After deciding it was time to shop around for car insurance, I called GEICO's customer service department to get some quotes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that reaching a customer service rep is quick and easy.
When calling GEICO, the automated system greets you with the option to press 7 for Spanish or to wait on the line for English, followed by the question whether you're calling to discuss a claim. Since I wasn't calling regarding a claim, I said no and was asked to describe in a few words my reason for calling. There are no menu options, so I simply responded with 'auto quotes' to see where I would be directed.
Before I could reach a representative, the automated system guided me to enter in my date of birth and the ZIP code where I would need insurance coverage. I added these via the phone's touch pad rather than speaking into the phone and was placed on hold. In less than a minute, a customer service rep was on the line.
I told him my reason for calling was to seek quotes for auto coverage since I was currently shopping around and would also need to add a teenager to the policy. He was glad to help and began gathering information about my current policy. Most people call GEICO to change/cancel a polity or start a new one, the rep shared, while suggesting that these options are available on their website as well.
Auto insurance rates vary based on ZIP code, he explained, so we began there. He asked if I'd want to include home or renter's insurance, which may provide more discounts, and I said no, that I was happy with my current homeowner's policy and provider. After spending several minutes providing a plethora of personal information, the rep began running data for quotes.
Before he shared that information, he told me about GEICO's DriveEasy program that provides personalized rates based on driving habits. A GEICO app tracks your driving as you log your time in the car and can update your rate after 45 days. This sounded like a possible option, but I told him I'd hold off on the program for now since I wasn't too keen on adding another app to my phone. He obliged and moved on to sharing the quotes.
The costs were about the same as what I'm currently paying, so I asked if there were any other possible discounts. However, the rep explained he'd given me all the available information, and suggested that signing up for the DriveEasy program could lower my rate in the next few months. I could also bundle my auto policy with homeowners to access even more rate reductions.
At the end, I thanked him for his time, sharing that I'd consider these options. The rep was helpful and accessible, even if I didn't find the call to be as successful as I hoped.