Mock Monday: The Accident

Welcome back to Mock Monday! I'm glad you're back to join us. Did you read last week's Mock Monday? If not, check it here.
Remember where we left off.

What should Terry's next step be?

1. Get out of her car.
2. Honk her horn.
3. Call the police.

What did you answer?
If you answered...
3. Call the police.
You are correct.

You shouldn't get out of your car right after a car accident unless your life is in danger (ie the car could explode or you're hanging upside down).
In Terry's situation, she should call the police first. Her accident was on a busy highway; a police at the scene to ensure everyone involved stays safe and avoids further collisions is in everyone's best interest.
Before calling the police, Terry turns around and checks on her two children. They appear safe. She calls 911 and asks for police to come to the scene of the accident. The operator asks if there are injuries. She asks the operator to send a medic to err on the side of caution in the event someone is injured.
After she calls the police, she takes in her surroundings. Terry is shaking. She is not sure what to expect of the person who rear-ended her and who she rear-ended. Is everyone ok?
Terry decides to wait until the police arrive to get out of her car. She calms her two children in the backseat. They are upset and crying, but visibly they are fine. She asks Todd how he feels, his neck hurts. She asks Irina how she's doing and her head hurts.
"This is going to be a long day," Terry murmurs.
While waiting for the police to arrive, she pickes up her phone and calls her office. She tells them about her accident, She's not sure when she'll get in to work. As Terry is talking to her co-worker, she notices her iPad on the floor of the van. She put her briefcase on the front seat and the iPad must have fallen out in the accident. The screen is cracked. Oh no, another hassle. Next, she calls Irina's pre-school and Todd's school. She doesn't want anyone concerned about them not showing up.
 Terry hears sirens, the police are almost there.
What are Terry's next steps?
1) Yell & scream
2) Play with her broken iPad
3) Speak to the police and exchange information

Here is a picture of her mini-van - before the accident

{image}


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Check back next week for the police & medic assessment.
 
*Please note, no REAL persons were involved. This is pretend. Nothing of this is real. Every accident is different.

Halloween

We're approaching that day.
Where are the kids get dressed up in costumes, looking all cute, begging for candy.
It's a good time, right?
Well, that's not the only thing that happens.
Kids can get hurt trick or treating.
And you could be at risk.
Did you leave the garden hose out? How about the loose board in the porch?
Here are a few tips on staying safe this Halloween and keeping those kiddos safe on the traipses around Falmouth, Bourne and other local Trick Or Treating spots!
Here's an all-inclusive site about Halloween Safety - check it out. Otherwise, read below for tips.
Taken from the American Academy of Pediatrics - thanks for allowing me to re-post for our clients.

Halloween Safety Tips
ALL DRESSED UP:

• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.
• Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes.
• When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories look for and purchase those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.
• If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child's costume, make sure it is not sharp or too long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.
• Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as “one size fits all,” or “no need to see an eye specialist,” obtaining decorative contact lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. This can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.
• Teach children how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they have an emergency or become lost.

 CARVING A NICHE:

• Small children should never carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers. Then parents can do the cutting.
• Consider using a flashlight or glow stick instead of a candle to light your pumpkin. If you do use a candle, a votive candle is safest. 
• Candlelit pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects, and should never be left unattended.

 HOME SAFE HOME:

• To keep homes safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.
• Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
• Wet leaves should be swept from sidewalks and steps.
• Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.

ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL:

• A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• If your older children are going alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home.
• Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.

Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or Treaters:

1. Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
2. Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
3. Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
4. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
5. Never cut across yards or use alleys.
6. Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks (as recognized by local custom). Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
7. Don't assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn't mean others will!
8. Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

 HEALTHY HALLOWEEN:

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
• Try to ration treats for the days following Halloween.

Run While You Can

One of our clients is on a mission: Run While You Can.
You can read all about what he's doing here.

He's insured on the the east coast.
He needed insurance on the west coast while achieving his amazing goal.
We had connections.

We set him up with LBW Insurance who provided him with a policy he needed and coverage he desired.
All was good.

Then said agent met up with Sam. In the middle of his trek.
They snapped a shot.

And so our client met his west coast agent, in the middle of his trek.

Please check Sam out: facebook or twitter or his blog. And if you can't, check out the promo film.
Today is his LAST day. He FINISHES his journey today.
We are so proud of what he's done and so glad he finished what he started, in such a short time.
Way to go Sam!

Mock Monday: The Set-Up

Terry Dactyl is a 32 year old, married mother of two. She drives a 2009 Toyota Sienna. Today was a typical Monday. She got up, got ready for work {made sure her briefcase with iPhone, iPad and MacBook were in her car}, made her husband's lunch {what a nice wife}, made her lunch {she's a budgeter}, got her children ready for school and daycare {made their lunches - I think she had an assembly line going} and headed out the door. She buckled her 6 year old, Todd, into his booster seat and her 3 year old, Irina, into her car seat. Terry pulled out of the driveway and headed to Irina's daycare.
Terry is real careful when she drives with her kids. She doesn't text, her stearing wheel has built-in bluetooth for those necessary phone calls, and she drives the speed limit.
As Terry drives for Irina's daycare she starts to think about what she has to do today at work. She notices a blue pick-up driving erratically on the highway just ahead of her. Her heart beats quickly as she thinks about what could happen. She slows down below the speed limit. The erratic driver slows down. She puts her blinker on to change lanes and the erratic driver speeds up. At this point Terry doesn't know what to do. She stays in the passing lane, speeds up much faster than usual and passes the erratic driver. She then changes lanes and continues along with traffic. All of a sudden she feels a bump from behind. Both her kids scream in the backseat. She slams on her brakes, but not soon enough. She rear-ends the driver in front of her.
What should Terry's next step be?

1. Get out of her car.
2. Honk her horn.
3. Call the police.

Check back here next Monday for an answer to Terry's next step and how she should proceed once she took care of the next step.

*Please note, no REAL persons were involved. This is pretend. Nothing of this is real.

"Retirementology" - Rethinking the American Dream in a New Economy

Murray & MacDonald Insurance Services, Inc. in Bourne is pleased to announce the presentation of “Retirementology” Rethinking the American Dream In A New Economy.
This seminar will be given on November 1 at 12pm with lunch and November 2 at 6:30 with hors d’oeuvres being served.
The seminar is based on the book Retirementology by Dr. Gregory Salsbury. It will connect retirement planning with investor psychology and the market meltdown to come up with a new way of thinking about how we as Americans $pend, $ave, borrow and inve$t money.
The combination of no more pension plans, major stock market volatility, low interest rates, the uncertainty of Social Security and little to no home equity has made it difficult for the average working person to come up with a workable retirement plan. The average working person wants to know they will be comfortable during their “Golden Years” aka retirement. There is a way to position yourself and your retirement funds to lessen the sting of the current economic conditions. If you want to learn more, please come to our seminar.
To reserve your seats please call (888) 870 3251 or email us or find us on facebook.
We are not trying to sell you a retirement plan.
We are here to educate you.
At your local insurance agency.
From one person to another.
On Cape Cod.

Series Kick-Off: Mock Monday

Next week we are kicking off a new blog series.
It's called Mock Mondays.
Every Monday we will take you through a part of the claim process to help you better understand how a claim works.
Obviously EVERY claim is different, but hopefully you will understand insurance, claims, accidents, getting paid by an insurance company and the many parts of a claim process.
If you miss a Monday, there will be a label to click on to track you back to other Mock Monday posts.
Thanks for joining us on the journey.

Career Opportunity

A few weeks ago I wrote about how I jumped into the insurance industry. Check it here.
We are currently looking to hire another person looking to develop their career.
Here is our job posting: Job Posting
Check it out.
Are you interested?
A few cons of working in the insurance industry at our office:

• Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
• Nights and weekends off (occassional nights needed for networking events)
• Paid Holidays
• Generous paid time off
• Occasional travel
• Continuing Education
• 401k with match
• Health & Dental Benefits

Did I say cons? I meant perks.

Anyway.
Here's what I can tell you about working in the office.
It can be challenging. You have to be a team player. We are looking for someone who will come in early and stay late (not all the time). We want someone who will do what it takes to get the job done. You need to be innovative and think outside the box.
Have you heard of Seth Godin? Check him out. He is a marketing guru who had a bestselling book before it was printed.
How about Steve Jobs? He transformed the way we listen to music. {hello itunes. do record stores exist anymore?}
Back to Murray & MacDonald Insurance.
We want someone who is willing to take insurance to the next level.
You saw what Peter did with the Electronic Business card.
That's thinking outside the box.
What are your ideas? How can you help us change the insurance industry?
Starting on Cape Cod.
Contact me for more information.

the electronic business card

in the late spring we started using contxts - a mobile sms business card. you register & enter information into contxts database and can then direct a client, prospect, friend, family member to text your name {the one you registered with} to 50500. once they do that, they receive a text with your information {personal or business, this is the information entered into contxts}. no more wasted business cards and now your information is automatically stored in their phone. brilliant idea.

a few weeks ago my coworker {and brother}, Peter MacDonald, decided he wanted to change the way we hand out business cards. some people still like having the paper in their hand. Peter put together QR Codes for some of our employees to test out. now when we hand out our business card, there is a QR Code on the right side of the business card.


{sorry i couldn't get it to rotate}

 using the scan app from QR Code City you scan the QR Code on our business card.

once it scans, the contact information from our business card is added to the "scan history".

if you want to add me {Sara L MacDonald} as a contact, you can. at the bottom of the screen there is a {create new contact} spot. {not shown on the picture above}. if you don't want to add me {Sara L MacDonald} as a contact, the business card information will be saved in the "scan history".
now we have an electronic business card. this will be helpful for events we attend. especially business after hours with the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce, Mashpee Chamber of Commerce, Canal Chamber of Commerce, Sandwich Chamber of Commerce, Cape Cod Young Professionals, BNI, Falmouth Young Professionals or other networking events.
instead of keeping the business card and never entering contact information into their database, the people we meet can scan our business card at their leisure, have the information stored in their phone in the even they want to contact us, and toss the business card.
{i'm not promoting printing business cards & throwing them out. i'm promoting using our business cards to do the work of entering contact information into our phone}
now, if others could jump on the contxt or QR Code bandwagon it would be fabulous.