All Things Madison is proud to share all about restaurants and retail and the latest upcoming local events, but it’s also proud to give you resources that may appear less glamourous but are equally important in knowing about and maximizing your local opportunities.
Home and auto insurance is something I gave very little thought to before I met my friend Tim Cravens in 2021. Cravens is a husband, father of two teens, and Alfa Insurance agent here in Madison; His office is located across the street from Insanity Complex on Hughes Road.
I love learning others’ stories and why they do what they do (and why they’re passionate about what they do), so I asked Cravens one day why someone would randomly decide to up and change insurance companies. My husband and I had been customers with USAA for our entire marriage, and because we’d had no problems, we’d never considered changing. I assumed that most people were the same.
He said that they actually are generally the same; Most people pay for their home and/or auto insurance without even fully understanding what their coverage is and what they’re paying for. He also shared that many people don’t shop around and do their research, which often ends up costing them hundreds of dollars or more per year that they could have been saving with another company or plan.
This all made sense to me, but then he shared the “mic drop moment” that made me flip a switch. As my friend, he knows that our oldest daughter is only in third grade but will be driving before we know it.
“If your daughter calls you and says that she got in a wreck, I want to be just one phone call away. Because I’m local and accessible, I’m going to take care of all of the insurance handlings from that very moment on so that you can focus on being with your daughter. Is your non-local insurance company that accessible, or will you have to wait until business hours the next day?”
I audibly was all “Whoa.” I could see it the value in what he was talking about.
I then began to wonder about the financial aspect and if my family could save money with Alfa. Cravens said that it was as easy as getting some information from us and running some numbers. He requested a few documents from my husband and then we waited to hear back.
Within a day or two, Cravens discovered that we could save nearly $100/month if we bundled our home and auto insurance. We ran into an issue though; Alfa discovered that we had had a few auto claims. We were shocked since we’ve never even had a fender bender. We had had a half dozen windshield claims and a couple of other minor dents and such, but nothing significant. Because Tim is local and accessible, we were able to explain these claims, and he was then able to work with Alfa to excuse them.
The writing was then on the wall: If we switched to Alfa and left the company that we had been with our entire marriage, we would not only save $100/month on our insurance, but our agent would be someone we could call or text if something terrible were to happen out of the blue with our home or automobiles.
“I want to be there with you personally on the worst day of your life,” Cravens said when discussing what our new coverage would entail and how it will work moving forward if and when we need him.
Just one week after switching our home and auto insurance to Alfa, my grandmother was in a car accident on Hughes Road. I got there as fast as I could to help her, and thankfully she was okay. Her car was nearly totaled though, and I had no idea what to do as we hung out in the Kroger parking lot at 6 p.m. trying to figure out where to take her car and what our next steps were. We were given an incident report card by the kind officer, but otherwise, we were on our own to call our insurance and figure out the next steps.
I later called Cravens and said, “If this would have been my car, all I would have had to do was call you, and you would have taken care of my next steps, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes.”
And I knew we made the right decision.
Cravens offers home, auto, life, and business insurance (and more!) to interested community members and can run no-pressure quotes for you to compare to your current policies at the snap of a finger.
He says that beyond saving money, having accessibility is one of the biggest reasons many people are loyal to having a local agent.
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that your company or agent is terrible; It’s just more of a customer service thing for some people.”
Cravens has had his insurance license for over 20 years and is very self-motivated by his drive for genuine relationships. (As his friend, my husband and I can attest to this.)
“This isn’t just a transactional thing for me. My background speaks to this.” (Cravens also has a background of serving in ministry.)
“I have really enjoyed working in customer service for the majority of my life and am excited to meet new clients and see what gaps I can fill for them, whether it saves them money or offers them peace of mind by way of a local, reliable agent.”
Cravens shared with us a story of a resident this summer who switched to Alfa, though it only saved him $1 per month. He wasn’t switching to necessarily save money; He was aggravated with his current insurance company and policy and wanted to receive better customer service.
“There was a reason he was in my office,” says Cravens, “and he left knowing exactly what his new policies would do for him and how I would help him with whatever he needed.”
Cravens says that it’s surprising how many people don’t have an understanding of what their current policies cover.
“We live in the south. If a tornado damages your home, does your insurance cover that?”
He explains that he asks that question often, and most respond that they have no idea.
Cravens says that another perk to working with him as your agent is his commitment to and interest in keeping your insurance portfolio current.
“Because we’ll touch base every now and then, I’ll make sure you’re up to date and maximizing your opportunities when you move into a new home, get a new car, add a youthful driver, or have a death in the family.”
One area of Alfa that Tim is especially passionate about is life insurance. He says that it often takes the death of a family member or close friend for some to realize that life insurance is necessary.
“If you have someone depending on you, you need life insurance.”
“Let’s talk,” he says.
Tim says that getting in touch with him is non-commital and easy.
Step one: Send him a text, email, or give him a call to express your interest in a quote for whatever insurance is on your radar.
Step two: Gather requested documents and allow Tim to prepare a proposal.
Step three: Choose between an in-person, virtual, or “over the phone” meeting to discuss what Alfa can offer.
If an in-person meeting is preferred, Cravens invites you to come into his Madison office or meet at your favorite coffee shop or restaurant.
Quick links to discuss Alfa insurance with Tim Cravens
Website | Schedule an appointment | Email | Facebook | Map of Alfa office
Call or text: (916) 509-2768
95 Hughes Rd
Madison, AL 35758
More from Madison
All About Avalon Family Care: A Brand New Medical Practice on Hughes Road
Bob Jones Alum on a Mission as Co-Founder and CDO of Acclinate
Details About Kid’s Kingdom’s Renovation & How It’ll Be Inclusive For All
