When you decide to switch auto insurance providers, it's generally a good idea to canvass a few friends to obtain their recommendations. While reading online reviews can also be helpful, you can count on those close to you providing you with honest, accurate assessments that can help you decide which insurance provider to move forward with. Don't simply focus on the rate each friend pays; there are numerous factors that influence an auto insurance rate and you can't expect you'll pay the same as each friend. Instead, you can use the answers to questions such as these to help form your opinion.

What's Your Experience With Making A Claim?

You can often go months or even years without really dealing with your auto insurance provider, but when you need to make a claim, you want the process to go smoothly. Asking this question gives your friends the ability to recount the experiences they've had when making a claim. They'll often talk about the ease of the process — for example, perhaps the insurance provider has a mobile app that the customer can use to begin self-filing details related to the claim.

How Quickly Can You Get A Human On The Phone?

It's always ideal to be able to speak to someone directly and promptly when you need to make a claim, adjust your policy or simply ask a question. Asking this question will reveal whether your friends have had success calling a dedicated number and speaking to an agent within a moment or two, or whether it's necessary go to through a long phone tree or be encouraged to submit a question online.

How Easily Have You Obtained Discounts?

A favorable trait of any auto insurance provider, such as Owen Insurance Agency, LLC, is its willingness to give discounts to customers for things such as loyalty, bundling and more. Ask your friends if they've asked for discounts and how those queries have been received. You might even encounter stories about insurance providers reaching out to your friends to let them know that they're eligible for certain discounts — a positive sign if you're thinking about moving forward with that particular company.

Do You Ever Foresee Switching Providers?

Asking about each friend's loyalty to his or her insurance provider is another effective way to establish whether you should consider being a customer. Some people will likely tell you that they wouldn't consider switching, while others might suggest that they would under certain circumstances. Whatever the case, you can evaluate how you feel overall and then move forward with your decision.