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One day Kevin Hayward was talking to a client, a mother of four who had one minivan for all six members of the family. The subject of rental car coverage on her auto policy came up; was that something they needed? For a few dollars a month she could make sure they would still be able to get around in the event of anything happening to their van. She agreed that it was a good idea.

kevin hayward
Kevin Hayward and his State Farm team work to make sure clients not only understand what coverage is best for them but also understand exactly what is and is not included. Photo courtesy: Kevin Hayward.

The next week, their van was damaged when they struck a deer.

Thankfully, the rental car coverage kicked in and the family wasn’t stranded without a vehicle. “She called me and said, ‘I’m so glad you brought that up,’” says Hayward. “We were able to help them during what would have been a really bad situation.”

As a State Farm agent, Hayward believes in being an ally for his clients, whatever their level of coverage may be. “If there’s a situation that’s really stressful, I give them my cell number,” he says. “The circumstances may be terrible, but we’re able to help them navigate.”

Hayward started with State Farm in the claims department nearly a decade ago and was struck by the company’s culture of service. “It was one of my first jobs out of college and I was really impressed that our management said, ‘Pay what we owe, promptly and courteously,’” he says. “There was never any incentive for paying less. I felt grateful to be with a company where I could operate with integrity and I didn’t have to compromise my values.”

kevin hayward
One of Kevin Hayward’s favorite local events is the Summer’s End at Lacey Car Show, which his company sponsors on a regular basis. Photo courtesy: Kevin Hayward.

It simplifies matters that State Farm is a mutual company, says Hayward. “Stock held companies have to answer to their shareholders and have a profit motive to return dividends and value in their stocks. As a mutual company, we don’t have stockholders. I’m part owner of State Farm. My employees are part owners of State Farm. We answer to our customers.”

What drew him to insurance was less the industry itself than the quality of the individual personnel. “There are a lot of great people at State Farm,” he says. “The people I interact with in all the different departments have integrity. In the beginning, it wasn’t so much that I wanted to be in insurance as that I wanted to be with State Farm.”

In some ways, he’s come full circle from where he started in the claims department. “Lynn Landis has worked for me for three and a half years,” he says. “Her husband helped me get my first job with State Farm almost ten years ago. These are good people that I like being around.”

kevin hayward
Kevin Hayward met former Governor Gary Locke at the 15th Anniversary of the Learning Seed Foundation, a scholarship program State Farm has donated to since its inception. Photo courtesy: Kevin Hayward.

Managing employees has taught Hayward skills beyond the scope of working with clients. “I’ve had to grow a lot as a leader. I’d never managed anybody in my life before moving here,” he says. “Recruiting, training, and motivating a team of people is far more challenging than selling insurance. I see it every day: our team takes amazing care of our customers.”

In recent years the commoditization of insurance has created a challenge because clients tend to focus on cost without having a full understanding of the differences among companies. “If you pick ten insurance ads, nine are probably talking about price,” he says. “People come to us and say, ‘What’s the bottom line? Are you more or less than what I’m paying now?’ That’s really hard because coverages are not necessarily the same. You can’t quantify the services we offer, or how we take care of people when there’s an accident.”

Sometimes clients don’t understand the benefit of a particular service until disaster strikes, he contends. “If you never have a claim, never have an auto accident or a broken pipe at your house, maybe getting the cheapest coverage is all that matters. But who goes through their life and doesn’t have something happen?” If nothing has happened to you personally, he recommends talking with someone who has been through the experience. “Ask them about it,” he says. “Did they get an 800 number or an agent that wasn’t engaged in the process? It can be frustrating and confusing.”

kevin hayward
Kevin Hayward’s wife was raised in Olympia and he actively participates in many community events and causes. Photo courtesy: Kevin Hayward.

At his office, however, he makes sure that clients understand the coverage they have before anything occurs. “Having somebody to guide you through and help you make good decisions before something bad happens is pretty huge, so that when something does happen, you’re not surprised and disappointed,” he says.

In one case, a local client was in Louisiana visiting family when the region was struck with catastrophic floods. She lost her car and needed a rental vehicle. Despite the fact that she was half a continent away, Hayward and his team were able to help. “We were in daily communication with the customer and claims department over the weekend to try to get everything resolved,” he says. “We were able to get her paid for her rental and the total loss of her vehicle and she was very happy.”

Kevin Hayward – State Farm Insurance Agent
700 Sleater Kinney Rd SE Ste A, Lacey, WA 98503
Phone: 360-459-2277
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturdays: By appointment.

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