Petley-Hare Limited, an insurance brokerage with nearly 100 years of experience in Ontario’s Durham Region, announced on Monday that it has launched a new digital division called Insurance Jack, which now serves clients across the province.

“Insurance Jack was built on the premise that the insurance industry has evolved and consumers are interested in a more streamlined buying process,” the division said in a statement.

Quoting engines are a dime-a-dozen and many just don’t get it right. The user experience is complicated, lengthy and unreliable for both the broker and the consumer. When it comes to Insurance Jack, the right choices have been made to just ‘make it easy.

“Insurance Jack was built on the premise that the insurance industry has evolved and consumers are interested in a more streamlined buying process.”

Led by Adam Hare, Insurance Jack’s vice president of business development and marketing, the company aims to make buying insurance more efficient, and hassle free. By connecting consumers and insurance products, without traditional challenges, there is no delay in purchasing affordable coverage, the statement said.

Industry experts have taken notice of Insurance Jack, with Stephen Corea, director of sales and business development for Gore Mutual, saying that “quoting engines are a dime-a-dozen and many just don’t get it right. The user experience is complicated, lengthy and unreliable for both the broker and the consumer. When it comes to Insurance Jack, the right choices have been made to just ‘make it easy.’”

Randy Carrol, a strategic advisor for ClientDesk, is excited about how Insurance Jack goes beyond providing quotes. “They have made the quoting process quick and easy to use, but also realize there is more to insurance than just getting a quote. Insurance Jack provides their policyholders with online access to request and submit updates to their policy information in a painless way,” he said in the statement.

Millenials, who will comprise 46% of the workforce within 10 years, want to communicate digitally at their convenience, said David Hare, president of Petley-Hare Limited

Dave Hare, president of Petley-Hare Limited, has watched the insurance industry evolve over the years, with millennials now taking a different approach to shopping for coverage. “While our traditional customers may still want a high touch relationship with their broker, millennials, who will comprise 46% of the workforce within 10 years, want to communicate digitally at their convenience,” Hare said.

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Oshawa, Ont.-based Petley-Hare Insurance Brokers has launched a new website called Insurance Jack that offers a streamlined buying process for customers across Ontario.

It provides a quick and easy auto insurance quoting process and also online policy information access.

"Petley-Hare has been around for almost 100 years and the brick and mortar model is not broken, but we have expanded and now can do both (traditional and online business)," said Adam Hare, Insurance Jack’s vp of business development and marketing.

The Insurance Jack website, www.insurancejack.com, has been in the works for the past year and is available on desktops and mobile devices.

It provides a quick and easy auto insurance quoting process and also online policy information access.

"We want to rebuild the online experience," Mr. Hare told Thompson’s. "Why have customers answer 40 questions before we give them a quote?

"Typically, online conversion rates are low and drop off rates are high so we only ask for basic information and develop basic assumptions in order to give them something to start with."

He said that while it is starting with a tool for auto insurance, the company intends to eventually expand into all personal lines.

Mr. Hare said he believes that their new vision of online services can make insurance more interesting.

"Insurance is a painful transaction for so many people, and I think that we can change that.

"We provide services for people who are experiencing big milestones in life — buying a car, buying a home — and that’s something that is often forgotten.

"Our culture at Insurance Jack is that we can make a difference and provide a positive client experience and a smooth transition into purchasing insurance."

Insurance Jack is initially focusing on 12 Ontario cities: Barrie, Belleville, Cornwall, Kingston, Kitchener, London, North Bay, Ottawa, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie, Waterloo and Whitby.

Insurance Jack’s insurer partners include Intact, Echelon General, Aviva, Northbridge, Jevco, Coachman, Gore Mutual and The Guarantee.

Petley-Hare’s roots date back to 1922, when James Bickle founded the South Oshawa Insurance and Real Estate Co. Jim Hare bought the firm in 1963, changing the name to Petley-Hare, and Jim’s son David took over the reins in 1976. It also has an office in Bowmanville, Ont.