Moet & Chandon champagne competition!

Has 2013 been good to you? We sincerely hope so. As the holiday season draws near, we thought it was time to share some festive goodwill. That's why we're giving you the chance to win one of six bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne, each in a beautiful presentation pack.

Be in to win

To go in our draw to win one of six bottles of Moet & Chandon, simply answer the following question:

How much money did Glenn Stone Insurance save the company in the case study featured in this issue?

Click to enter now.

This competition is free to customers of Glenn Stone Insurance. Prize is one of six bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne. No cash alternative can be provided. Prize draw closes on 6 December 2013. Glenn Stone Insurance will contact the winners and may feature their names in the next issue of Glenn Stone Insurance News.

Case Study:
A second opinion saved $3,500

The issue

Many business owners don’t spend a lot of time thinking about insurance. The exception comes when it’s time to make a claim – and also when the annual premium notice arrives with a whacking great price increase.

An Auckland panelbeater received a renewal notice in September, for policies which renewed in July, that contained a premium increase of almost $4,000. There was no explanation, no extra cover and no additional service – just a bland demand for more money.

This was enough to give the business owner pause for thought, so he called Glenn Stone Insurance and asked us to quote for the job.

The response

We were able to provide a comparable quote that saved the business $3,500 in premiums. Better still, the policy we negotiated improved the panelbeater's cover by increasing the sums insured. We were also able to upgrade his vehicles' cover from third party to fully comprehensive, at no extra cost.

It's hard to argue with a quote that offers better cover at a lower price. The panelbeater appreciated the work Glenn Stone Insurance had done on his behalf and took out the new policy we had negotiated.

No one should feel their insurance company or broker is taking them for granted. In the case above, it emerged that the previous broker had slipped in a substantial rise in fees, which had not been explained or disclosed. That's not the right way to do business, in our opinion.

Insurance costs can change for many reasons. Getting a ‘second opinion' from Glenn Stone Insurance could provide a valuable comparison – and even lead to better cover and service for your money.

Staff Profile:
Chris Bain, Operations Manager &
Servicing Broker

How did you come to be in the insurance business?

Glenn was converting the office into a paperless system, which meant scanning all of the old files into new document management software. After a couple of hours scanning with his wife on a Saturday morning he promptly decided there was a more efficient way of doing it...

I was looking for a full-time job after completing a Bachelor of Health Science degree in Paramedicine at AUT University when Glenn employed me to complete the file-scanning project. At the end of two weeks (after completing the task much faster than expected), Glenn also got me to complete a mail merge, and then wouldn’t let me leave.

Three and half years later I am still working with Glenn, but I am now a Member of the Insurance Brokers Association of New Zealand, Senior Associate of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance, and have completed a Diploma of Financial Services (Insurance Broking).

What is your current role at GSIL?

Officially Operations Manager / Servicing Broker, which basically means doing everything and anything to keep Glenn Stone Insurance running smoothly. My role is largely behind the scenes, and includes everything from arranging new insurance cover for clients to managing our IT systems and writing procedures.

What gives you the most satisfaction in your job?

Knowing we have done the best job we can for the client and got the result we were fighting for.

What's one piece of advice you could give anyone looking at taking out insurance?

Disclose everything you can to your broker. The more information we have, the better we will be able to arrange cover that suits your needs. We know the ins and outs of various policies, and whilst something may seem trivial to you it could make a huge difference to where the cover is placed.

What are your interests or passions outside work?

I love being in the outdoors, whether it’s four wheel driving, sea kayaking, white-water kayaking or other adventures, so you could say I have a good understanding of risk. For the past couple of years I have been training as a volunteer raft guide and instructor for the Auckland University Canoe Club, taking students out into the New Zealand outdoors. This takes up a fair few of my weekends.

“Chris is an amazing, intelligent young man, with serious talent, and there would not be a person in the office who does not rely upon Chris's expertise at some stage on almost a daily basis. As the Operations Manager Chris keeps the wheels spinning. Whilst what he does on a day to day basis is often not seen by clients, I can assure you that he has a huge part in delivering better results for our clients. I am proud to have Chris as my business partner. Our skill sets complement each other, and ultimately lead to a better result for our clients and staff.”
- Glenn Stone

Stephen sees the light

Congratulations to Stephen Tsang of Withers Tsang Chartered Accountants. His name was plucked from the hat in our competition to win the powerful new ProTac LED torch.

Don't miss out on your chance to be a winner! In this issue of Glenn Stone Insurance News, we're giving all our readers a chance to win one of six bottles of Moet & Chandon champagne.

Festive wishes from the team!

It's been a fantastic 2013. We’ve all worked hard, but as you know, that brings its own rewards! It's been incredibly satisfying when our team has been able to give good news to customers who have made a claim or asked for our help in getting the best cover. We look forward to continuing that service next year.

In the meantime, we’re all gearing up for the holidays. Glenn will be heading to the beach with his family and looking forward to some fine camping weather. We’ve all got our fingers crossed for loads of sunshine!

The Glenn Stone Insurance office will only be closed on the statutory holidays, and have skeleton staff on site all other days. Please make sure you contact us before then if you have any urgent insurance requirements.

We wish you all the best for Christmas 2013 and look forward to a great 2014 working together.