Working with you at schools, higher ed campuses, law enforcement offices, fire stations and hospitals provides us many opportunities to give back. Staff members at our Service Centers, Home Office and our Partner Relations team live in your communities, and we all pitch in to help with various fundraisers and recognition events.
We recently celebrated the extraordinary care that nurses give to others with $1,000 Nurse’s Night Out awards that went to Ohio RN Marie C. and Oregon RN Dina D. Both are members of their respective nurses associations. With holiday shopping and travel, both nurses said the money comes at a great time.
Marie (second from left) receiving her Nurse’s Night Out award
Dina (center) receiving her Nurse’s Night Out award
Our Illinois Field Marketing Manager, Katie Dunn, was given a great honor this fall by the Illinois Firefighters Association. As a token of appreciation for all the dedication she has shown to IFA and their members’ safety, they presented Katie with a white helmet naming her an honorary fire chief of the IFA. “Katie is always there to support the IFA in its efforts to make the fire service better for the men and women who wear the uniform,” remarked Terry Ford, VP of the IFA. “Her tireless energy, dedication and willingness to help with IFA programs and events demonstrate her caring for our members.”
Alina with Louis Manzione, President of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey
Another prestigious honor was given to Accounts Relations Manager Alina Fayerman. Alina works incredibly hard for the New Jersey groups that California Casualty serves and was named this fall to the Board of Trustees of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey. Alina, who received a scholarship from the fund when she attended Drew University, will actively give back by helping with marketing expertise and support for the state’s independent colleges and universities.
California Casualty employees also participated in charity events, giving back to their communities. One was the very moving “Out of the Darkness” walk to prevent suicide. California Casualty Senior Field Marketing Manager, Sherry Hanacek, joined hundreds of people on a drizzly, cold September morning. She was supporting past president of the Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association Dave Butler and his wife, Anita, who suffered the loss of their son. Dave organized the walk, which raised more than $20,000 for the cause.
At our Colorado Springs Service Center, the November fundraiser was for Silver Key Senior Services. Every day can be difficult for elderly shut-ins, but the holidays can be especially tough. Hundreds of pounds of food, kitchen necessities, and personal care items (enough to fill a pickup truck) were collected and donated to help seniors in need. The donations will supplement Silver Key’s food pantry and home-delivered meals program.
And through our many visits to schools across the nation, we created a new Music and Arts Grant program to aid creativity in schools, such as choir, band, dance, film, theater, computer arts and graphics, or any K-12 curriculum that employs art for learning. After we reviewed nearly a thousand applications, 139 public schools in 31 states received a total of $34,000 to help provide music, instruments, and art and performance necessities. Some of those included:
Purchasing special adaptive instruments for the Special Education Center at Mark Twain School in Garden Grove, CA, that serves special needs and medically fragile students
Supplying watercolor sets for third-grade students at Homer Davis Elementary School in Tucson, AZ
Reestablishing the art program to third graders at Arcadia Elementary School in Deer Park, WA
Providing adaptive instruments and technology to expand the music therapy program for students at the ACES Village School in North Haven, CT
Buying an additional camera to allow more students to participate in the photography program at Filer High School in Filer, ID
Public K-12 schools needing funding for an arts or performance program can apply for the 2020 Music and Arts Grant from California Casualty at www.calcasmusicartsgrant.com.
Many of us will be using smartphones and laptops for our holiday shopping. While it may be more convenient than a drive to the mall, going online presents dangers to your credit and personal data. Cyber-crooks are lurking, just waiting for a slip-up to steal your identity and get into your bank and credit card accounts. As you tap in and surf for deals, be cautious about where you go and the information you give others. It’s estimated that one-in-five Americans have been a victim of identity theft, and 43% of those had their identity stolen while shopping online during the holidays.
Be Secure
It’s more important than ever that you protect your personal information. Here are some important internet shopping safety tips to remember:
Don’t open suspicious or unsolicited emails that can often take you to dangerous sites
Shop with familiar companies, looking for the secure “https” in the URL (“S” indicating it is a secure site), and beware of copycat sites with slight misspellings
Use strong, unique passwords for online accounts
Avoid using debit cards and pay with a credit card for online shopping (credit cards offer the most fraud protection)
Refrain from shopping or banking while using free or public Wi-Fi
Be aware of fake charity, pet adoption and lonely-hearts solicitations
Check your credit card, bank and other accounts often for suspicious or fraudulent charges
Never send a gift card for payment (a trick many crooks use)
If you are planning on giving to a charity, you also need to take your time and do research to make sure your donation goes to a good cause. Scammers know that people’s good hearts make them easy targets for rip-offs. Remember to:
Be skeptical of email solicitations from charities you have never heard of or supported before
Avoid giving to any organization requesting gift cards, wiring money, or transferring funds to an overseas bank
Realize that many social media donation sites may not be legitimate
Seek out each charity’s authorized website (crooks often use sound-a-like sites and misspellings)
Check the legitimacy of charities through sites such as the Better Business Bureau, Charity Navigator and GuideStar
Resolution
If you suspect that you have been an ID theft victim, the Federal Trade Commission recommends:
Placing a freeze on your credit report (locking down your credit to anyone)
Placing a fraud alert (protecting your credit from unverified sources) with one of the three nationwide credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion)
Filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission
One of the many benefits that California Casualty offers with every auto and home/renters policy is free ID theft resolution services from CyberScout. Learn more at www.calcas.com/identity-theft or call 1.800.800.9410, option 3 to learn more.
When you purchased a California Casualty insurance policy, you received a valuable gift – free help if you are ever a victim of identity theft.
We realize that almost every stage of your life-journey can put you at risk for ID theft. From getting married, purchasing a new home, going to the hospital or registering children for school, your personal information can be grabbed by identity thieves and fraudsters.
When your personal identity has been taken, it takes an emotional toll and can cost thousands of dollars and many hours to resolve. The sooner you react, the sooner you can start regaining your good name and re-establishing your credit.
Having a trusted company walking with you can make all the difference. That’s why California Casualty offers free ID theft resolution services from CyberScout.
CyberScout is the nation’s premier provider of identity services, providing these services (and more):
Tax fraud support
Financial identity theft
Utility identity theft
Payday loan identity theft
Document replacement and break-in theft support
Travel identity theft
Child identity theft
California Casualty started offering the ID theft resolution services offered by CyberScout in 2006. At that time, few companies offered this type of help to customers, and many of those who did charge a fee. California Casualty wanted to make certain that all customers would receive identity theft resolution services at no charge and to make the process as simple as possible. Customers simply call the toll-free number for California Casualty, where a Customer Service representative verifies their policy and transfers them to CyberScout. CyberScout assigns a personal fraud specialist who works with our customers until the fraud problem is resolved. That means you have unlimited one-on-one access to a dedicated fraud specialist who will assist you in understanding credit reports, gathering evidence against the fraudsters, working to limit damages, and following up to make sure the problem has been cleared up.
With insurance from California Casualty, if you or a loved one’s personal information is compromised, you can rest assured that a CyberScout fraud specialist will get in the trenches to help speed the recovery process – placing fraud alerts, contacting creditors and sticking with you as long as it takes to restore your good credit.
CyberScout has actively helped 17 million households across the world with data theft resolution and education. Their testimonials say it all:
“We are very pleased with the help received after our credit cards and ATM card were compromised. We feel more secure after our CyberScout advisor’s help and advice.”
“My fraud investigator was an angel. She answered all my questions, assisted with calls and letters to retailers, assisted with a seven-year credit freeze and followed up with all closed accounts. She is truly knowledgeable, friendly and compassionate.”
If you fear you have been a victim of identity theft or an account takeover, you can take solace that you have the expertise of CyberScout, provided by California Casualty, to help you battle the criminals and restore your peace of mind.
TAKEAWAY:
Learn more about the FREE identity theft protection from CyberScout that comes with your insurance policies from California Casualty at www.calcas.com/Identity-Theft, or contact a customer care specialist at 1.800.800.9410 option 3.
Your satisfaction is very important to us. We want to work better for you, and we’re asking you to help us accomplish that goal.
For years, we have been measuring your customer service experience, and you have repeatedly given our Customer Service team a 99% satisfaction rating. The Service team celebrates when you tell us that we are meeting your expectations. When you say that we didn’t, they have reviewed their procedures, resulting in new programs, such as our call-back option to avoid long hold times during high call volumes, along with more online opportunities to manage your policies.
You’ve also aided our Claims department, which has implemented new technology to accentuate your customer experience. A major improvement has been the new electronic transfer of funds, providing customers much quicker financial assistance when there is a claim.
We feel it’s crucial that we maintain that level of service, and your insight is invaluable. That’s why California Casualty offers ongoing surveys to customers like you. What you think about what we are doing right, and where we fall short, makes a difference. All the feedback you provide is added to our Net Promoter Score.
The Net Promoter Score helps us stay focused on what you think is important. We review and share your open-ended comments with all levels of the company. You give us a benchmark of what we do right over time, and your constructive criticism helps effect change that benefits customers.
So far, we have completed 15 Net Promoter Score surveys.
“While the trend in the score over time gives some directional information, the real value of the survey is the specific written comments we receive. These highlight the things that we do well, but also show some of the interactions where we could have improved,” said California Casualty CEO and President, Joe Volponi.
Many of those sentiments from the Net Promoter Score are echoed in California Casualty’s Trustpilot reviews. Free and open to all, Trustpilot is considered the most powerful review platform with a mission of bringing people and companies together to create ever-improving experiences for everyone. Trustpilot has recorded more than 71 million reviews, connecting consumers to businesses and improving business engagement and collaboration with consumers.
Your 1,456 reviews of California Casualty on Trustpilot have provided us a real-time measure of what you are thinking. While a majority have been positive, others have assisted us in fixing areas where we fell short in giving you the ultimate customer experience. We invite you to read our Trustpilot reviews and give one of your own at www.trustpilot.com/reviews/calcas.com.
While more than 90% of you have told us that you would recommend California Casualty to family members or colleagues, we still are not satisfied.
We have recently added new ways to measure how we are living up to our promise to give you a great customer experience.
We are now asking you to take a short survey after talking with a Customer Service advisor, determining if we resolved your issue and if you would refer us to others. We are also asking anyone who contacts our Sales team if they were satisfied and if we met their expectations.
If you took part in one of these surveys, thank you.
Engaging with you – listening and learning – is all part of our effort to deliver the best insurance experience that our valued customers and group partners deserve. You work hard to make our communities better, and we appreciate all that you do.
We are an insurance company that cares. That means we are part of people’s lives when the worst happens, and how we handle the task is what makes us different.
TAKEAWAY: Please help us improve by completing the survey offered after contacting California Casualty. You can also find our Trustpilot reviews and connect with us via social media at our blog page, www.mycalcas.com.
“California Casualty really cares about me and understands me,” said Windsor, California high school teacher Renee DuVander.
Renee wrote a glowing review of California Casualty on Facebook after the Kincade fire forced her to evacuate in October.
“Attention Teachers: California Casualty is amazing insurance…I reached out to my renter’s insurance (calcas.com) and asked about being reimbursed for my evacuation expenses. They covered everything! From fuel and food to socks and underwear (we didn’t pack enough). I started the claim on Wednesday and the money is in the bank today (Friday). The company takes care of teachers and I strongly encourage you to get a quote from them ASAP.”
Renee learned about California Casualty about 10 years ago when one of the company’s Field Marketing Managers made a school visit. At the time, Renee was struggling with the high cost of insuring her car.
“The California Casualty representative said ‘let me work out some numbers and see if it’s worth switching.’ When she was done, she cut my auto insurance in half. Ever since then, I have been California Casualty’s biggest fan. I want to share the great customer service and benefits with as many teachers as I can,” she added.
The claims help and guidance she received from California Casualty during her forced exodus cemented her positive feelings. “The claims representative, Ashley, was so nice and thorough. She talked me through everything and even coached me on how to submit my expenses and receipts. The electronic funds transfer was so fast, just two days, and that really relieved the stress of how was I going to pay for all of my evacuation costs.”
Renee’s message to other educators is that California Casualty is a company that treats each person as an individual, understands educators, and delivers on its promise to protect them.
“I knew California Casualty would take care of me, and they did. I want all of my teacher friends to enjoy the same customer service and benefits that I do, and that’s why I am spreading the word,” she said.
California Casualty has been a partner with CTA since 1951, providing auto and home/renters insurance to educators with special benefits tailored to the teaching profession. Learn more about this valuable CTA member benefit, and what California Casualty might do for you, at www.CTAMemberBenefits.org/calcas, or visit www.calcas.com/CTA.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
The Board of Trustees of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey has named Alina Fayerman to the Board. Alina will actively work with the trustees to provide marketing expertise and support for the State’s independent colleges and universities. The trustees secure funding to contribute to student success, lifelong learning, professional preparation, and technology initiatives at the state’s 14 member institutions.
Ms. Fayerman is an Account Relations Manager at California Casualty, working to build relationships with first responder, educator, and nurse affinity groups, which in turn offer California Casualty Auto and Home/Insurance to their members.
Alina’s expertise in marketing and relationship building will benefit students and the independent college and university institutions.
Alina is a native of New Jersey and graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Alina received a scholarship to Drew University, and she felt compelled to give back so others might have the opportunity for higher education that she had.
For more information, please contact Alina Fayerman at 917.432.9043 or afayerman@calcas.com.
Our Illinois Field Marketing Manager, Katie Dunn, was given a great honor this fall by the Illinois Firefighters Association. As a token of appreciation for all the dedication she has shown to IFA and their members’ safety, they presented Katie with a white helmet naming her an honorary fire chief of the IFA. “Katie is always there to support the IFA in its efforts to make the fire service better for the men and women who wear the uniform,” remarked Terry Ford, VP of the IFA. “Her tireless energy, dedication and willingness to help with IFA programs and events demonstrate her caring for our members.”
“California Casualty really cares about me and understands me,” said Windsor, California high school teacher Renee DuVander.