Most people are familiar with Allstate from its many T.V. commercial campaigns. Through the “Are you in good hands?” tagline and the comedic mayhem commercials, Allstate has become a household name. While the commercials are entertaining, customers need more information about what products Allstate sells before making a decision on buying insurance. They also need to understand Allstate hours for customer service and how Allstate’s history.
What Are Allstate Hours?
Allstate has 24/7 customer service available by telephone. The customer service line can handle payments, claims and general questions. Allstate agents work in neighborhood offices and are available during evening and weekend hours. Allstate hours vary by individual agents. Corporate Allstate hours are standard business hours of 8 to 5 Monday through Friday.
What Is Allstate?
Allstate ranks as one of the largest insurance companies in the United States. It insures customers in the U.S. and Canada across multiple lines of insurance, including auto-, life- and health insurance products. The company is based in Northbrook, Illinois and has maintained the same corporate headquarters since 1967. It ranks 79th in the Fortune 500.
How Allstate Started
Allstate was originally not an insurance company at all. In 1925, Sears Roebuck decided to launch a new brand of tires for its catalogue. It held a public naming contest that resulted in over a million entries, and in the end they chose the name Allstate. The tires were highly successful in the catalogue and were added to Sears’s retail stores. Then-Sears chairman Robert Wood praised the tires as a major contributor to the success of Sears retail stores.
The Start of Insurance
During a game of bridge aboard a commuter train, insurance broker Carl Odell pitched Wood on the idea of Sears selling auto insurance through the mail. Intrigued, Wood proposed the plan to Sears’s board of directors, which approved the idea and created the Allstate Insurance Company. Lessing J. Rosenwald was named the first Chairman of Allstate, and Odell came on board as vice president and secretary. The company started by selling auto insurance through the mail and the Sears catalogue. In 1934, it opened its first sales office.
Changes in Legislation
The company’s growth in the following decades was due in part to legislative changes. In the early 1940s, one quarter of drivers carried liability insurance. New York State was the first legislative body to pass a law that held drivers liable for damages and injuries they caused, and by the mid 50s, every state had passed a similar statute. As increased legal responsibilities motivated more drivers to sign up for auto insurance, Allstate thrived.
Creating a Jingle
In 1950, Allstate General Sales Manager Davis Ellis created Allstate’s signature slogan “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” The slogan was popularized through an aggressive television commercial advertising campaign. During the 1950s, Allstate expanded beyond auto insurance, offering fire insurance to homeowners and life insurance. The brand also sold tires and car batteries until it became an insurance-only operation in the early 1970s. The company even sold an Allstate car, but sales flopped and it was discontinued.
Building an Empire
Throughout the 1960s, the company continued to expand its insurance offerings, creating products for workers’ compensation, surety bonds, inland marine coverage and business package policies. Through the ’70s and into the early ’80s, Allstate continued its business model of selling insurance through agents located in Sears stores. By the mid 1980s, Allstate shifted to locating agents in neighborhood offices. The company went public in 1993, with Sears selling nearly 20% of the company in the largest ever IPO. Sears spun off Allstate in 1995.
Allstate’s success has been due in large part to advertising. Actor Dennis Haysbert has become recognized around the country as Allstate’s spokesmen, using the tagline “That’s Allstate’s stand. Are you in good hands?” In 2010, Allstate hired actor Dean Winters to play the famous Mayhem character, who personifies causes of disasters in comedic commercials. As a result, Allstate is one of the most recognizable brands in the insurance industry.
Why Might You Need Allstate?
Virtually every American or Canadian needs some type of insurance that Allstate provides. Getting a quote from Allstate is as simple as contacting a local agent or filling out a form on the company’s website. Allstate is known to offer competitive rates on many lines of personal insurance, including:
Auto Insurance
Auto insurance is Allstate’s original insurance product and the one the public most associates with Allstate. The company serves drivers with good to less than perfect driving histories, though it is not a high risk insurer. Its auto insurance plans provide roadside assistance and 24/7 claims assistance. Customers can even earn a discount by signing up for an app that helps them improve driving habits.
Homeowners Insurance
Going without homeowners or condo insurance is one of the biggest financial mistakes a person can make. A house fire can destroy the entire home and its contents in minutes. Even something as simple as a pipe burst can cause tens of thousands of dollars in water damage. Allstate’s home insurance products protect families’ most valuable asset.
Renters Insurance
Renters need insurance to cover the contents they keep in their homes. A landlord’s insurance only covers the property. Should a fire, natural disaster or burglary cause a renter to lose valuable property, only a renters insurance policy can compensate him or her.
Motorcycle Insurance
Bikers love their motorcycles, but accidents can be serious. Allstate has their back with motorcycle insurance, which provides liability, property damage and comprehensive coverage.
Life Insurance
Allstate provides term-, whole- and universal life insurance products. Term life insurance covers the insured for a specified number of years, usually between 10 and 30. Because most term life policyholders outlive their policies, premiums are inexpensive. This makes term life insurance the ideal product for younger people with families. They need a lot of coverage while the kids are growing up but won’t need it later in life after the term expires. Many term life policies offer the option to convert part of the death benefit to whole life without a medical exam.
Types of Policies
Whole life policies are most commonly used to cover final expenses. Because the policies last for the insured’s entire life, premiums are many times higher than term life. As a consequence, most people carry a combination of term- and whole life. Whole life products build cash value and provide level premiums.
Universal life policies are a combination of term and whole life. They are designed to last until the insured passes away, but they do not have a level premium. Premiums start at a lower level and the cost of insurance rises as the insured ages. To avoid having premiums skyrocket in later years, universal life customers need to build a cash value within the policy that covers part of the cost of insurance.
Specialty Insurance
Allstate offers many types of specialty insurance as well, including the following:
- Boat
- ATV
- Pet
- Landlord
- Snowmobile
- Motorhome
Allstate also provides customers with investment products and investment advisors. Customers can choose between college savings plans, individual retirement arrangements, mutual funds and annuities.
Allstate Hours From Open to Close
As one of the largest multi-line insurance providers, Allstate hours for sales and customer service are extensive. It also maintains a 24/7 emergency customer service line. This line is for filing emergency claims or obtaining proof of auto insurance if stopped by law enforcement. Customers can also make payments and ask questions regarding potential claims. Allstate has many corporate offices, which are open Monday through Friday local time. Allstate insurance agents have separate, small offices that have evening and weekend hours.
Holidays
Allstate sales and customer service offices close on the following holidays, with the exception of the 24/7 emergency customer service line:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Day
- Presidents’ Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans’ Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
- New Year’s Eve
Allstate Insurance Special Event Hours
Local offices may change their hours for special events, such as sales promotions.
How to Contact Allstate
- By phone: 1-800-255-7828.
- By email: through Allstate.com (choose an address based on the nature of your question)
- Regular mail: reach the corporate office at Allstate Insurance Company P.O. Box 12055 1819 Electric Rd. S.W. Roanoke, VA 24018
- Regular mail: reach the customer service office at Allstate Insurance Company P.O. Box 660636 Dallas, TX 75266
- Regular mail: for local offices, check Allstate.com for a list of addresses
- Social media: customer service can be contacted through the company’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and Linkedin accounts and typically replies with 24 hours, though they will not address specific account issues
Conclusion
Allstate has 24/7 customer service and extensive weekend and evening hours for agents who work in neighborhood offices. It’s convenient for customers to obtain insurance through Allstate, and the company offers many lines of insurance, including auto-, life- and home insurance. Once small and diverse, Allstate is now one of the largest insurers in the world and a Fortune 100 company.
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