In the last 10 years or so, the internet has revolutionized almost every aspect of our lives. From the way we communicate and interact with one another, to the way we go about our work as well as how we function in our daily lives.

No more long queues at the bank to perform the simplest transactions and no more standing at the side of the road to hail down a taxi. Many of what used to be a nuisance (and a waste of time) can now be done with just a few clicks on our smartphone. Purchasing airline tickets, movie tickets, booking of hotel rooms, just whip out your phone, and you’re done within minutes. Renewing your annual car road tax and insurance can be done the same way.

However, is the internet and the availability of the variety of mobile apps truly has made life easier? Maybe. But one cannot deny the fact that some things just cannot be replaced by these fancy apps. The feel of that silky fabric on your skin when trying out a dress for instance. And what about the human touch that you get when dealing with an actual person especially when you are in need of a personalized service?

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why many still choose to buy insurance through an agent albeit the many new insurance portals enabling online purchases being introduced during the past couple of years. This is no doubt a new and revolutionary move in a what used to be a traditional industry. Much adjustment and change of mindset will be required. But how far will technological advancement replace the role of the traditional insurance agent? We’ll just have to look at the advantages that these dedicated individuals bring to their customers.

Why should I buy insurance through an insurance agent?

1. You have an option

There are over 100 thousand agents in the country who cover both the conventional insurance as well as takaful Islamic insurance. Each insurance agent represents one to two insurance companies or takaful operators. Some can even represent more.

The choice is yours, from which agent to choose, to the companies they represent and products those companies offer. An agent is someone who will be working for you long term. So find one you can get along with. Most importantly, someone who will offer the best service possible, someone you know will put your needs ahead of theirs.

2. They get you

A responsible agent will not just sell you a policy and disappear from the face of the earth. They make sure that they continue to offer not just service throughout the tenure of the policy, but the best service and most of the time, friendship too. For them to be able to carry out their job well, they would need to truly understand you in order to identify your needs.

Sadly insurance is not something we all can master in a few days or weeks. In fact it is one of the most complicated financial products most end consumers like us have to purchase. Buying an important policy such as life plan require a lot of understanding about the policy with all its complicated jargon and terms. To ensure that we get the best policy, we’re also required to understand our requirement and the requirement of the people we leave behind.

Having an experienced, knowledgeable and responsible agent who understands us can ensure that these needs are met.

3. They are on your side

Have you ever had to file an insurance claim? If you have, perhaps you would understand that it is not a very simple process. This is when we need the help of an agent the most.

An agent is not only helpful in the purchasing process, their most valuable role lies in the ability to help their customers when a claim arises. They not only work hard in getting all the necessary information and documents, adhering to all procedure to ensure a smooth claim settlement, but they will also be your advocate in case something does go wrong.

Without the proper knowledge on insurance and its tricky claim processes, consumer who has to work independent of an agent would often give up after having their claim rejected by the insurance company.

4. Someone to offer help and advice

Unless you have the time to research every single question you may have about insurance in general, or something specific about your policy, or about a new policy you are interested in getting, you might as well engage an experienced agent who can help you. Having an insurance agent is like having your personal living, breathing insurance Wikipedia.

Having an agent also means that you have someone watching out for you and making sure that you are appropriately covered. He will remind you should your status changes where you would require additional coverage. Such as the time when you changed your status to being single to being married.

5. They save you time

With so many types of insurance, a variety of products offered by numerous insurance companies and takaful operators, who’s got the time to read about them all? Even if we did, admit it, regular folks like us wouldn’t understand half of the things we read.

Your agent not only will find the best policy to suit your needs, he would also summarize to you all the terms and conditions and explain the coverage to you, often in laymen’s term so that there is no ambiguity. This definitely beat having to spend those precious time in doing all the research and reading, not to mention headaches in trying to understand.

Although there are many many more advantages to having an agent working for you, it is truly up to you to decide if you are better off with or without one. If you are looking for a reliable agent, search for one here.