Let’s Eat – Food Tour Around Greenville

By: Sanford Rogers

Our office has been so fortunate to welcome many clients new to the Greenville area.  Finding a new doctor, dog groomer or the address of closest South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles,  are just a few of the many tasks that come with moving to a new area. 

Now for the fun stuff!   What is the go-to place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner?  Greenville has so many great places ranging from deli’s and dinners to five-star experiences. With that in mind our office wanted to offer just a few suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack! 

BREAKFAST 

Stax’s Omega Diner–74 Orchard Park Drive, Greenville, SC 29615 Phone-864 297-6639

Stax’s Omega opened in 1988 and has been a Greenville mainstay since that time.  It has been featured on the Food Network, Southern Living and Travel and Leisure to name a few.  The reason for the accolades is many after having a leisurely breakfast to start the day. 

What to order—

The choices are almost endless, but it would be hard to beat the Low Country Shrimp and Grits.  Nothing says South Carolina more than shrimp and grits.   For a more traditional breakfast try the blueberry pancakes and bacon with cup of freshly ground coffee and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. 

LUNCH 

The Zorba  Lounge–1414 E Washinton St. Greenville SC 29607 Phone –864 233-3125 

It is hard to imagine how many cars zip down Laurens Road towards downtown Greenville every day.  There are a number of folks that drive past The Zorba lounge without knowing they may have just passed the best burger in Greenville!

What to order—

It would be hard to go wrong with a bacon cheeseburger and hand-cut French fries (one order is large enough to feed two to three people).  The regulars are Zobra’s will tell you the best seller is a steak sandwich that keeps folks coming back time after time! 

DINNER 

Soby’s 207 Sout Main Street, Greenville, SC 29601 Phone–864-232-7007

Some would say the Greenville food scene changed forever when Carol Sobocinski and his partner David Williams purchased an old shoe store on main street in downtown Greenville and transformed it into a must stop for all who love New South Cuisine. Soby’s opened in 1997 and has been a key ingredient in making Greenville the restaurant destination it is today for many foodies from across the country.

What to order–

You can’t’ wrong with crab cakes served with sweet corn maque choux, mashed potatoes and a wonderful remoulade sauce that makes you think you must be close to a beach.  If seafood is not at the top of your list the braised beef short ribs served with horseradish mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus, will have you coming back again and again.  Don’t forget to save room for dessert!  The signature dessert is a white chocolate banana cream pie. 

Snack–

Kilwins–220 North Main Street, Greenville, SC 29601 Phone–864-241-2003 

When strolling down Greenville’s beautiful main street there is always time for a snack.  Stop in at Kilwins, located in Noma Square. On Thursday evening from mid-March until late August there is live music on Thursday evenings that brings in visitors of all ages. 

What to order–

The flavors of ice cream are endless, but don’t sleep on a caramel apple or fresh made fudge that will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Summer is almost here!

A Moment with Angie – Boat Safety 

At the Angie DeVore Agency, our goal is you to help YOU, our faithful clients. Last year, we introduced a new video series,  “A Moment with Angie“. It’s structured to help and guide you with all of your insurance needs.  This month we’re focusing on Boat Insurance. Specifically the two main coverages which are liability (if you cause damage to someone or something) and physical damage (if there is damage to your boat). Take a look at this month video by clicking here and as always, give us a call with questions. 

Have questions? Check out our previous “Moment with Angie’s” on our YouTube page or give us a call us at (864) 235-7661. We’d love to hear from you!

April Referral Drawing

Do you send us referrals each month? If not – you should! Why? Because just by sending us a referral, you’ll receive a $10 gift card from us AND be entered to win a $100 gift card, drawn at the beginning of the next month.

This month’s winner:

Amanda Miklos

 

Looking for a way to give back? 

Are you looking for a way to give back this year? We invite you to check out Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County. This amazing organization recognizes, like we do, that homes are so very important to each of us. They envision a world where everyone has a decent place to live and do that by building homes, communities and therefore, hope.

Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County seeks to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. They believe that affordable homeownership is foundational for creating family stability, ensuring academic success for children and eliminating generational poverty. 

To learn more, we invite you to visit their website.

Personal Umbrella Policy

A Moment with Angie – Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)

At the Angie DeVore Agency, our goal is you to help YOU, our faithful clients. Last year, we introduced a new video series,  “A Moment with Angie“. It’s structured to help and guide you with all of your insurance needs.  This month we’re focusing on Personal Umbrella Policies, or PUPs. Take a look by clicking here and as always, give us a call with questions. 

Have questions? Check out our previous “Moment with Angie’s” on our YouTube page or give us a call us at (864) 235-7661. We’d love to hear from you!

Looking for a way to give back? 

Are you looking for a way to give back this year? We invite you to check out Just Say Something. Just Say Something helps parents do just that. They help remove barriers and excuses that might keep parents from talking with their kids about drug and alcohol abuse.  It compels them to start and maintain important conversations that will lead to healthier choices and stronger bonds. For 35 years Just Say Something has worked hand in hand with youth, parents, and communities to have open, honest, and ongoing conversations about drugs and alcohol.  In this ever-changing world, their team works diligently to provide up-to-date information in our programs and other community outreach.  Their vision is to create thriving communities where all are enlightened and empowered to reach their full potential.

To learn more, we invite you to visit their website.

We are thankful for YOU!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

We are so thankful for you! 

On behalf of everyone at the Angie DeVore Agency, we want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! We truly value your business, but more than that, your friendship and cannot tell you how thankful we are for each of you.

You’re Invited

We love our customers and love a chance to celebrate YOU! Please join us on Wednesday November 14th from 11:00 – 1:00 for a drop-in Customer Appreciation Event. Need more information? Watch this video featuring owner, Angie DeVore! 

Customer Reviews 

We LOVE to hear from you when we do things well and when we need to improve. We are here for each of you and without your feedback – we could not continue to grow! Let us hear from you! And – take a look at what our customers are currently saying about us. 

 

“Angie and her staff have always provided courteous and friendly service when I have a question and need help with an issue. Part of the reason I have stayed with Allstate is because of the service I receive from the Angie DeVore Agency.”

“They have always gone the extra mile for me and shown concern for me as a person. For example, they came to see me when I was in the hospital. They even brought me a gift basket and that has meant a lot to me.”

“They treat you like family and the only customers they have.”

Have questions? Give us call us at (864) 235-7661. We’d love to hear from you!

Life Insurance Awareness Month

Did you know that September is Life Insurance Awareness month?

Did you know that September is Life Insurance Awareness Month? Life isn’t guaranteed and as a trusted advisor, it’s important to offer life insurance to every customer to ensure their most important assets – their family and financial wellbeing – are protected. New LIMRA research finds more than one third (35 percent) of all households would feel an adverse financial impact within one month if a primary wage earner died. That is why LIMRA joins Life Happens and life insurance companies and financial professionals across the country in support of Life Insurance Awareness Month – to bring awareness to the importance of having the life insurance coverage needed to protect one’s loved ones.

• Did you know…
  • Approximately 50 million households recognize they need more life insurance.
  • Among individuals with life insurance, about 1 in 5 say that they do not have enough.
  • About 20 percent of individuals who don’t own life insurancedon’t know how much coverage they should have.
  • Among married/partnered consumers, one third wish that their spouse or partner would purchase more life insurance.

Let’s face it. Most people put off buying life insurance for any number of reasons – if they even understand what it is to begin with. Take a look at this list – do any of these reasons sound like you?

1. It’s too expensive. In the ever-burgeoning budget of a young family, things like day care and car payments and possibly student loans eat up a good chunk of the money each month, and a lot of people think that life insurance is just outside those “necessities” when money’s tight. But two things: life insurance is often not nearly as expensive as you might think, especially when you can get a good policy for less than the cost of a daily cup of coffee at the local café, and well, if money’s tight now, what if something happens to you? Here’s more information about the true cost of life insurance.

2. That’s that stuff for babies and old people, right? People of a certain age remember Ed McMahon telling them their grandparents couldn’t be turned down for any reason and figure that’s the target demographic for life insurance. Or, you might have been offered a small permanent insurance policy for your newborn, attractively presented with a cherubic infant on the envelope. The truth of the matter is that these are very specific insurance products—just as there are many insurance products for adults in their working years.

3. I’m strong and healthy! You eat right, you stay active, and everyone admires how grounded and centered you are. You passed your last physical with flying colors! That’s GREAT! But you’re neither immortal nor indestructible. It’s not even that something could happen to you—though it could—so much as when you’re at your strongest and healthiest, there’s no better time to get a policy to protect your loved ones. If you fall seriously ill or suffer significant injury later, it will make it tougher to get that kind of policy, if any at all.

4. I have life insurance through my job. Many people are offered life insurance as part of their employee benefit coverage –and often, it’s the first time they encounter life insurance and have no idea that a $50,000 policy, or one or two times their salary, isn’t as much as they think it is. It sounds like a lot of money (and it is!), until you figure that it has to cover some or all the expenses for your loved ones in your absence. Plus, if you leave the job, it’s typically the type of insurance that doesn’t “move on” with you.

5. I don’t have kids. Sure, kids are a big reason why some people get life insurance. But that’s not the only litmus for needing protection. If there is anyone in your life who would suffer financially from your loss—your spouse or live-in partner, a sibling, even your parents—a life insurance policy goes a long way in making sure everyone’s still OK even if something happens to you.

6. Life insurance—it’s on my list … eventually. There’s no deadline on life insurance, no mandate from the government on purchasing it. Your parents may have never talked to you about its importance, and it’s certainly not the most invigorating topic for conversation. But don’t let your “eventually” turn into your loved ones’ “if only.”

We want to make sure that you and your loved ones are protected – so give us a call today!

A Moment with Angie – The Importance of Life Insurance 

At the Angie DeVore Agency, we’ve been working on ways to help YOU, our faithful clients. Part of that is our video series that we debuted earlier this year, “A Moment with Angie“. It’s structured to help and guide you with all of your insurance needs. Read on below and as always, give us a call with questions!

To see our most recent “Moment with Angie” where one of our clients shares his advice on Life Insurance and Retirement Planning, click here. We hope that you enjoy it!

Have questions? Check out our previous posts here or here or call us at (864) 235-7661. We’d love to hear from you!

Auto Insurance Myths Revealed

 

Car insurance can be confusing and complicated, we know! Don’t let yourself get confused or worried by the common misconceptions about car insurance.  Here are some common myths about car insurance and their truths. As always, please give us a call with questions…we are here for you! Click here for more information.

Myth 1: Thieves prefer to steal brand new cars…

Fact: It’s actually the complete opposite! Statistics show that thieves actually prefer to steal older cars due to their lack of security devices compared to new cars, and for their popularity for parts.  Many people are hanging onto their older cars longer and requiring used parts.  Due to this need for used parts, many older cars are stolen and their parts are sold rather than the car itself.

Myth 2: Drivers of sports cars get more tickets and thus pay higher car insurance rates.

Fact: That’s not necessarily true! It has been shown in studies that cars that commit the most violations are SUV’s, sedans, and coupes.  Many of the most expensive cars were actually shown to have the least amount of traffic violations!

Myth 3: Red cars are the most expensive to insure

Fact: Red cars will not cost you more money!  Our company, along with most all other insurance companies, do not use color as a factor when calculating your insurance rate.  The color of your car is highly unlikely to even be asked by insurance companies.  We are interested in the year, make, model, body type and engine size; as well as any safety features such as air bags and anti-lock brakes, which at Allstate can lead to discounts on your policy rate.  So don’t worry about the color of your car!

 

Myth 4: If my car is totaled, my car insurance will pay off what I owe on my loan or lease.

Fact:  If your car is totaled in an accident, your automobile policy does NOT guarantee to pay off what you owe on the car.  You are still responsible for whatever you owe on the loan or lease.  An insurance company will pay you for the actual cash value of the car before the accident, minus your deductible.  Depreciation is factored into the actual cash value of the car.  Gap insurance is available at most insurance companies to cover the amount you owe on the loan or lease in the unfortunate situation of your car being totaled during the loan or lease term.

Myth 5: My auto insurance will cover me if my car is stolen, vandalized or damaged from hail or

Fact:  This is only true if you carry COMPREHENSIVE coverage!  In most states, the minimum coverage is a liability coverage, which covers the damage YOU do to others.  Collision coverage covers YOUR vehicle in the event of an collision accident.  Collision and comprehensive coverage are necessary to protect your vehicle from physcial damages.  Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your vehicle that is not the result of an accident, such as fire, hail, vandalism, and theft.

Myth: My auto insurance company will pay for a rental car if my car is stolen or damaged in an accident.

Fact: Not true, unless you have the optional rental car coverage! Even if your policy has collision and comprehensive coverage, it still may not cover the cost of a car rental.  Rental car reimbursement is available at most insurance companies and is inexpensive.

Still have questions? Visit our website to contact us.

The Importance of Life Insurance

Why Life Insurance?

Ever wonder how important life insurance can be? Or why you or your loved ones might need it? We’re here to help! We know that your family is the most important thing in your lives, so take the necessary steps to protect them now! Should something happen to you, Life insurance helps provide some financial security, so there’s a way to help your family cover medical bills, funeral costs, mortgage or rent, college tuition and many other living expenses. Give us a call and let us tell you more and guide you through this process. We have a wide variety of options so we can help you choose what works best for you and your family as well as your budget. 

A Moment with Angie 

At the Angie DeVore Agency, we’ve been working on ways to help YOU, our faithful clients. Part of that is our video series that we debuted earlier this year, “A Moment with Angie“. It’s structured to help and guide you with all of your insurance needs. Read on below and as always, give us a call with questions!

To see our most recent “Moment with Angie” regarding Life Insurance, click here. We hope that you enjoy it! 

 Facebook Update

Do you follow us on Facebook but have not been seeing our posts? Facebook has a new algorithm that is affecting what you see on your newsfeed and we don’t want you to miss our important updates! So – make sure that you see the posts from our page by following these directions:

1. On the lefthand side of your homepage (newsfeed) are the list of pages you follow. Hover over ours (Allstate Insurance: Angie DeVore) and the … you see.
2. Click the … and hit “edit settings”
3. Change “Notify me about” to “All Posts” and save changes

And – to ensure you see our posts, engage with us by liking, commenting or sharing one of our posts!

Have questions? Check out our previous posts here or here or call us at (864) 235-7661. We’d love to hear from you!

A Moment with Angie – May Blog Post

It’s finally spring and we could not be more excited about it! We have a lot to share with you this month, so read on below for more information. 

A Moment with Angie 

At the Angie DeVore Agency, we’ve been working on ways to help YOU, our faithful clients. So – we have launched a new video series, “A Moment with Angie“. It’s structured to help and guide you with all of your insurance needs. Read on below and as always, give us a call with questions! 

And what is the subject of the video post and questions? Teen Drivers. Click here to view our latest video on teen drivers. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When adding teen drivers to a policy – are they added once they are officially driving or right before? And do they need one for a learners permit?

When a teen just has a learners permit, they do not have to be added to a policy since they are required to have an adult accompany them. When they are licensed to drive alone, they need to be added to a policy (even if they do not own a car). When they get licensed, they sign a form with the DMV that they will carry liability insurance if there is a vehicle present in their household.

2. Do driving classes help with auto insurance? 

Allstate gives a discount for having a Drivers Training course completed. This is now required for a teen to get their license so just make sure you keep the certificate to send to us.

3. How does having a newer car differ from driving an older car as it pertains to auto insurance? 

Having an older car that doesn’t need collision coverage will help keep rates manageable for a new teen driver. If the only car they are able to be rated on is a new car with collision and comprehensive the rate could be a tad bit more.

4. Are teen rates higher than adult/experienced driver rates?

Insurance rates are based heavily on statistics. Statistics show that teen drivers are a higher risk than many adult drivers who have more driving experience. Regardless of age, the first 3 years that a driver is licensed is the highest risk therefore the rate will reflect that risk.

5. Can rates be lowered for teen drivers? 

Keeping a B average or better in school provides a Good Student discount. We offer a course called TeenSmart that provides an additional discount on top of the Drivers Training discount. Keeping a clean driving record certainly helps keep the rate manageable. Allstate also has an app called DriveWise that can be used to help keep track of driving habits between parents and teens. Our office also offers to have your teen come in to meet with the agency owner, Angie, to discuss how rates will change should a ticket or accident occur. She also discusses the responsibility and risk that comes with this new privilege of driving.

 

Facebook Update

Do you follow us on Facebook but have not been seeing our posts? Facebook has a new algorithm that is affecting what you see on your newsfeed and we don’t want you to miss our important updates! So – make sure that you see the posts from our page by following these directions:

1. On the lefthand side of your homepage (newsfeed) are the list of pages you follow. Hover over ours (Allstate Insurance: Angie DeVore) and the … you see. 
2. Click the … and hit “edit settings”
3. Change “Notify me about” to “All Posts” and save changes 

And – to ensure you see our posts, engage with us by liking, commenting or sharing one of our posts! 

Have questions? Check out our March blog post that gives you a comprehensive look at our staff or give us a call, (864) 235-7661. We’d love to hear from you! 

Meet Our Staff!

 

It’s March, which means spring is on its’ way! Throughout January and February, we introduced our awesome staff team on our social media pages. Today – we wanted to give you a comprehensive look at that team so you know who you need to contact for assistance! Take a look below and as always, should have ever have any insurance questions, we’re here to help! Feel free to give us a call at (864) 235-7661 or visit our website, https://agents.allstate.com/angela-devore-greenville-sc.html.

Owner Angie DeVore has been with Allstate for 17 years wearing many different hats. She started out answering phones, providing service to clients, cleaning toilets then moved to providing solutions to clients needs through insurance policies, then to managing the agency and has owned the agency for the last 6 and a half years. She loves her job and the team she has the pleasure of working with! She loves to spend time with friends and family, traveling to the beach, reading and decorating. Angie is married to Josh who is a firefighter here in Greenville and they have a shizoodle named Lexi.

Angie Bouchard serves as a Customer Service Representative. Angie has been with Allstate for 12 years and provides valuable customer service help to all of our customers. She absolutely loves to read and her happy place is the beach! We are so thankful for Angie!

Bridget Childers has worked for Allstate for 2 and a half years and is a Licensed Customer Service Representative. She’s been married to her husband for 10 years and has an awesome six year old son. Her favorite thing is to bake and trust us, she bakes some tasty treats!

Frank Carter has worked for Allstate for 1 year as an Account Manager (Auto, Home, Life, ATV’s, Boats, etc.). He is married and has 3 boys and loves to dance, write music and coach basketball and football. Frank certainly keeps us entertained! Give him a call today.

Rosie Kaur joined the team 9 months ago but has been with Allstate for 2 years. She’s a Sales Account Manager and her hobbies include music, collecting coins, meeting new people and helping others. Rosie has 3 children and is a great addition to our team!

Ann Hutchinson has been with Allstate for 7 years and provides valuable customer service support. She loves to read, spend time in the mountains, see movies and travel and is very interested in paleontology and archeology! Ms. Ann loves all four legged friends and loves to spend time with her mom.

Karen Collins – Salisbury is a financial professional. Through this role, Karen helps clients protect their family and their financial future. She loves spending time with her two beautiful daughters and her amazing circle of friends. Fun fact, Karen was dairy and gluten free before Whole Foods!

Erin Murphy joined Allstate last March and handles marketing and social media content. Erin and her husband, Hunter, met at Presbyterian College and have a daughter, Mae. She loves to spend time with her friends and family and has a slight obsession with diet coke and reality TV .

Have questions? Check out our previous Frequently Asked Questions post here. Not answered? Give us a call, (864) 235-7661.

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with owner, Angie DeVore

Happy July! This month, we have a special interview featuring Agency Owner, Angie DeVore. Take a look – we hope you will find this valuable! And should have ever have any insurance questions, we’re here to help! Feel free to give us a call at (864) 235-7661 or visit our website.

Frequently Asked Questions Interview:

Erin: So I recently had a little incident and learned a valuable lesson. I didn’t realize that in a parking lot if someone is coming down the aisle and someone is also backing and hit each other, they could both be at fault.

 

Angie: Yes, that is the case a lot of times. I cringe when I hear people say let them hit me because I have the right of way in a parking lot. Parking lot claims can be very tricky in the sense that if both parties are backing or moving they both can be found as contributors to the incident.

 

Erin: I have been surprised to learn all of the discounts that are available on auto and home insurance. Can you tell me about a few of them that some people may not know about?

 

Angie: Absolutely, we try to reward our clients any way possible with as many discounts as possible. On our preferred auto policies we give discounts for receiving your paperwork via email, paying by a bank draft, having a clean driving record, driving vehicles with safety features, certain occupations, if you are under 25 and not married as well as discounts for being a good student and completing drivers training, having multiple policies with Allstate, if you are 55 years old and retired, if you pay on time, if you pay in full and if you own your home to name a few. On our home policies we give discounts for being claim free, having an alarm system, having multiple policies with Allstate, being 55 and retired, the age of your home, and for renovations that you do to the HVAC system or replace your roof.

 

Erin: It’s vacation season and many people rent a car to travel in, are they covered or should they purchase the rental car coverage?

 

Angie: You are right, many people do rent a car so they don’t have to worry about miles on theirs or mechanical issues. Our policy does transfer to a rental car in the U.S. for the same coverage that they carry on their primary vehicles including their deductible amounts. We do not cover loss of use or administrative fees that would be charged if the vehicle is wrecked. We also suggest always renting with a major credit card as many of them have a benefit that will pay the deductible should a claim occur.

 

Erin: Many people turn to the Internet or a 1-800 number to purchase insurance. What are the advantages to having a local agent/agency?

 

Angie: Oh this is a good one. The old saying goes, you get what you pay for….well that’s true in so many cases. Many people have opted to go online or call an 800 number to purchase insurance and some have found savings but have learned hard lessons. Many of our clients who have made this decision have come back to us, as the level of service is noticeably different. In our agency if you have a claim then you are going to talk with our claim specialist who will walk you through the entire claim process and will be following up with you to make sure it’s going well. We have highly trained and knowledgeable staff to help with payments, changes and advice. We review your policies each renewal to make sure you are getting the best possible price while making sure your coverage’s continue to meet your needs. We are advocates between our clients and Allstate making sure they get what they need. We are not order takers, we are advisors. Our job is to make sure we know you and your world so that we can protect it should a claim arise.

 

Erin: I’ve heard you guys refer to yourself as the “Chick-Fil-A of Insurance” what do you mean by this.

 

Angie: Well you can read our reviews on our website to hear what we do but we go above and beyond for our clients. It truly is our pleasure to have the opportunity to work with so many great clients day in and day out with their requests whether it’s paying a bill, changing vehicles, having questions, reviewing policies, adding coverage’s or filing claims. Most all companies work similarly in how they pay claims, what perils are covered, etc. but it’s the agent and the agency staff that really make a difference when it comes to insurance. Feel free to check out our website for more information.