I first became a member when USAA was part of a small community, only servicing military officers and their families and committed to customer service. When you needed your insurance company's help, USAA was always there to repair your auto or pay your family member's medical bills if needed. I do not know if a better insurance provider ever existed. Over the years, many others and I are guilty of having taken that great customer service for granted. You could often find slightly better rates for insurance, but you always gave up the quality customer service that was only found at USAA. As is too commonly found today, things changed and as USAA has grown, broadening its customer base to attract more people, USAA has expanded. Instead of helping people (the service member customers and their families) first, USAA has mirrored its competitors in its bottom-line profit focus.
Today price is almost the only discerning characteristic between Insurance companies as little emphasis is placed upon the needs of customers and providing service. USAA was the only exception until recently. It pains me greatly to watch as USAA looses that integrity and its past customer focus. Many employees remain at USAA that have not adopted this modern "money-first" attitude, but every year they're fewer and fewer. As a career military officer, I learned to depend upon USAA to take care of my family if needed, due to an auto accident or insurance claim, as too often I was not there. USAA always came through with flying colors whenever needed. But I feel that the magic is leaving as a new generation of claims representatives embrace the current ideals of profit over service. For me, I have retired from active service and can now be counted on by my family to be there in a crisis. But my fear is for the young men and women serving and their families not having the support from USAA that I had. Please join me in asking USAA to take an inward look and review their internal communication processes in hope of regaining their lost customer friendly access and assistance. Please, if you're reading this consider my words in voting for the future USAA Board of Directors, as something must be changed to return USAA to the company we remember and have loved. Service has always been above money in our priorities - make it again USAA's.
