Central Insurance Blog

Building genuine relationships can feel like a lost art in today’s insurance market, where speed and automation often replace human connection. At Central Insurance, relationships are more than a nicety—they’re the core of our business philosophy and the foundation of how we serve.

Angie Gibson, vice president of customer services at Central Insurance, knows this well. With over thirty years at Central, she’s witnessed firsthand how relationships drive everything from internal culture to long-term policyholder satisfaction.

“We’re in the business of helping people,” Gibson says. “We put lives back together when bad things happen. That’s our ultimate promise—and it all starts with trust.”

In this article, we’ll explore how Central’s relationship-first approach shows up across customer service, culture, and agent partnerships and why it continues to set us apart in today’s insurance market. 

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Relationships Start at Home

Gibson is quick to point out that meaningful relationships can’t exist outside the organization if they don’t exist within it.

“It has to start internally,” she says. “If we haven’t built relationships with each other, how do we expect to do that with agents or customers?”

That mindset traces back to her earliest memories of Central. 

In 1976, Gibson was six years old when her father—then working in Central’s Los Angeles office—relocated the family to Van Wert, Ohio. One of their first stops in town was a backyard barbecue at her dad’s new boss’s house. 

“That was my first experience with Central culture and hospitality,” she says. “I just didn’t know it yet.”

Years later, Gibson joined the company, starting in the mailroom while attending college. She moved through various departments—accounting, billing, and accounts receivable—before finding her home in Customer Services. Today, she leads the very team she once supported.

“Between my dad, myself, and now my son, we’ve had three generations of my family work here,” Gibson says. “You don’t ask your family to work somewhere unless you truly believe in the company.”

That culture of care hasn’t changed. “When I started, our current CEO’s grandfather was in charge. He would walk the halls, greet people by name, and ask how they were doing,” she says. “That set the tone. You weren’t just a number. Our belief in treating people like people is what policyholders still experience today.” 

People Over Transactions

In an industry that can feel increasingly transactional, Gibson sees relationships as a true differentiator.

Her team manages around 500 calls daily—many of them simple billing or account questions—but every interaction is an opportunity to make an impression. “We never want our customers to feel like they’re just a number,” she says.

Many of the people who call in have never filed a claim. They’re simply asking a question about their bill or coverage. “That call is our chance to show them who we are,” Gibson explains. “It’s an opportunity to build trust, even if the question seems small.”

Central’s Customer Service team’s philosophy is simple: do what you say you will do. That means calling back when promised, minimizing friction in the process, and answering the phone. 

Central’s average speed-to-answer is 35 to 40 seconds, and CSAT scores consistently exceed industry benchmarks.

Empowering Exceptional Service

Exceptional service at Central isn’t about grand gestures—it’s about empowering people to respond with empathy in the moment. Gibson encourages her team to own the customer experience and recognize when a small effort could make a big impact.

One representative learned a policyholder wasn’t feeling well, so she filmed a short get-well video message to let them know Central was thinking of them. Another sent a card with a four-leaf clover tucked inside after a light-hearted conversation during a call. When a customer reached their 50th anniversary with Central, the team recorded a personalized group video to thank them.

“There are times our people don’t see these gestures as anything special—they’ll say, ‘I was just doing my job,’” Gibson says. “But small acts can have a big impact. These aren’t things you can script, but you can create the kind of culture where they happen naturally. That’s the kind of service we want to offer.”

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Central’s independent insurance agent model adds another dimension to its relationship-first approach.

“Our independent insurance agents are an extension of us,” Gibson says. “We build relationships with them the same way we build them with policyholders—through trust, consistency, and integrity.”

In fact, many agents have been so moved by Central’s dedication to customer service that they’ve chosen to insure their homes and businesses with us.

“That tells me they believe in our product, service, and people,” she says. 

“We’re not the cheapest carrier on the market and don’t try to be. We care about making sure people have the protection they need when they need it most. That’s the value our agents can confidently sell.” – Angie Gibson, Vice President of Customer Services at Central Insurance

The Central Difference

For Gibson, relationships aren’t just a strategy. They’re a reflection of who Central is.

“Evan Purmort, Central’s CEO and president, has always said we’re a hospitality company that just happens to sell insurance,” she explains. “Every interaction is an interview. Whether you’re talking to a policyholder, an agent, or a coworker, you’re showing them who you are, what you value, and what Central stands for.”

That commitment is measurable: extended service hours from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, consistently fast response times, and best-in-class satisfaction scores. However, Gibson believes the most important results are often the hardest to measure.

“When someone says, ‘I didn’t think I’d get a real person this late in the day,’ or ‘You really helped me,’ that’s when I know we’re making a meaningful difference,”  Gibson says.

Building strong relationships takes time and effort. We  nurture them through consistent care and follow-through. At Central, we’ve been doing just that for generations. 

Interested in learning more about how our relationship-first approach can protect what matters most to you? Contact your independent Central agent today to start the conversation.