Farmers Adds Customer Value with ‘Inner Circle’ Portal

In an effort to better educate its policyholders on financial matters, damage prevention and types of coverage, Farmers Insurance has launched the Farmers Inner Circle consumer web tool. This addition to the Farmers website provides access to helpful information and discounts.

“We really wanted to create a portal that would help our consumers,” says Mariel Devesa, leader of product innovation at Farmers. “We believe in making them smarter and helping them make better decisions.”

The portal is primarily designed to help policyholders avoid claims, save money and prepare for major life events. Its entry page allows customers to explore any of four main categories: Auto Smarts, Home Tool Kit, Life Preparedness and Exclusive Farmers Perks.

Courtesy of Farmers

Each of the first three divisions contains a wealth of advice and resources on automobile safety, homeownership and preparation for milestones such as marriage, having a child or educating a teen driver. Content is presented in the form of articles, videos, social media posts, slideshows and infographics developed by or for the insurer. Users can share content through email, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

“We use consumer insights in all of our materials,” says Devesa. The portal’s educational content was created based on policyholder feedback and claims data. Customers can continue to provide feedback by engaging with Farmers through the portal.

The fourth category, Exclusive Farmers Perks, provides access to value-added programs, the first of which is the Farmers Car Buying Service. The insurer partnered with TrueCar, a tech company that enhances transparency in the car-buying experience, to offer consumers with a more efficient and economical means of purchasing a new or used vehicle.

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As a result of the partnership, policyholders receive guaranteed dealer pricing, discounts and other benefits. Those who buy a new vehicle through the program will receive over $2,000 in additional benefits such as Automobile Deductible Reimbursement coverage and limited Auto Repair Expense Reimbursement.

Devesa explains that the Inner Circle portal closely aligns with Farmers’ overall customer experience strategy. “The main premise is to make the consumer smarter,” she says. There is not yet a mobile version of the portal, Devesa explains, but a company-wide mobile redesign is currently in the works.

Kelly Sheridan is the Staff Editor at Dark Reading, where she focuses on cybersecurity news and analysis. She is a business technology journalist who previously reported for InformationWeek, where she covered Microsoft, and Insurance & Technology, where she covered financial ... View Full Bio