Here’s a word you don’t often associate with insurance: comfortable. Whether it’s through the sea of red tape, the endless hold times of a corporate customer service number or the groan-inducing “humor” of their commercials, insurance companies make it clear from the beginning they are not there for your comfort.
So, you start to think that insurance can’t be comforting. That it can’t be human. That in the end you’re just a number in someone’s database, nothing more.
And then you stop into Seacoast Insurance, and you realize that insurance can be so much more than just numbers and databases. Your first hint that these folks are doing something a little bit different, a little bit more human, will come if you happen to stop by on a Wednesday. Because as everyone at Seacoast knows, on Wednesdays you bring your dog to work.
“You’d think clients would be apprehensive, but almost all of them will perk up when they see the bowl and say, ‘Oh is there a dog here?’” said Ray Craver, president of Seacoast.
“I don’t want to go so far as say it’s therapeutic, but it’s nice,” added agent Kate Boardman. “It definitely gets us through hump day.”
Every dog in the rotating lineup is a rescue, and each staffer takes it in turn to bring their dog in every Wednesday. This weekly tradition is a holdover from when everyone was working remotely, enjoying their furry friends’ company daily.
“If there is one silver lining from this whole thing, it’s that you start to realize you don’t have to do business the way you always did,” Boardman said.
But then, Seacoast Insurance has always viewed business a little differently. Since 1981, they’ve been covering the Lowcountry with a wide range of carriers and a focus on risk management that adds another dimension to their offerings.
“Risk management means you try to look at each account separately. Not every company fits every client. Everyone has different needs,” Craver said. “And living on an island certainly presents some different challenges … I think a lot of people around here learn very quickly the advantage of having your insurance up to date.”
Theirs is a local focus, one born out of the company’s deep roots on Hilton Head Island. “We’ve been here 40-plus years and everyone that works in our office lives on Hilton Head, so we’re insuring where we’re living,” Boardman said.
Living on the island gives them insight into the unique needs homeowners face here, and Seacoast Insurance makes it a point to pay that gift forward. Both Boardman and Craver are on the board at the Island Rec Center, a charitable bent that has seen Seacoast contribute to organizations from Deep Well to the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. And beyond adopting adorable dogs and cats, they’ve given back to Hilton Head Humane.
That beneficence to the community speaks to Seacoast Insurance’s deep roots, but those roots are more than just geographical. This is a family business; along with being her colleague, Craver is also Boardman’s stepfather.
“My mom is also in insurance, so I decided to get into the family business if you will,” Boardman said with a smile. They’re not the only family members at Seacoast. Boardman’s brother Tyler was completing his training as this issue went to press, preparing to take his place at Seacoast joining in-house staffers Erica Carver, Bailey Noonan and Cheri Patterson, in addition to Kate and Ray at the Main Street location.
“It’s a people business,” Craver said. “We want people to feel welcome. We want them to feel like they can stop in anytime if they have a question.”
Just make sure you’re there on a Wednesday so you can meet one of the furry, four-legged members of the staff. One head rub or belly scratch later, and you’ll realize you’re dealing with a different type of insurance agency. One that realizes you’re more than just a number on a spreadsheet. One geared to deliver exceptional coverage to meet your specific needs, with a human touch you may not find anywhere else.
“In this day and age when anything can be done online, that’s not how our agency works,” Boardman said. “There’s a human reviewing everything and advising you based on your particular needs.”
When you’re ready to see how human insurance can be, visit seacoastinsurance.com or stop by their offices at 88A Main Street. And if you visit on a Wednesday, maybe bring treats.
