BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Forging relationships key for Blevins
Doug Blevins does more than sell insurance. He sells a relationship.
“We have a relationship agency,” Blevins said. “We don’t sell you a policy and move on. That’s the start of the relationship. We know our folks. We do things the right way.”
Blevins operates ALFA Insurance — Doug Blevins Agency & Associates in Loganville, which offers insurance products for home, auto, business and life insurance purposes, as well as financial products with market loss protection and guarantees such as fixed index annuities. Blevins is an agent with ALFA Insurance, but said he can provide clients with almost anything they’re looking for.
“We’re kind of a hybrid model,” Blevins said. “If I have to bring in something ALFA doesn’t offer, I can. We’re not just a broker or a single agent. We have solutions for everything. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Blevins opened his agency in 2017, having moved to Loganville in search of new vistas. His family ultimately settled on Walton County after his wife fell in love with the local schools and he’s been serving the community ever since.
“We believe in Walton County, love Walton County,” Blevins said. “Walton County is a special place.”
Blevins said his agency and its seven team members are dedicated to doing what’s best for the client.
“The vision was not to have a single agent and a few employees,” Blevins said. “We wanted to build a team of professionals that can serve each client and knows their accounts and family by name. One person will never be able to accomplish what a group can. The better you equip your team, the higher they can climb and the more they can achieve. Our agency is built on growing a team of professionals that share the vison and have completely bought into the culture that we have created and continue to build.”
That approach is part of what Blevins calls his “unique white glove service,” which goes above and beyond what an insurance call center will offer.
“We want every client to receive more than they expected in every interaction,” Blevins said. “We pride ourselves in doing all things necessary to be viewed as trusted advisors by our policyholders. When people know what their insurance is actually doing, it changes everything. When something bad happens, that’s not the time to realize you’re not covered for something. That’s when you want to feel confident you have a plan, and that’s what we’re here for.”
Blevins said he tries to provide clients with the best possible protection, not just the best bargains, through their insurance choices.
“We tell potential policy holders all the time insurance is not created equal and it’s not the same as seeing which grocery store has a product at a lower price,” Blevins said. “What makes us different is a personal relationship that caters to you, cares about your family’s outcome and is there for you immediately in your time of need with the result you deserve.”
That’s why Blevins said his team is always available when a client needs them. When something happens, he and his team are there on the spot to ensure the client has what they need and is covered.
“We’re not just going to file a claim and move on,” Blevins said. “We’re going to be with you every step of the way to make sure you get what you’re entitled to.”
Blevins said clients can rely on his team at any time.
“We had a client whose house caught fire and had to file a claim,” Blevins said. “He called the office and 10 minutes later I was in his front yard with him looking over the damage, navigating that life changing experience and getting them setup with a place to stay immediately as well as a check to get money coming in.”
The agency also reaches out throughout the year just to check on the family and see what we can help with that has nothing to do with their insurance to foster a greater sense of connection.
“Instead of customer service, our agency provides a client experience,” Blevins said. “Instead of just performing customer service when something goes wrong, we provide a complete client experience to our policy holders and proactively stay on top of things for their family or their business and continuously strengthen our relationship with them and how their insurance is handled.”
That level of service and care has seen the Doug Blevins Agency receive multiple accolades, including Top Agency Producer of the Year, Top Commercial Producer and Achiever of the Year for ALFA Insurance several times, as well as qualifying for the industry’s Million Dollar Round Table, plus recognition on the floor of the state General Assembly at the state capitol in a House Resolution presented by Rep. Rey Martinez.
But Blevins is simply working to build relationships. It’s why he’s active in the community as well, as a Partner in Education with the Walton County School District, serving on various boards, charities and service organizations and overall trying to build a lasting relationship with Walton County as a whole.
“Building relationships in this way will only pay dividends for all parties involved. However, if you have a solid product and you always do what you say you’re going to do, you provide your policy holder with the success they deserve moving forward,” Blevins said. “We like to tell clients that we do insurance a better way. For me, it comes down to treating people the way I would want to be treated.”
