Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

Susan was born and raised east of Roundup. Both of her parents also grew up around Roundup. Her parents ranched east of town while she and her siblings were growing up, and her mother still lives there to this day. Susan grew up learning a work ethic of doing whatever it takes, and this has followed her into her current career as an insurance agent for Peter Yegan, and links into her life after work, where she volunteers with the Musselshell County DES for her second year. Susan was a reserve deputy with the sheriff’s department for twenty-six years, and retired five years ago, she worked with the ambulance in 1993, and sings with the church choir St. Benedicts 30yrs.

The most important thing to Susan as an insurance agent is providing customer service. She has even had a customer with a fire, call her at two o’ clock in the morning. “If you need me, I will be there for you” Susan states. “If you don’t have good customer service, the customer will not trust you.” In an age where people are making less and less face-to-face interactions, Susan still feels the need to know her customers in person, and it gives her a better insight to what their particular insurance needs are. Many of her customers are referrals through word of mouth.

Susan has been in the insurance business for twenty-eight years. She started at First Security Bank with a company called Central Montana Agency ran that for several years, she then went on to work for Key Insurance. She took a job with Peter Yegan 6 years ago.

Peter Yegan is really great about Susan going out in the field to see rural customers. Whatever is convenient for the customer is what she does. Even seeing customers on the weekend. Peter Yegan is very supportive of her interactions with the customers, and also supportive of her working part time for the DES here in Roundup. They have been exceptional about letting me go when there is a fire.

Her company represents a wide range of coverages, from personal lines to home auto, bonds, notary bonds, and lost title bonds. Susan tries to concentrate mostly on farms, as that is her favorite part of her job, but she will cover anything to commercial and personal insurance. She covers rural areas all the way from Stanford and Roy to Sidney,

“Visiting in the office is fine,” Susan states, “but I would rather be out seeing what I am insuring. Seeing our people that we insure is important.” Many elderly people don’t want to have to communicate through email or text. They still value the face-to-face service. It brings a bigger commitment between the customer and the agent. Once having met each other in person, a customer is not as likely to leave the insurance company, and the agent is more accountable to the customer personally. “It’s easier to show and explain things in person than over the phone. Some long-range customers just value someone who will come the distance to visit with them like a human being.” Susan says. More customers develop through this relationship when she knows them personally, they are more likely to refer her to friends and relatives. Susan is the last of the breed when it comes to customer service, reaching out in person to connect with the customer seems to be a lost art in these days. I know for myself and many others, the personal contact is meaningful and valuable as a customer.