Did you know that the word “insurance” comes from “ensurer” an archaic French term that meant “engaged to be married”?
At first glance that probably seems very amusing. Because who would marry an insurance agent, right? I mean, can you imagine? The regulations to follow. The paperwork. The fine print! And they keep asking you to renew your vows every year! Maddening.
Just kidding.
But no, really. Ensurer? What has insurance got to do with being engaged to be married?
Well, for one thing, engagement is a promise. When you get married, the vow often includes solemnly swearing to protect your spouse from all manner of harm, does it not? And that is kind of the whole purpose of insurance. Insurance agents don’t have anything like the Hippocratic Oath that a physician would take before commencing their practice. But with insurance agents, a solemn vow to provide you with the coverage you need is most certainly implied and kept.
Granted, we’re not there in the middle of the night tip-toeing through the living room with a Louisville Slugger to ward of intruders. We’re not there with the fire-extinguisher putting out the fire in your kitchen. Yet our function is to be an intermediary, a liaison, an agent of protection for you and your family.
Like a spouse, though, we would appreciate it – we insist actually – that you tell us if you decide to make any major renovations on the living room. I mean, if you’ve got homeowner’s insurance through us, that is. Otherwise go nuts. It’s none of our business. But since you brought it up, if you don’t have your homeowner’s through Horihan, why don’t you? Let’s talk about that.
Where were we?
The agent-client relationship is a partnership of sorts. We have our part of the arrangement to uphold, as do you. It’s kind of a sweet deal too, because in this “marriage” you get the protection of your insurance coverage, but without the arguments over what you’re going to watch on TV, or who cooks dinner tonight or washes the dishes afterward. Your insurance agent will never tell you to take the garbage out.
After we’ve met with you to go over your business, your home, your auto and the coverage you’ll need for them, we go away and we work up a quote which we then bring back and propose to you.
You see what we did there? We’re not going to give you a diamond ring, but if you’ve got one, we’ll protect it in the event of loss or damage.
What we’re trying to say…what we really mean is…We’re Horihan Insurance. Will you marry us?
Okay maybe that’s a bit forward. We may not have even met you yet. We understand. Insurance is a commitment, and that can be scary. But you can start by reaching out to your nearest Horihan agent for a free quote on all of your insurance coverage. We’d love to have the opportunity to earn your esteem.