You Can Save Money and Still Get Sued

Brandon Andres Green, host of Good Neighbor Podcast Tulsa, sits down with Steven Jones of the Steven Jones Agency with Farmers Insurance to talk about insurance, real coverage, liability, and why the cheapest policy is not always the safest choice.

Steven shares why he believes insurance should be about helping people understand their risk, not just selling a cheaper monthly payment. From auto coverage and liability limits to homeowners insurance, deductibles, and medical payments, he explains how small policy decisions can matter in a big way when life actually happens.

This conversation gets into the insurance talk most people avoid: what happens after a bad wreck, why being underinsured can expose your savings, how lawsuits and wage garnishment can become part of the picture, and why the lowest price may leave dangerous gaps hiding in plain sight.

You’ll also hear how Steven approaches insurance differently, including turning the screen toward the client, slowing the conversation down, and making sure people know what they are actually buying. His goal is not to scare people. It is to help neighbors protect their families, homes, income, and future with clearer decisions.

If you have not reviewed your auto, home, liability, or medical payment coverage lately, this episode is a practical reminder to slow down before the next claim forces the conversation.

Cheap coverage can get expensive fast.

Transcript

Welcome To Good Neighbor Podcast

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Brandon Andris Green.

A Neighbor Who Shows Up

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast Live. Usually I introduce guests by talking about what they do professionally, but today's guest earned his invitation before I ever knew much about his business. He is my actual neighbor and has randomly fixed my dryer, helped with car repairs, and has consistently shown up because he cares. He's never once tried to sell me anything. To me, he's one of the clearest examples of what it means to be a good neighbor. So today I have the pleasure of introducing my neighbor and your good neighbor, Stephen Jones with Stephen Jones Agency and Farmers Insurance. Stephen, how's it going? Well, good morning. Thank you for such a kind introduction. It's all

Selling Slower With Real Care

SPEAKER_01 1:05

true. So before we even talk about insurance, I would love to know where did your instinct to notice what people need and simply step in to help even come from?

SPEAKER_02 1:18

I think many times in sales, people are motivated for sales primarily for the interest of obviously a commissioner making money. And I noticed this many years ago, and my intent was well, let's bypass that. You know, I feel like that many times God will take care of my front pocket if I just take care of the person I'm with and not really worry about me. I break down insurance in a way I think that is rather unique in the sense that all of us can say the same thing, all of us can do the same thing. I think many times, many of my competitors try to rush through the process, and it's more like a robotic process. You know, do you need this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this? And they just throw out a number. I like to back up and say, let's not talk about all of that, but let's first talk about coverages. What do they do, what do they don't do, and find out what your needs are. And as I've said many times over the years, I'm never ashamed to see you 20 years down the road, five months down the road, in the grocery store after you've had a claim because you didn't have coverage. Because we went through everything. But I guess to answer your question, I think my heart compassion is to actually truly assist people through the process in a very slow layman's terms, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Totally. And would you say, from your perspective, do you think that the way someone treats their neighbor says something about how they will treat their clients?

SPEAKER_02 2:52

Well, I think, yeah, I think many times, once again, I I was raised back in the mentality of the 40s, 50s, 60s mentality of you say hi to your neighbor, you you cordially greet them, you just talk to them. It's not about, you know, a selling process. It's more about just a sincere, neighborly, you know, what do you need help with? What's going on in your life? And I don't know. I guess that's kind of what I feel like Christ would have all of us do is just to reach out to other people. Because there's many, many people out there that have the smile on, but the hurting on the inside. And I like to slow down the process of just talking to people. Um, you know, I I don't know. I've even sent out, I know this may sound silly, I've even sent out, like when I'm doing a purge of my hot water tank, I'll send out a reminder to four or five neighbors saying, hey, so it's something to consider doing. Not because I'm trying to get brownie points. I just look at it as like, you know, we all have those little areas where we can remember to do something and somebody else doesn't even think about it. You know, anyway, it's just one of my pet peeves. I think people are too self-centered and they're not looking out for other people and just truly caring about their neighbors.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Yeah, I know I feel like it I feel like it carries over into the business world very much so. And also I've noticed that your agency tends to tends to take a very different approach to explaining coverage.

What Transparency Looks Like

SPEAKER_01 4:20

What does transparency really look like in a real conversation with a client?

SPEAKER_02 4:26

Well, for one, I like to turn my computer screen towards them. If I'm ever calling anybody within the company, I have it on voicemail so that the client can hear the whole entire conversation. I never want the client to be outside of what's going on or knowing what's going on. I have nothing to hide. I don't think any agent has anything to hide. I really don't. But I like to literally give the client the perception at least that I'm doing everything possible, A, to make sure that they're getting all of their discounts they're entitled to, that they're actually getting the price that is the price. I'm sometimes going to be higher, I'm sometimes gonna be lower. But at least they know that in my office, they're gonna know that they are have total transparency and integrity on the table. Period.

SPEAKER_01 5:15

Nothing to hide.

The Coverage Gaps That Hurt

SPEAKER_01 5:17

I noticed that um just based off my research, many people may be insured in ways that kind of leaves their savings exposed in the courtroom. What are some of the most common gaps you're seeing regarding regarding this?

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Well, I think many times, and I'll I'll use this as an example. Um you and I, Brandon, could have an accident. Even though we're neighbors and we're friends, it doesn't mean I'm gonna be your friend in a courtroom if I don't have enough coverage to take care of your wife, of your children. You may like me, but it doesn't mean you're gonna bypass and pay the expenses of my fault. So I always try to tell people get the highest liability limits you can possibly go with. Liability meaning how much the insurance company is gonna pay on your behalf. And I'll use this as a thing that I've seen many, many, many times over the years. I've seen many companies that will sell 2550-25 liability with a $500 deductible, and I can sell $100,000, $300,000, $100 with a $1,000 deductible for the same price or less. Now, breaking it down in case if I said something that the anybody watching this may go, well, what does those what do those numbers mean? $25,000 per person that the uh the insurance company is gonna pay on your behalf for the other person's medical bills whom you ran into. Well, $25,000 is gonna be a sneeze. It's not even going to cover the first day if it's a serious accident. And I don't think $100,000 is enough. But my point is I would rather you have $100,000 on the table to take care of any one person's medical bills and have a thousand dollar deductible, five hundred dollars higher than what most people are comfortable with sometimes. But I'd rather see that because paying out the big dollars, the insurance company gets to cover that expense, and you get to cover the extra $500. I think that's the way we should be approaching this. And because in the end day, I don't know if you know this, Brandon, or any of the listeners know this. Let's say I'm $100,000 short of covering your wife's medical bills. Well, your best recourse is obviously going to hire a lawyer. You can't come after me with a to you know get a shotgun involved or a you know a fist fight, so you have to get a lawyer, and now I'm gonna have to pay those legal fees on top of that. So if I can't pay you the $100,000, then you can come in and garnish my wages for the state of Oklahoma. The judge will decide this. You don't decide it, I don't decide it, but they can garnish my wages up to 30% per month with interest, with attorney fees until you're paid back.

SPEAKER_01 8:09

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

And I think I think that the way we should approach this, and this is the conversation I had with my clients in my office, I'll I would rather price you $100,000, $300, and $250,000, $500. The information's free. I'm not selling you, I'm just providing you the information and letting you decide. And I would rather see you have a $1,000 deductible with a higher liability limit than a lower liability with a lower deductible. And this is what most of the, I don't think the average Joe knows, but anybody that's been in this insurance business for a long time, many of our bonuses at the end of the year are based off of our profitability. So my incentive would be to sell you 2550, 25 so I can try to protect my bonus at the end of the year. And the way farmers has raised all of us as agents is to first look out for the client, sell them the 100, 300, 100, the 250, 500, 100, and hire deductible so as to protect their front pocket. Yes, it may hurt my front pocket for that year on my bonus. Big deal. But you're protected better. And in the end, you know, you're not suffering through for the next 10, 20, 30 years paying somebody else back.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

Right. But

Why Price Becomes The Trap

SPEAKER_01 9:30

then why do you think why do you think so many people are focusing on the price instead of what the actual policy will be providing for them in the end when something really goes wrong?

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Well, I think everybody is price sensitive, but I think if we slow down the process just to have a conversation and not try try to handle everything in a 30-second, let's regurgitate a number. Many times, I mean, I won't lie to you. There's many times when I'm not given or afforded that opportunity. All I can do is somebody will call me, they'll want to quote, they won't want to allow me to have a conversation. All I can do is duplicate coverages and I hate it. Because to me, I would rather that we actually do slow down the process, but we're not always afforded that. I would say probably 70, 80% of the time, I can have that conversation. And it's not me trying to sit there for 20, 30 minutes, you know, just regurgitating information so that you can be impressed. It's really more about informing you, bringing some information to you. Because I've noticed, I'm gonna say 90, 80, 90% of the people I talk to really don't truly understand the numbers or what they really mean in the long run. They may be able to regurgitate, yeah, you know, the 100, 300, 100 is my medical coverage, but they don't really know the big picture of why that is so important. But they don't understand. Well, for example, I find many people will carry uninsured motors, but they don't carry medical, and they're exposing themselves, for example, uninsured motorists. Once again, many times people think that that covers my car. It doesn't in the state of Oklahoma. It covers you and the people in your car for medical bills when somebody runs into you. But when you're at fault in the accident and people are injured in your car, the uninsured motorist doesn't cover you. That's the medical. And so I usually try to go over back and forth, you know, explaining what one does, what the other one does, why, you know, you may want to go with one coverage or both coverages. But the the point is it's not about trying to get the dollars so I can make a higher commission. It's really truly about packaging something together so that you, the consumer, understand it that day. Three days from now, a year from now, you may not fully understand all the coverages, but at least that day you fully understood or had the option to ask all the questions because you can be in my office for 30 minutes, 45 minutes. I've had people in here in my office for three hours going over colleges. Three hours. But you know what? I'm honored that they would allow that to happen because I see it as once again, they they finally have an agent that will sit down and have a conversation and not try to just regurgitate numbers, give them a price, write up the business, and out the door they go and they don't have a clue in the world what they've done. I don't know. I hope I answered answered your question well enough. I probably went overboard.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

No, totally. So, my question is from one neighbor to another, what type of questions should we be asking as a layman to our insurance reps?

Questions To Ask Your Agent

SPEAKER_02 12:55

Well, I mean, just you can very well say what you know, you've got all these numbers down here, but what do they mean? When am I protected? When am I not protected? For example, I'll go back to the medical, and I know that most people don't realize this, but medical will cover me in both an at fault and not at fault accident. So if I run into Brandon and anybody in his car is injured, that's my liability. But if anybody in my car is injured, they can use my medical. Because the unfortunate thing is most people don't realize, I don't care which insurance company you're with, all of the claims adjusters are gonna say the same thing. Go get all the medical care you need. And then when you're ready to sign on the dotted line, at that point we'll pay your bills. And sometimes people don't have enough medical coverage through their own through their own work. And I won't go through all of that because I'm gonna end up spending more time than what we have. But the point is, I think if I were gonna ask questions or have suggest what what to ask, it'd be simply what do each of these coverages do, what do they don't do? Why do I need this one? Why don't basically slow down the process? Because what I think the average person does is they let the agent or the office dictate everything and the speed and the process, and and all they really, I think most people are concentrating on is the dollar sign at the bottom line. Did I did I save money by moving here? Well, yeah, you may have saved money, but you didn't even realize that you you actually eliminated some coverages you used to have, not even knowing it because the average, once again, the average person, it'd be like if I sat down with a doctor, they could sit there and talk circles on the medical terms, and I'm not going to understand but maybe 20% of what they're saying because I don't understand all the medical terms. I think what we do is if you don't understand all the insurance terms, ask questions. Slow the process down and then and then purchase once you fully understand what you're buying, not just buy because you feel embarrassed to ask questions. I've never been one to be embarrassed. I don't mind making a fool of myself and I don't mind asking questions because at the end of the day, it's my front pocket that's going to be in the courtroom if I don't have what I need.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Amen.

Integrity And Roof Coverage Surprises

SPEAKER_01 15:18

What do you want? What do you want Stephen Jones' agency to be known for in this community?

SPEAKER_02 15:24

I guess like you brought up earlier, and I think I spoon fed you those words, but it's it's just being trying to be sincere. Integrity, transparency. You know, I'll be glad to go through the process of literally step by step by step, showing people what they have, what they don't have. I would rather, like, for example, I've I've had you know to lose clients over this, but I'd rather be transparent about this. Many, many, many of the insurance companies right now are putting uh actual cash value, a depreciated value, on the roofs. Oklahoma has been hit bad over the last few years in ways that people don't understand, and I'm not gonna spend this time. If somebody wants to call and talk to me, I will. But Oklahoma is the second highest rated state for insurance. And the reason the reason for that is obviously Windstorm Hell. And so I I have I would rather tell a client, look, that last renewal, you lost full replacement cost coverage on your roof because your roof is now nine years old, ten years old, twelve years old, and now it's being taken off. And at least let you try to set up and and start the process of either A, if you want to shop, or B, if you want to start preparing yourself for the fact that in a few years you're gonna have to pay for it out of pocket. But at least I would rather tell you up front, because I'm not gonna be a swindler in this business. My name is worth too much. You know, I would rather lose you and have integrity. And I don't want to lose anybody, none of us do, but at least, you know, go through that process of being honest. Now, does that mean I've done that 100% of the time with every client?

unknown 17:09

No.

SPEAKER_02 17:10

I'm not gonna sit here and lie to you about anything, but it's just the fact that that's my intent, you know, is to try to have that conversation. Sometimes you'll call somebody to try to have that conversation and they never will return your phone call. That's just this business that I live in, you know. And even though they know it's me, you're their insurance agent, I've had times I've spent literally two or three years to try to get hold of somebody. Well, I've even I've even got a client to this day that used to live down the street from me when I used to live over by TU, and I spent four or five years, I kid you not, four or five years to get them to lower their homeowners premium like by you know three or four thousand dollars a year. Literally kept on even leaving them voicemail. I can lower the price on your home. I can and they never would return my phone call. And I thought that was the most eccentric, crazy thing in the world. But it's once again, I can't force somebody to do something. But anyway, right, but anyway, uh integrity, transparency, that's real important to me.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Yeah, because our reputation matters, it precedes us. Absolutely, and that's why I had you on today, is because your reputation as being a good neighbor, to me, it was obvious to have the best neighbor I've ever had on my good neighbor podcast.

How To Reach Stephen And Review

SPEAKER_01 18:28

And so, how can listeners schedule, maybe review, ask questions, or kind of find out what their current coverage and those blind spots? What's the best way for them to reach out to you?

SPEAKER_02 18:41

Well, to reach out to me, I'll give my phone number and then uh they can call me if they'd like. My phone number is 918-645-5779. Once again, that's Stephen Jones, 918-645-5779. And if they don't even call me, I'd encourage them to call their own personal agent. Because I think, you know, once again, I I want as many uh people in my agency as I can have. But on the other hand, I'm I'm just realistic that, you know, if you don't want, I've had some people say, I'll never come back to farmers because they had a bad experience. And I don't think farmers, here's what I really think all of the insurance companies, you know, end up with is that I think people assume sometimes they have the coverages and they don't know that they don't. That's when they have a claim and they find out that it's not covered, they blame the insurance company instead of taking the responsibility of saying, you know what, I should have been more thorough. I I have never encountered, literally, in all my years of seeing the on the claim side, I've never encountered once with the farmers' claims team that I would be ashamed of. Now I've seen times where people were upset, but it's only usually because they don't have the coverages. They didn't, they didn't want to be detail oriented, they didn't want to go through the process with their agent when they were buying everything. They just wanted to go through it. I've had I've had people even I've had so many people over the years that you know you try to be thorough and you try to look out for their front pocket and they just want to go fast. And I'm and I'm uh sometimes I've even had to try to run off the business and say, you're not you're not the right fit for my agency, because you know, I want somebody who cares about what they have and they and they want me to advise them and to assist them. But anyway, I would I would say literally anybody that needs to have a review, if it's with me or their own agent, they should. They really should. Excellent.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

And they can also and they can also Google uh Stephen Jones agency with farmers insurance, correct?

SPEAKER_02 20:49

Well, I know I'm on I know my website, I don't even try to rememorize it. I know with farmers, you know, if you can go into farmers.com and you can look up agents by zip code or by name. And you but I office in Broken Arrow at 101st and Elm on the southwest corner. And but they can, I'm sure I'm on there. I'm not as savvy with all of that as the maybe somebody, Brandon, your age or my two sons. They probably could regurgitate everything, just bam bam. I know I'm under the farmer system, but it's basically farmers.com forward slash, I think it's I don't know if it's Stephen Hyphen Jones. I don't, I don't even know. I just know that my name will pop up, sure.

SPEAKER_01 21:33

Somewhere, and thank you once again for being that kind of neighbor who notices, helps, and and loves people without even asking anything in exchange. So I so appreciate you being on the show. Oh, you're too kind. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnptulsa.com. That's gnptulsa.com or call 918 301 6356.