For Jill Pierce, insurance has always been about more than policies and paperwork. It is about helping people through the moments they never expected to face and being someone they know they can call when they need help.
That personal approach has been a big part of her business, Jill Pierce State Farm in Carrollton for more than two decades, and Pierce is quick to point out that she does not do it alone.
She is proud of the team she has built and the different strengths each person brings to the office. Christy Vaughan, the office manager, has been with Pierce for 12 years. Natalie works at the front desk, helps customers with claims and also handles social media and marketing. Ginny Silvey is one of the agency’s producers, and Ruthie Collins also works in production while attending the University of West Georgia.
Each of them found their way into the insurance business a little differently.
Vaughan worked as a paraprofessional in a school before moving into insurance. Natalie first worked with Pierce at another business. When that store closed, she wanted to continue working with Pierce, so she came over to the insurance office, got licensed, and took on a new role.
Ginny already had insurance experience and a license when she joined the agency. Ruthie, who is Ginny’s daughter, started working at the office part time while she was a student at Carrollton High School through a co-op program. She stayed after graduation, earned her insurance license, and continued working while going to college.
Pierce said having a team with different backgrounds helps the office connect with all kinds of customers.
The way people do business has changed quite a bit over the years. Pierce said there are not as many walk-in customers as there used to be because so many people now prefer phone calls, text messages, email, and online services.
That has made it even more important for the office to stay on top of all the different ways customers may try to reach them.
Still, Pierce believes there is something important about having a local office where people can walk in, sit down, and talk with someone face to face.
“If you choose us to take care of your insurance need, you have five people whose first names you know and whom you can ask for when you call,” Pierce said.
That kind of personal service can make a big difference, especially for customers who are not comfortable with newer technology.
Pierce said Natalie and Ruthie often help customers set up apps, find information online, make payments, and learn how to use the digital side of their insurance. Sometimes that simply means sitting beside someone and showing them where to click. While The City Menus was interviewing Jill’s team and preparing this article, Ruthie was outside helping someone get their Drive Safe and Save device setup.
For Pierce, those everyday moments matter, but the real importance of insurance becomes clear when something goes wrong.
Over the years her office has helped families through house fires, severe weather, car accidents, and the loss of loved ones.
Some of the hardest situations have involved total house fires.
When someone loses a home, they are often dealing with far more than the loss of a building. They may have lost clothing, furniture, family keepsakes, and the sense of security that comes from simply having a place to go home to.
On top of that, there are immediate questions. Where will the family stay that night? How will they buy clothes? What happens while the house is being rebuilt?
Pierce said that situation is one where having the right coverage can make an enormous difference.
“If the financial stress that goes along with challenging times is alleviated, you can deal with the emotional impact in a different way,” she said.
In some cases, the agency can help get money to customers quickly so they can pay for a hotel, buy clothing, or handle other immediate needs while the rest of the claim is being worked out.
Rebuilding a home can take months, and Pierce has seen families go through the entire process from the day of the loss to the day they finally move back in.
She has also had the chance to see the finished result.
There is something special, she said, about walking through a rebuilt home with a customer and seeing how relieved and excited they are to have their life starting to feel normal again.
There are happy moments with auto claims, too. Sometimes customers stop by in a replacement vehicle after an accident, ready to add the new car to their policy.
Those are the days when the story has a much better ending.
Some of the most emotional moments in Pierce’s career, however, have involved life insurance.
She has helped families after the loss of a spouse or other loved one and, in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable, after the loss of a child.
Those experiences are a big reason she encourages people to think about life insurance before they ever believe they will need it.
Losing someone is hard enough, she said. Having to immediately worry about bills, a mortgage, funeral expenses, or lost income can make an already painful time even harder.
“If today were the last day you ever brought home a paycheck, how would your family handle those bills?” Pierce said.
It is not always an easy conversation, but Pierce believes it is an important one.
She also said many people are surprised by the cost of life insurance once they actually sit down and look at their options. Her advice is simple: do not assume it is too expensive without first asking questions and getting information.
The same idea applies to homeowners insurance.
Pierce recommends reviewing a homeowners policy every few years to make sure the amount of coverage still makes sense.
The cost to rebuild a home can change over time, and many homeowners may not realize how expensive it would be to replace everything inside the house as well.
Furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, kitchen items, and everyday belongings add up quickly when they all have to be replaced at once.
“You don’t want to wait until after a claim happens to find out you weren’t properly insured,” Pierce said.
That kind of preparation is part of what Pierce and her team try to help customers think about long before a claim ever happens.
The office also works to stay connected with customers after a policy is written.
New customers go through an onboarding process where the team follows up to make sure everything was issued the way it was expected. The staff checks documentation, follows up around renewals, and periodically reaches out to see whether anything has changed.
The office sends thank-you cards as well, something that fits with the personal feel Pierce has tried to keep over the years.
After more than two decades in Carrollton, she has gotten to know many of the people and families her office serves.
Some of those relationships go back even further than her own time as an agent, with customers who were insured through agents who came before her.
That history means something to Pierce.
So does being part of the Carrollton community outside the office.
She has been involved with the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, and Carrollton First Methodist Church; and she has made local involvement a regular part of the agency’s work.
Supporting community events and organizations is something Pierce sees as a natural part of being a local business owner.
“It gives you an opportunity to have an impact in the community,” she said.
The insurance industry continues to change, and Pierce has watched technology become a much bigger part of how people shop for coverage, manage policies, and communicate with their agents.
Online tools, mobile apps, and artificial intelligence are all changing the business.
But Pierce still believes there is room for something old-fashioned in the best possible way: knowing who you are talking to.
There is value, she said, in calling an office and hearing a familiar voice. There is value in being able to stop by when something is confusing. And there is value in knowing that when something serious happens, there are people nearby who already know who you are.
That is what Pierce and her team have tried to build in Carrollton: a local office, familiar faces, and someone ready to help when life does not go according to plan.
