Serving the mid-Atlantic region for about 25 years, American Heritage Insurance Agency, according to founder Gerald Zoller, offers a more personal touch than larger agencies.

American Heritage, currently based in Eldersburg after a move from Howard County 13 years ago, has a humble staff of eight employees, four of whom are Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC). Zoller himself is a
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CDCU) as well as a CIC. In addition to the rigorous process to become either a CIC or CDCU, Zoller said his employees also take classes to stay up-to-date on insurance practices.

            “Our strength is in our experience, our education,” Zoller said.

He added that American Heritage’s strength also lies in it strong customer service practices and its focus on the individual. Larger insurance agencies, he said, do not offer such attention to their customers. While some agencies have moved to strictly Internet marketing or over-the-phone policy making, American Heritage still strives for more personal interactions.

“If you call Geico, you don’t get the same person twice,” he explained. “We try very hard not to lose touch with customers.” But to what extent will they go? “If someone has a major claim, we’ll get in
a car and drive over there,” Zoller said.

During a phone interview on June 3 he mentioned that he was about to visit a client in Baltimore County. This personal service, Zoller said, is what has allowed the agency to retain some of its customers for so long. He explained that he has had some business clients since the opening of their business.

“The reason they stay with us so long is they see us as advisers,” Zoller said. “They know we take care of them.”

The agency deals mostly with property and business insurance, raging from one-man companies to larger endeavors. While American Heritage focuses on local coverage, according to Zoller usually customers in a 100 to 150 mile radius, they sometimes move outside of this area.

“Even though we’re located here in Eldersburg we have clients all over the country,” Zoller explained.

A specialty of American Heritage is its international insurance coverage, or covering companies that ship their products overseas. This, Zoller said, is something typical insurance policies do not cover.
American Heritage Insurance Agency is located at 1643 Liberty Road. Additional information on the agency can be found at http://www.americanheritageinsurance.com/. They can be contacted at 410-552-1200.