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Charter Lakes Insurance Agency - Main Office (ID: 5489)
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Our goal at Charter Lakes is to earn the loyalty of our clients. This must be accomplished by committing to provide the highest level of customer service with individual attention. We place extraordinary emphasis on the value of our expertise in the marine insurance industry and make our knowledge available to our customers. We ensure adequate time and consideration spent with each client educating them on our insurance products and ensuring their specific needs will be met. Click HERE to view our current newsletter. Thank you for contacting us regarding your recent loss. If your boat or other property covered by your policy is damaged, please take all reasonable steps to protect your property from further damage. You will be reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred while protecting your property for all covered losses. Do not begin repairs other than those necessary to prevent further damage. Our goal at Charter Lakes is to have your claim processed and adjusted as quickly as possible. The key to swift claim processing is for you, the vessel owner, to provide us with the information we need to get the job done. The following is a list of the items needed by our Claims Specialists to expedite the adjustment and payment of your claim. Completed, signed and dated Master s Protest Notarize if damage is over $2,500.00. Photos of the damage BEFORE repairs begin and BEFORE damaged items are removed from your boat. Retain all damaged parts In case we need to send a surveyor to inspect the damage. Itemized repair estimate If estimate total is over $3,000.00, please call us at your earliest convenience as we may want to assign a surveyor to inspect the damage. Report from Police Department, Sheriff s Department, US Coast Guard or any other Authority claim reported to. If the damaged/missing parts/items have been replaced recently, please enclose copies of the receipts for proper adjustment. Forward all requested information to our office By use of US Post Office, Fax to 616.455.7405 or scan information into your computer so you can e-mail as an attachment to info@charterlakes.com, we will forward your information to the appropriate Claims Specialist. For your convenience you can download our Master s Protest One satisfied Charter Lakes client recently commented on the convenience of using our web site to report his claim and submit his supporting documentation. His claim occurred on a Saturday so he went to our website for a claim form. He obtained an estimate and a copy of the US Coast Guard report, scanned the claim form, estimate, and Coast Guard report, took digital photos of his damage, and e-mailed the attachments over the same weekend. Monday morning his information was received, adjusted and a check went out to him that day. That is just one example of how quickly Charter Lakes Claims Specialists can get your claim processed. Remember, the sooner we receive the information from you, the sooner we can conclude the claims process. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at the toll-free number listed below. If you have an Emergency Situation that cannot wait until the next business day, please call our Emergency Claims Service at 616.446.7604. A Claims Specialist will be standing by ready to assist you. Please use this service for emergencies only. Why Do 15,000 People Insure Their Boats With Charter Lakes? Charter Lakes is a marine specialty insurance agency that focuses exclusively on recreational marine insurance. We are one of the few independent insurance agencies in the country that specialize in this type of insurance, and one of the largest. Because of this, and the reasons discussed below, we are able to provide our clients with the highest level of protection and the best overall value on their personal and commercial marine insurance. Did you know that marine insurance is not regulated by the states like homeowners and auto insurance? Did you know that rates can vary by as much as 100% between different marine underwriters on the same boat? Did you know that no two yacht or boat policies are the same, each policy provides differing levels of protection? Do you know the difference between Agreed Value and Actual Cash Value, and the difference between Watercraft Liability and Protection and Indemnity? Are you concerned that your homeowners or auto agent really doesn t understand what you need when it comes to marine insurance, or how to protect your boat or your boating activity? Charter Lakes represents all of the largest marine insurance underwriters in the country. We understand each underwriters policy limitations and which underwriter is most competitive on a particular type of vessel in a specific geographic location. We do the shopping for you by obtaining quotes from each of the (8) underwriters we represent to arrive at the best value for you. What sets Charter Lakes apart from the rest of the industry is our definition of overall value. Value means much more than simply the best price. While price is important, the service and treatment you receive from your agent, when you need it, can often times be even more important. Insurance is only as good as the service you receive when you have a claim or need to make a change to your policy. Charter Lakes is staffed by 35 individuals that are dedicated to providing you with prompt and professional personal service. We believe in personal service, you will always talk to a live person who can assist you at Charter Lakes. Heaven forbid you have an accident with your boat. But accidents do happen, that s why you buy insurance. Charter Lakes has dedicated substantial resources to develop it own in house claims department. We are also one of the only independent marine insurance agencies in the country that is authorized to adjust and pay claims on behalf of underwriters. Our in-house claims department is dedicated to helping you navigate through the claims process and get your claim settled as quickly as possible. Our goal is to have claims adjusted and paid by the time repairs can be made. Another way Charter Lakes adds value is through the development of special Group Insurance Programs. Charter Lakes has developed group insurance programs for Fishing Guides, Six Passenger Charter Boats, Coast Guard Inspected Vessels and personal use yachts and boats. Utilizing the group insurance concept, we are able to tailor coverage to meet the specific needs of a particular group of clients. This allows us to broaden coverage while at the same time provide substantial premium savings. It also allows us to focus our systems and service efforts on a specific group which enables us to provide better service. Do you now know that buying your marine insurance from Charter Lakes is a wise decision? Charter Lakes can trace its beginning to 1976 when, at that time, we were a full lines agency. In 1978 we began insuring charter fishing boats in the Great Lakes through a group insurance program co-developed with the St. Paul Insurance Company. Over the years, we gravitated more and more toward the marine line of insurance. In 1990 we sold the other lines of business to focus totally on marine insurance. Today we still underwrite the Group Insurance Program with St. Paul, and we have clients who have been on the books with us since 1978. Today Charter Lakes is one of the country's largest marine insurers focused totally on the insurance needs of boat owners. But more than that, Charter Lakes is about people dedicated to providing our clients with the best value on their marine insurance. We have a combined 120 years of experience in the marine insurance industry. That experience and knowledge is the resource this company uses to benefit each new and existing client every day. While providing clients with the most competitive price and broadest coverage, we also believe that there is a real need for quality personal service. We have dedicated our resources to providing our clients with the best customer service in the business. Having knowledgeable personnel available to discuss your needs when you call is a chief component of our personal service. Understanding the marine insurance market like we do, and representing all of the largest marine underwriters in the country, enables us to find the best solution for our client's marine insurance needs. These are some of the components that go into finding true value. Very few insurance agencies specialize in marine insurance, even fewer have the knowledge and commitment to deliver our level of service. Our commitment to you, our valued client, is to continually strive to improve on all aspects of the service we provide and to remained focused on our goal of providing you with the best value for your marine insurance dollar. Our goal at Charter Lakes is to earn the loyalty of our clients. This must be accomplished by committing to provide highest level of customer service Charter Lakes Insurance Agency - Main Office