(no subject)

First, thank you to everyone that helped to keep me laughing yesterday. After a day where the bad seemed to outweigh the good, it was nice to have reasons to keep laughing. :-)

Second, it is Thursday. My calendar for today is pretty empty - so I can focus on getting crap off my desk now. This is a good thing. I can even get Mystery Date's junk squared away - and readied for his new account manager.

Third, if pressed to tell someone how I know what I do about insurance - I could go into neverending spiels. Instead, I will defer to the wisdom of Detective Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: SVU, since he put it quite well: "Don't look at me. I just know stuff."

Discussion of the Week - A Cure For Epilepsy?

Someone posted in epileptics that a friend was going to be making bracelets similar to the Livestrong bracelets that are dark purple and say Seize The Cure. (I *wish* I were making that slogan up.)

Well, talk about stirring up a maelstrom (that's French for "shitstorm") in an otherwise day-to-day community!

Seize The Debate!

There are people that *cannot* stand the Livestrong bracelets and what they stand for. There are people that don't think that epilepsy necessitates a cure - and how would you cure it, anyways? And there are some that feel a little burned out by the whole bracelet-for-a-cause idea.


Personally, I think it could be quite confusing. Autism, Pro-Choice and The Humane Society have already taken up purple as their color of choice for their cause bracelets.

(A) It's a fine idea - but use a different color. Everyone is doing purple. Don't even go near red - that's Multiple Sclerosis, and maybe even AIDS, for all I know.

(B) Change the slogan - "Seize The Cure" feels schlocky, and almost like it's poking fun at epilepsy and seizures.

(C) Realize that not everyone with epilepsy feels the need to be "cured" of it. Or even sees it as being a "curable" disorder - just something that can be treated and kept under control. Something that is manageable, and lived with, but cannot be permanently altered - like our eye color, handedness, or tendency to burn easily in the sun.

(no subject)

Right now, I'm surprised that I don't have a humungoid bruise on my forehead from smacking the heel of my hand on my forehead after talking to clients on a daily basis.

Some of their requests are fairly reasonable - quotes for homes they are looking to purchase, or cars they are buying. Even the occasional claim. It's when they call in and say, "I'm closing on a house *tomorrow* and need insurance." ::headdesk::


Today's Rat Bastard award winner is the client that traded in a 2001 sports car for a 2005 sports car - not as expensive, mind you - and bitched because the premium didn't go down as much as he'd expected. When I played with the figures, and he still got grumpy over it, he said "I don't know why ... my record is clean*. There shouldn't be any problems." Oookay.

Well, dude, Strike One - you've had accidents, which affects your insurance rate. Strike Two - we're sending you monthly nastygrams to get you to pay the damn bills, which in turn affects your credit score with the company - which also affects the rate. Strike Three - you're driving a friggin' sports car. Four doors or not, it's still considered a sports car by the company - and you're getting the best possible rate.

What really got me was his request that I get quotes with other carriers. Fine - that can be done. When he asked if he should hold while I do this - I wanted to laugh in his ear. Instead, I asked if I could call him back, since it would take a little time to get the figures together.


* Saying "My Record Is Clean" will automatically get me thinking that you've got Kirk Hammett's driving record (i.e. - you've been to traffic school to get tickets fixed, because you're a speed demon). So please don't say it to your Insurance Geek. Ever.
{Yes, I made a reference to Metallica *and* their documentary, Some Kind of Monster at the same time - even while the room is spinning!}