Dear Ms. Pannell,
I…read morehope you are doing well.
My name is Gabrielle Scahill, and your District Manager, Tonya Barnes, provided me with your contact information. She also mentioned that she would be sharing my information with you because I requested the opportunity to speak with you regarding the experience I had today with Southern Harvest Insurance.
I have worked in the insurance industry for nearly 10 years, and I can honestly say that I have never experienced the level of poor customer service, lack of professionalism, and negligence that I encountered today with both Natasha Nelson and Tonya Barnes.
During my initial conversation with Natasha Nelson, she quoted me a premium and confirmed that this would be the amount to lock in my policy. She also repeatedly stated that our phone calls were being recorded. Based on the information she provided, I agreed to move forward with the policy. Later, I was contacted and informed that my premium would be significantly higher than what I had been quoted. While I fully understand that insurance premiums can change based on underwriting or additional information, my concern is that I was given a confirmed premium and relied on that information when making my decision.
Rather than acknowledging the mistake or attempting to resolve the situation professionally, Natasha became dismissive and disrespectful. During a subsequent conversation, she again referenced recorded phone calls, then abruptly ended the interaction. I also witnessed behavior that I found highly unprofessional, including her hanging up with a customer and making an inappropriate remark immediately afterward.
When I requested to speak with a supervisor, I was connected with Tonya Barnes. Unfortunately, my experience did not improve. Ms. Barnes was extremely short, dismissive, and unwilling to fully listen to my concerns. She stated that there was nothing she could do to assist me. She also informed me that phone calls are not recorded, which directly contradicted what Natasha had repeatedly told me throughout our conversations.
As someone with extensive experience in the insurance industry, I understand that mistakes can happen. However, honesty, accountability, professionalism, and customer service should always come first. Instead, I felt that I was misled, treated disrespectfully, and denied any meaningful attempt to resolve the issue. Had I been provided with accurate information from the beginning, I could have chosen to place my business with another insurance company.
Because of these events and the conflicting statements regarding recorded phone calls, I am considering consulting with legal counsel to better understand my rights and determine whether any further action is appropriate.
I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you directly regarding this matter. My goal is to ensure this situation is taken seriously so that other customers do not have a similar experience.
Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Scahill
