Category: Company News

(Chattanooga, Tenn.) Freedom Warranty has announced the winners of its annual Sales and Service Awards, a program that recognizes excellence and achievement by the company's staff and sales team. The event was held at the Westin Hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Corporate staff winners are selected based on service quality metrics and sales team winners chosen based on achievement of annual goals.

"Our company has doubled in size over the past two years through a lot of hard work by our corporate staff and national sales team," said Chris D. Miller, chief executive officer of Freedom Warranty. "Freedom Warranty's entire business is dependent on delivering on our commitment to 5-star product value and customer service. That can only be achieved when every member of our team is working towards that single goal."

The 2019 Freedom Warranty Sales Awards winners are:

Top Producer (Gross Sales)

1. Steve Krahmer, Illionis Regional Sales Rep.
2. Brad & Sherri Henry, Ohio Regional Sales Rep.
3. Todd Langley, Michigan Regional Sales Rep.

Top Producer (Contracts Written)

1. Greg Shenenberger, Mid-Atlantic Freedom Group, Pennsylvania/Delaware
2. Steve Krahmer, Illinois Regional Sales Rep.
3. Brad & Sherri Henry, Ohio Regional Sales Rep.

Top Producer (New Clients)

1. Todd Langley, Michigan Regional Sales Rep.
2. Chuck Hague, New Jersey Regional Sales Rep.
3. Matthew O'Brien, Missouri Regional Rep.

Corporate Staff (Chattanooga Office)

Katie Oliver, Excellence in Customer Service
Stephanie Nealey, Excellence in Team Support

About Freedom Warranty

Freedom Warranty is a privately-held company that operates in over two dozen states as obligor and administrator of vehicle service contract products through automotive dealerships, licensed repair facilities, and financial institutions. The company’s corporate office and customer service team is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Visit online at FreedomWarranty.com, call (423) 212-7445 or send email to contactus@freedomwarranty.com.

 

Freedom Warranty, the nation's fastest-growing vehicle service contract administrator, has signed a major annual sponsorship deal with the MidAtlantic Regional Independent Automobile Dealers Association (MARIADA) for 2019.

The sponsorship program includes major participation in the association's annual convention and expo, as well as other key gatherings, and an ongoing advertising campaign in the organization's print and digital publications.

Providing Support for State Associations

The deal is part of Freedom Warranty's Project 2019, a nationwide initiative to provide financial support to automotive industry associations.

Chris Miller, Freedom Warranty's Chief Executive Officer, said the commitment   is an investment in the continuing professionalism of the Independent Automobile Dealer Industry. "Our business is built on the success of independent dealers,," said Miller.

"We want to have a continuing dialogue with our dealer clients and keep our brand at the forefront," said Miller. "By supporting the activities of organizations like the MidAtlantic Regional IADA, we help fund budgets for training, resources, and networking activities that bring us together as an industry."

Reg Evans, Executive Director, MidAtlantic Regional IADA said vendor support is an important part of keeping industry associations like his connected. "We are very excited to have Freedom Warranty's ongoing support. Their investment in advertising, promotion, and events helps us communicate with our members and offer valuable services," said Evans.

About Freedom Warranty

Freedom Warranty operates in 21 states and the District of Columbia and is the administrator and obligor of every VSC product it sells through its Authorized Agents, automotive dealerships, repair service providers, and financial institutions. The company’s corporate office and customer service team is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Learn more about Freedom Warranty at www.FreedomWarranty.com.

Last year, Freedom Warranty made a commitment to its clients: To dramatically improve Customer Satisfaction. One year later, that promise is being kept with major improvements to Overall Customer Happiness.

A comprehensive plan that included educating and motivating department managers and agents has resulted in a composite satisfaction score of 4-stars on consumer review websites.

Specifically, Google Business Reviews added one-and-a half stars (from a low 2-stars) to the composite rating of 3.1 stars. The Better Business Bureau increased by 20-percent to a total 4.74 out of 5 possible.

"Our industry is tough when it comes to customer satisfaction," said Freedom Warranty's new CEO, Chris Miller. "Contracts can be complex and lead to lots of misunderstandings about coverage, but in the end when a customer files a claim they want to be confident that they will be treated with respect and a sense of urgency. That's where we can turn a negative into a positive."

Long Term Effects

Miller admits that it can take months, if not years, to reverse the damage of bad reviews and unhappy customers. "Our dealers and sales agents depend on us to deliver on their promises to customers. We take that very seriously."

Social media and online reviews can have a powerful impact on the marketplace. Putting an emphasis on resolving consumer complaints requires complex coordination between the dealer network, customer service agents and claims teams.

Team Leadership

"Everybody has to be onboard when it comes to improving service. From the dealer making coverages clear to the customer, to how our customer service agents help contract holders do business with us, to how we handle claims," said Miller.

The gains made over the last 12 months mean keeping a constant attention to keep the ratings level and for any improvement, and Miller understands it is a constant challenge to maintain and improve ratings.

"We are laser-focused on customer satisfaction as we continue on the journey to becoming a leading provider and administrator of vehicle service contracts in the industry," said Miller.

Freedom Warranty was a center of attention at this year's meeting of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA) held in Orlando, Fla. June 18-21. This is the big show for non-franchise dealers and vendors who provide products and services to their industry segment.

Miller Named CEO

Making news in the industry during the show, Freedom Warranty confirmed rumors that Chris Miller would be appointed to the CEO's office this year. Freedom Warranty President John P. Skelton made the announcement on opening day of the show.

Miller has been Vice President of Operations since summer of 2017 and the promotion was expected. "Chris is a driving force behind our triple-digit growth over the last 4 quarters and we think he is perfectly qualified to take Freedom Warranty to the next level," said Skelton.

Classic Car Coverage Launches This Summer

Freedom Warranty in the past has offered VSC products for classics—vehicles at least 20 years old, manufactured after 1959, but this year an improved product is coming to market.

Freedom Warranty Classic will offer limited coverage for Resto-Mods, Pro Touring, Hot Rod and German-manufactured vehicles. Details of the plan will be announced sometime in the next few weeks.

Roger W. Gray Joins Freedom Warranty as National Sales Manager

Roger W. Gray made the NIADA show in Orlando his first. He joined the company in May and will work out of Freedom Warranty's Chattanooga, Tenn. headquarters.

"We welcome Roger's experience and enthusiasm to our sales team," said Eric Steven, Director of Sales for Freedom Warranty. "He has already been out on the road visiting dealer clients and working with authorized agents to improve communications."