Advanced Training: Safelite, Caliber Collision, & Farmers Insurance

On April 18th, 2012, representatives from Safelite AutoGlass and Caliber Collision, and agents with Farmers Insurance got together at a San Diego Safelite facility for an educational seminar (learn-n-share) on the topic of providing excellent customer service.  

It's their superior level of service that differentiates these companies from their competitors.  These are the types of training programs the Platinum Elite encourages the agents it works with to attend to further hone their skills.

A little about our hosts...

The sign awaiting Farmers Family
 Clients when you visit Caliber Collision.

The seminar was conducted by Matt Albright with Caliber Collision.  Last year we visited a Caliber Collision Center in San Diego to become better familiar with the claims and repair process.  This is important when giving our clients guidance and re-assurance all is well.  Click HERE to see us test an air-bag.

For Excellent Service, Contact Matt HERE.

Jim Power with Safelite made his facility available for this gathering.  We got a quick tour.  The facility stores over 8000 pieces ready for installation.  This is important since it allows them to replace damaged glass immediately versus waiting for it to be ordered and delivered. Our customers need their vehicles back on the road as soon as possible.  This is one of the most important ways the overall service is judged.

For Preferred Care, Contact Jim HERE.

"We Are Farmers!"

To reach Farmers Insurance...

Susanne Romo (lic. #: 0720743) - (858) 751-0956

Araceli De La Torre (lic. #: 0G17321) - (858) 751-0956
Tony Gutierrez  (lic. #: 0A87116) - (858) 751-0956
Kevin Tuckey   (lic. #: 0B72553) - (858) 751-1357

The Susanne Romo Agency can be found at:

3675 Ruffin Rd.
Suite 220
San Diego, CA  92123

Advanced LUTCF Training: Life Insurance

Several times a year, Don Swanson makes his Platinum Elite Classroom available for use to teach LUTCF classes through the American College.  In April 2012, another class concluded.

Many agents with Farmers Insurance and other insurance professional attend these classes on their way to achieving their advanced life insurance designation.  This degree shows their clients that they took the time to study their profession more than the average insurance agent in a belief their clients deserve superior service and the best advice. 

This series on Retirement Planning was attended by: Rick Felix, David Wu, Amber Ramirez, Roxy Chappelle, Mark Ross, Lorena de la Huerta, Esteban Carbajal, Vina Gan, Kris Avram, Kevin Tuckey (moderator), Travis George, Nolan Richardson, Kevin Putrus, Tony Wright, & Ernesto Valdez.

Click HERE to e-mail us about future classes in the San Diego Area, or to arrange classes for your agency.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Equine Therapy: Camels for Hippos Fundraiser in Ramona

Farmers Agent, Amber Ramirez, will be out meeting members of the community this coming weekend.

Camels for Hippos: Equine Therapy

Stop by and say, "Hi!".  It's for a good cause.


Reprint from The Ramona Sentinel

Camels for Hippos benefits equine therapy program

Friendly camels from the Oasis Camel Dairy will return to Mountain Valley Ranch for the 2nd Annual Camels for Hippos, a one-of-a-kind fundraiser for San Diego Hippotherapy: Equine-Facilitated Therapy program in Ramona, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 21.

Camel rides, pictures with the camels, alpacas from La Dolce Vita alpacas, other farm animals, a bouncy house from Seidl’s Party Supplies and Rentals, face painting, barbecue from John Little Catering, and a silent auction and drawing are included in the fundraiser. Admission is free.

Many businesses and individuals are lending their support as sponsors: Title Event Sponsors are Oasis Camel Dairy and Mountain Valley Ranch; Diamond Sponsors are The Toby Wells Foundation and Blue Apple Ranch; Platinum Sponsors—Moms Making Six Figures, JH Marketing, Ramona Disposal Service, Ranger Doug’s Shootists’ Emporium, Marketing Worx, Ramona Martial Arts, and La Dolce Vita Alpacas; Gold Sponsors—Shelly Heimer/WJ Bradley Mortgage, Sun Valley Florist, San Vicente Saddle Club, Jewelry World, and Sludgebusters; Silver Sponsors—Amber Ramirez/Farmers Insurance and Seidl’s Party Rentals.

April is Earthquake Preparedness Month: Is Your Kit Ready?

April is Earthquake preparedness month. Also seems like there's been a lot of earthquakes in the news these last few weeks. The Platinum Elite cares foremost about the safety of our neighbors.

Click here to learn more about Earthquake Insurance.

Click here for more info on disaster preparedness.

Buy emergency and disaster supplies and have 10% of your purchase benefit the March of Dimes.

Click on the re-print's title below to watch the Fox 5 San Diego news report.

Red Cross promotes low-cost earthquake kits

By Walter Morris Fox 5 San Diego Reporter

6:00 p.m. PDT, April 19, 2012

SAN DIEGO - April is Earthquake Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross is reminding everyone to stock up on emergency supplies incase the big one hits.

The cost of emergency kits can range from $45 to more than $600, but planning ahead is a good way to keep that number low.

"You probably already have half of the kit [supplies] that you need in your home," Cruz Ponce with the American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter said. "You just need to put them together and put it somewhere where you know they are at."
Many Southern Californians know what they need for a good emergency preparedness kit like plenty of water, nonperishable food, batteries and extra cash, but you don’t have to go out and get everything at the same time.

"Each time you go out to the supermarket buy an extra can of tuna and put that away as part of your kit," Ponce said. "Then the next time you go out to the hardware store, buy some extra flashlights or batteries. By the end of three to six months your whole kit is ready."

You don’t need a fancy new bag either - an old backpack or purse will do the trick.
It is also a good idea to have a hand crank AM/FM radio copies of your important paperwork, and a month’s supply of your medication.

If stocking on your medication is too expensive, writing down all of your specific prescription information is the next best thing.

"Instead of going out and buying a $600 kit right off the bat, you can spend that money gradually throughout time," Ponce said.

* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

3rd Annual Golf Tournament for Parkinson's at Maderas

PLAY FOR PARKINSON'S!

For the third year in a row (for all 3 years) the Platinum Elite will take part in this year's Annual "One Round. One Cause."Golf Tournament, Presented by: PING to be held at Maderas Golf Club on May 10th, 2012.  The event is hosted by The MEYROW Foundation and all proceeds go to support The Parkinson's Wellness Fund.

Get your foursomes together and enjoy a nice day off of work.  It's for a good cause.

Player fee of $160.00 includes: Golf, Lunch, Buffet Dinner, Cocktail Hour, and a Ping Shirt. Click here to register.   Includes a $100,000.00 shoot off.

Farmers Insurance Agents who work with the Platinum Elite Group will be present on the day of the tournament.

Sponsors of this great event include: PING, SanDiego6: The CW, Parkinson's Association of San Diego, Kearny Pearson Ford & BMW South County, and Lyman & Potente. 

Location: Maderas Golf Club 
17750 Old Coach Road Poway, CA 92064

Time: Thursday, May 10th, 2012
11:30am Check-in.  First Tee: 12:30pm.

For more information, click HERE.

For more information on the The MEYROW Foundation's journey with Parkinson's, click HERE.

  

Kasey Kahne Updates: #Farmers5

Reprint from ClickZ.com


Farmers Hash-Tag Combines NASCAR And Social

Christopher Heine  |  April 11, 2012 

A Farmers Insurance Twitter hash-tag will be featured on the bumper of NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne's car during Saturday night's race at the Texas Motor Speedway. The decal, using copy "#Farmers5", will also appear on his helmet, as well as on the pit wall at the racing stadium in Fort Worth, TX. Kahne drives a No. 5 Chevrolet for the Hendricks Motorsports team.

Part of the racing circuit's popular Sprint Cup Series, the event will be nationally televised on Fox, creating a TV-Twitter branding combo for Farmers. Kahne is currently the 31st ranked driver in the months-long competition. The effort builds on an ongoing relationship between the racecar driver and the brand.

 Kasey Kahne

• @kaseykahne 

Starting today use #FARMERS5 to keep up with the 5 team and @wearefarmers   pic.twitter.com/bPA15Wup

11 Apr 12

"We want to connect with Kasey Kahne's fans to understand what's on their minds and become a part of their community," Ryon Harms, social media director at Farmers Insurance, told ClickZ. "We want to connect with TV viewers, people at the actual events, and the people who wish they were there. The effort definitely crosses the offline-online barrier in using Twitter."

Home Safety: Guns

Originally published on Why Platinum?

Public safety of all types is always important to Platinum Elite Marketing.  We encourage all the Farmers Insurance Agents we work with and serve to make safety a key part of their public service and community outreach.

Click HERE to read how we help with finding lost children through our MILK program.

However you feel about guns, and gun control, safety is always paramount.  Read this article for some ideas and keeping families safe.

Reprint from KidsHealth.org

Guns are in more than one third of all U.S. households, so they're a very real danger to children, whether you own one or not. That's why it's important to talk to kids about the potential dangers of guns, and what to do if they find one.

If you do keep a gun in the house, it's vital to keep it out of sight and out of reach of kids. The gun should be kept locked and unloaded, and the ammunition should be stored separately.

Guns and Pretend Play

Allowing kids to play with toy guns is a personal decision, as is how to respond to a child's pretend shooting action during the course of play. Remember that even if you don't allow your kids to have a toy gun, their friends may have them. So explain to your kids that real guns — unlike toy guns or those shown on TV, in movies, or in video games — can seriously injure or even kill a person.

Talking to Kids About Gun Safety

Teach kids to follow these rules from the National Rifle Association (NRA) if they come into contact with a gun:

• stop
• don't touch
• remove yourself from the area
• tell an adult
  

Vote For PGA Player of the Month and Support Blessings in a Backpack

The Platinum Elite has written about them before.  Blessings in a Backpack helps children maintain their studies by making sure they receive the proper nutrition and relieve some of their stress of not knowing.

Click to read about NASCAR's Mark Martin of Hendrick Motorsports and his support of Blessings in a Backpack...and how Farmers helped.

Or, how Farmers Insurance Open benefits Blessings in a Backpack.

Justin Rose, PGA

Justin Rose is in a tough competition versus Tiger Woods.  See below to vote for Justin and Blessings in a Backpack.


Reprint from Farmers

Vote for Justin Rose: Feed more kids through Blessings in a Backpack

Justin Rose has been nominated for the PGA Tour Player of the month for March. If he wins, he receives $50,000 for the charity of his choice.

Justin Rose is a Zurich Ambassador, but more importantly his charity is Blessings in a Backpack which Farmers also sponsors.

For the last two years Justin has joined us at our Blessing in a Backpack Events at the Farmers Insurance Open. We've packed over 500 backpacks with ready-to-eat food items and hand-delivered them to local elementary schools.

Be Counted: Please go to www.pgatour.com/pom and vote for Justin Rose before Sunday, April 8th. It's easy to vote and only takes a few seconds to do so. Justin is currently ahead but every vote counts towards feeding more kids!

For more information: On Justin Rose and Farmers involvement with Blessings in a Backpack visit http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/justinrose.



* The content of this blog is for informative purposes only. It does not reflect official standing of any agent, agency, or company mentioned on the blog. Nor is this blog necessarilly an endorsement. Please consult with your insurance, tax, or legal specialist before making any decisions. This blog is purely meant to spark the thought process.

Farmers Insurance Earns Another Award for It's Corporate Training

Don Swanson and Platinum Elite Marketing pride themselves on the training and guidance they provide their Farmers Insurance Agent affiliates.

A part of the training new Farmers Agent receive, besides our in-house training in San Diego, includes training provided by the University of Farmers.  This is the same University of Farmers portrayed with fun in all the current commercials starring Professor Burke.

The Real University of Farmers was won many other awards for corporate training including from Training Magazine.  Read HERE.

press release

April 4, 2012, 4:19 p.m. EDT

Farmers Insurance and the University of Farmers Receive Learning Elite Award From Chief Learning Officer Magazine

MIAMI, FL, Apr 04, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- For the second year in a row, Farmers Insurance and the University of Farmers have won the Learning Elite award by Chief Learning Officer magazine.

The award was presented to Farmers Chief Learning Officer Annette Thompson during the magazine's April 1 annual symposium's gala held in Miami Beach, Florida.

This year, the magazine ranked Farmers No. 7 out of more than 200 applicants. Only UPS, McDonald's, Accenture, Defense Acquisition University, AT&T and General Mills came in ahead of Farmers. "This No. 7 ranking also moves us up by four over last year's winners, and had us topping such recognizable brands as Coldwell Banker, Deloitte, Prudential, Qualcomm, IBM and Nationwide Insurance. Moreover, Farmers is the highest-ranked financial services organization in the competition," noted Thompson.

Burn Institute & Firefighters Send Burn-Injured Children to Camp

On your way to or from work Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012, you may notice a waiving Fireman.

He's collecting money for the Burn Institute to send children who are burn victims to summer camp.

Help fill his boot.

Don Swanson and Platinum Elite Marketing have been supporters of the Burn Institute and its various programs over the last few years.  Click HERE and HERE.

Click for a video on Camp Beyond the Scars.

Twisted Sister's Dee Snider Wins for the March of Dimes on Celebrity Apprentice

Reprint from Facebook.

"Thank you SO much, Dee Snider, for your amazing gift to the March of Dimes!!!  Here is the incredible headline: Heavy Metal Singer Dee Snider Wins $325,000 on Behalf of Moms and Babies on NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice”. Don't forget to drop him a note on Facebook or Twitter to say 'Thank You!' http://bit.ly/H8MrHs"







Dee Snider, originally of Twisted Sister fame, now of Celebrity Apprentice fame, is a big supporter of the March of Dimes and it's Bikers for Babies programs.

Farmers Insurance is also a big supporter of the March of Dimes.

Thank you, and we enjoy working with you fighting for the health of premature babies.


What's Next:

"Tune in tonight for Week 3 of Dancing With The Stars and show your support for March of Dimes Mom Sherri Shepherd as she takes to the floor in pursuit of the Mirror Ball!"

Prepare for Emergencies and Benefit the March of Dimes.

10% of purchases donated by clicking this link.

Farmers Insurance Names Caliber Collision 2011 Body Shop Chain of the Year

Farmers Insurance names Caliber as 2011 MSO of the Year

Re-print from FenderBender.com

March 29, 2012—Caliber Collision Centers on Wednesday was presented with Farmers Insurance’s 2011 National Multiple Shop Organization Group of the Year award during a special presentation at Caliber’s headquarters in Lewisville, Texas.

Caliber Collision, La Mesa, Ca.

Caliber said it received the award as a result of the company’s ability to deliver the proactive operational and customer management required by Farmers to improve policy retention and customer value. 

“We wish to congratulate Caliber Collision on being named Multiple Shop Organization Group of the Year,” said Odom Wu, national director of auto specialty claims for Farmers Insurance. “Caliber Collision has consistently provided Farmers Insurance's customers with excellent customer service, and a strong commitment to quality vehicle repairs, thus earning them the distinguished honor of MSO Group of the Year.”

“Thanks to the hard work and commitment of Caliber Collision’s more than 2,500 associates across California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. We are honored to be awarded Farmers Insurance’s 2011 National MSO of the Year for delivering outstanding operational and customer satisfaction management as we restore Farmers’ customers to the rhythm of their lives,” said Steve Grimshaw, president and CEO of Caliber.

Caliber currently operates 101 collision repair centers throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas. For more information, visit calibercollision.com.