&B.

Keep up the great writing my friend!

Rich Pilat
Parma, Ohio

Fighting Fraud

I enjoyed Laura Toops' article, 4 Fraud-Fighting Checklists for Agents.

An agent in St. Louis received a call from an elderly female insured who had lost her pearl necklace and wanted to turn a claim in. The agent said, “Hang on, I'm coming out to your house.” He drove out, spent several hours wading through drawers and closets (with the insured's permission) and eventually found the pearl necklace in the broiler tray in the oven. Whatever possessed him to look there I'll never know, but he saved the company on a claim. The lady was thrilled to get her necklace back.

An insured in Texas suffered hail damage, received a check from the company, found a contractor to replace the roof to his satisfaction for a little over a thousand dollars less than the company had paid him and he mailed a check back to the company for the difference. I always wondered if the company marked that file, “Special Handling – Good Guy!”

Sometimes its interesting to counterbalance the bad news with some more inspiring tales. Of course, we can always use more good news.

Rick Mayhew
St. Louis, Mo.