State Farm Insurance: Being There
by Michelle Troutman 

Inside the small, tidy downtown office it's not unusual for customers to be greeted not just by the receptionist, but by State Farm agent John Fortier's dogs, Grady and Tucker. Yellow Labrador Grady was named after Belgrade, where Fortier lives. Golden Retriever Tucker goes into "zooming mode" at least once a day, feeling the urge to run around the office.

Fortier is the fifth of seven children. His father, Malcolm J. Fortier, had been mayor of Waterville in the 1960s, and then a representative for the city in the state legislature for three terms. At age 47, he became a State Farm agent, before retiring 20 years later.

Fortier describes his mother, Yvette Bolduc Fortier, as a fabulous cook, and quite a lady. "She was the anchor." His father was the public persona; his mother was the woman behind the man. She worked at Keyes Fibre, until she married in 1937, before women in the workforce were the norm, and died in 2006 at age 91.

Fortier has been married to his wife, Lisa, for 37 years. She is a wonderful cook, one of the things that kept him interested. Another factor was her grandmother, who would insist on having John sit down at any time, day or night, to eat a three-course meal. She didn't speak English, but understood a little, and through Lisa, they made a connection. Lisa was a homemaker for many years, and later chose to enter real estate, and works for Coldwell-Banker Plourde.

John and Lisa have three children, their son, Alek, 31, and twin daughters Katherine and Anna, 28. The third generation in the business, Alek has worked in the office for five years. Katherine graduated from the University of Maine; Anna from Wheaton College, magna cum laude, with a degree in International Relations; after college, she enlisted in the army to become a bomb technician on the E.O.D. (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team from 2004 to 2008. She did a few VIP details for the president and Vice President while she was an E.O.D. specialist. Katherine lives in Winter Park, Colorado, and is a marketing/Web designer.

Fortier was part of the early "kitchen cabinet" in the formation of the Waterville Main Street program ten years ago. "We -- the downtowns -- really provide a very important part of the fabric of the community in which the Internet can never, ever hope to provide."

He was a long-term board member of The Salvation Army, a past president of the Waterville Rotary Club (1988/1989), and has been a Rotarian for 30 years. He has also been on the board of Inland Hospital for several years and is currently Vice Chair.

On a typical day, John checks his email first thing. His staff takes calls, does quotes, and answers claims and billing questions. A lot of the work involves processing insurance applications, filling out forms, taking documentation, and photos.

Together, Fortier estimates he and his staff have about 85 years of insurance experience combined. "I'm very proud to have them; they are the ones that make me look good."

Besides his son, John employs Kristal Michaud and Anne MacKnight, who have both worked for him for over 20 years. "Customers don't call me, they call my staff. That really says a lot. John who?"

Fortier believes insurance shoppers should be wary. "We see it all the time when people come through comparison shopping, when they bought their product on the Internet, or an 800-number, and our online competitors are offering products based on price rather than need with lower levels of coverage and higher deductibles." Heavy media marketing creates a higher perception of value, and those marketing costs can add to higher premiums for customers if they have an accident. "Nobody wants to be in a position where they're being sued for an uncomfortable amount of money and their coverage level comes nowhere near meeting that level of expectation."

"Of course, when an auto accident happens, State Farm's policy is to use only original manufacturer parts (OEM) instead of the lower cost aftermarket parts required by many other insurers. State Farm's fast fair claims processing often results in accelerated and preferred repair handling by the local repair shops. We really want to cater to our customers to make the old-fashioned exceptional customer experience a reality."

He adds that careful drivers can almost always buy better coverage at a lower cost from a local agent and get professional advice and help not available online. "Going online for insurance may be convenient, but it is usually more costly, more risky, and when you have an accident, you have a 'do it yourself kit' with no agent representation or help. My advice is to shop locally, not globally."

"If you look in the Yellow Pages, under the State Farm ad, I'm the only agent that advertises his home phone. If it's after hours, please call me at home if you have an accident, or a need. I am networked at home, and I am available weekends."

Fortier started work early, having been a paperboy from ages 9 to 15. He attended Thomas College for two years, and in 1973 finished his education at the University of Maine (at Orono) with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After graduation, he worked for one of his brothers in the recreational vehicle business. After the business was sold in 1977, he returned to Waterville, where he was recruited by State Farm, and was assigned one-third of his father's agency.

"From that point forward, I made it grow, and have continued very much in his tradition," says Fortier. "I was very fortunate to have a father that taught me a lot. One of the things he instilled in me was a philosophy that if you start out right, you end up right. And, if you treat people the way they should be treated, and look out for their best interests, generally speaking, you can't go wrong, and that's what it's all about -- acting in your customer's best interest, rather than your best interest, and with that mindset -- in the long term, you will prosper."

State Farm insures more homes and more cars than any other insurance company. "One of the reasons they are the largest is that they have a higher retention level; they keep more of their customers than other insurance companies do, over time, and that kind of speaks to the level of satisfaction the company provides, not only the level of satisfaction, but the loyalty the company provides customers. That kind of loyalty is reflective of the retention rate the customers have with the company."

On the insurance side, State Farm offers life insurance and annuities, fire, health, and car insurance. As part of State Farm Bank, State Farm offers CDs, money markets, checking and savings accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, and education savings plans. They also do home vehicle loans, home equity and mortgage loans, business lending, and State Farm Visa Credit Cards.

"Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. I live by that. The agent really adds value to the whole process," says Fortier. "I'm extremely proud to represent my customers and my company."

The State Farm Insurance John M. Fortier agency is open from 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday, and is open until 7pm on Thursdays: 207-873-1101. www.johnfortier.com.

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