What are we seeing?   The past three years we’ve had more employee dishonesty claims than in my previous 35 years in the business.  Take time to review your checks and balances in your systems.  Often times it is your “trusted employee” that takes advantage of your trust to rob you.  Three things you can do to minimize the chances of employee dishonesty…..

1) Always run a 3^rd party background check to see if there are any previous issues having to do with money…..

2) Make sure you have written procedures for handling all funds including credit card transactions…..

3) Monitor closely to make sure all procedures and checks and balances are being followed.

We are also seeing increasing numbers of ADA type suits and charges being brought.  Again, it is critical to make sure all your employees are familiar with ADA requirements.  In March of this year there are additional rules and requirements that become effective.  Are you familiar with them?  Are all your team members familiar with them?

Another area that is critical to address is the privacy issue.  Although it applies to both paper and electronic information, most of the claims we see result from some type of “internet hacking”.  You can purchase insurance to protect you.  The insurance is referred to by a number of different names, most commonly either “Data Breach” or “Cyber-Liability”.  These policies vary widely in the coverage they provide as well as the amount of protection they provide.

One last area I want to touch on real quickly.  This only applies if you have hotel vehicles, either service vehicles or shuttles.  The shuttle situation is the MOST CRITICAL.  It is critical that you get MVR’s prior to allowing anyone to operate your shuttle.  Next, make sure you have a training program in place to check out their operation of the shuttle.  Depending on the insurance company, the driver may need to be at least 25 years old.

Remember this, as a hotel owner YOU are responsible for any damage or INJURY your operator is responsible for.  Do you want to be involved in a situation with multiple fatalities or serious injury that you possibly had a young driver with a previous DUI or other major violation?  Not a good scenario.

In a nutshell, it’s critical that we pay attention to all areas of our hotel operations.  This litigious society is what we live in, so do what you can to minimize claims against your property.

If you have questions concerning any of these areas, please feel free to give me or any of the RCI Team a call to discuss.  We are available to work with you in prevention as well as insurance to protect you should a situation arise.

Looking at the New Year is always a special time for me.  I enjoy setting goals and looking towards things that I can improve on and trying to find ways to do things better.  This year as I am going through the process I wanted to get my family and friends involved (because everyone knows those around you need to improve more than we do ourselves).

A picture came to my mind that I just could not block out.  “The Oxygen Mask on an airplane”!  Then it all came crashing down around me.  If I want to make my family, friends, clients, and associates better…….. the first thing I have to do is make myself better.  The instructions on the oxygen mask are pretty clear, “In case of emergency secure your oxygen mask then if you have children help secure theirs.”

So my goal this year is to put my oxygen mask on or to improve myself before I worry about other people’s improvements.   By making self-improvements, I will be able to better serve my clients at RCI Insurance Group, my family, and my community.  So if you have a specific area RCI needs to improve on in our service for you, here is an opportunity to voice it to me.  I already have some ideas but would value your input as well.  Give me a call (918-341-6081) or send me an email (ccottom@rci-insurance.com)and I will try to improve in the areas needed to make us a more trusted partner for you.

The Christmas season is here.  For many, it signals a time of family gatherings.   Gift exchanges, office parties, parades, and holiday decorations are just a few of the signs that Christmas is almost here.   For the children, the thought of Santa coming and bringing presents is highly anticipated.   For those of us of the Christian faith, it is also a time of celebration and reflection of the “Reason for the Season”.

If the true meaning of Christmas is giving, then give of yourself.  Expensive presents aren’t the most important thing.  Enjoy the extra time to spend with family and friends.  Volunteer at a homeless shelter; use your imagination to think of ways to give to others that doesn’t cost money.  Giving of your time and talents is less expensive and is usually much more appreciated and cherished!

As Christmas approaches, it also signals the coming of the end of another year.  Wow, what a year this has been.  In Oklahoma, we saw record cold temperatures last winter.  Along with those record cold temperatures came record amounts of snowfall.  Most couldn’t wait for warmer weather to arrive.  Spring brought the usual turbulent weather, not only in Oklahoma, but throughout the nation.  There were devastating and deadly tornadoes in Alabama and Missouri as well as many other parts of the U.S., causing over a billion dollars’ worth of damage plus the loss of lives.  Flooding still continues in parts of the upper Midwest.   Then summer came and with it came record heat.  Parts of the state recorded temperatures over 100 more than 60 days this year.

Speaking of weather, only in Oklahoma can you have in the same day earthquakes, tornados, hail storms, and flooding!  Yes, it’s been quite a year.  These weather patterns emphasize the need to make sure all of your insurance policies are current based on today’s costs.  At RCI Insurance Group, we’re always available to review your insurance protection with you.  Feel free to give us a call.

It’s been a challenging year for all of us in so many ways, but with the New Year, hope should spring eternal in all of us.  We live in the greatest nation on the planet and are blessed with so many freedoms and benefits much of the world can only dream about.

Let’s make plans for 2012 to be our best year ever.  THE ROAD IS UP, THE WAY IS CLEAR, AND THE SKY’S THE LIMIT.

Rocking around the Christmas Tree

Whether you are dreaming of a white Christmas, rockin’ around the Christmas tree, enjoying the eggnog, or just absorbing the glow of the holiday season, we want to make sure that you and your families are as safe as possible during the most wonderful time of the year.

Each year fires occurring during the holiday season injure 2,600 individuals and cause over $930 million in damage, according to the United States Fire Administration.

Here are some suggestions to help prevent injury to yourself and prevent fire at your house (don’t want to have a claim on your homeowners’ policy right before the holidays!):

1. Many artificial trees are fire-resistive. Check the label before buying.
2. If you buy a real tree, make sure it is fresh. Older, drier trees are more likely to catch fire.
3. Make sure the tree is not near any heat source – fireplace, heaters or heat vents, candles, or lights.
4. Turn the lights off at night.
5. Make sure your smoke detectors are working and have fresh batteries.

Most importantly, have a very Merry Christmas!

Don’t Forget To Safeguard Your Holiday Presents 

Whether it’s the abundance of shopping or thieves channeling the Grinch, holiday season in the United States brings with it increased vehicle break-ins – especially at shopping malls around the country.  To make yours a positive holiday shopping experience, be sure to:

Keep all receipts in your wallet or purse.  Leaving the receipt in the bag makes it difficult for you to prove your purchase, and easy for thieves to return the items for cash.

Move your vehicle to another spot in the lot if you opt to drop off purchases to your vehicle at a midpoint in your shopping trip.  Onlookers will think that you have left the mall, and your vehicle will be less of a target.

Make sure your purchases are out of sight.  Keep them in your trunk or covered in the front or back seats.

Spread your shopping over several days.  You are away from your vehicle for a shorter period of time each day, and shopping becomes less stressful.

If you follow these simple suggestions, you could prevent having to turn in a claim on your auto insurance. At this time of year when money is tight and finances are not always readily available, no one wants to deal with a claim. Be safe and smart with your purchases and when you’re out shopping. Good luck shopping for those last minute gifts!

Written By: Chet Cottom

We have seen so many commercials about 15 minutes we will save you BIG money.  Stupid guys hitting cars with a sledgehammer saying we can save you BIG money.    Here is the problem with all of that (gimmick stuff) advertising. The BIG money isn’t what you pay for insurance, it is what your insurance protects.  Here is a news flash for most of the world…..  It may take more than 15 minutes to protect what you have worked a lifetime to build.

We have all been in situations where we tried to save money.  I try to save money on my groceries, on my utilities, and on my tires.  But I don’t buy the cheapest meat at the grocery store if it is spoiled, I don’t use an electric company that can’t run my air conditioner in the summer, and I don’t buy tires that are junk to put on my car that my family is riding in. Saving money is good.  Cheapest junk is not always best. When was the last time the doctor came into a room with bad news and you said, “I want the doctor that charges the least amount to work on me.”  When was the last time we said, “Any old lawyer will work for me, I don’t care”

RCI Insurance Group is not the 15 minute guys because we want to protect you, your family, and your assets, and not just in Claremore or Tulsa, but all over the state of Oklahoma and even some outside of the state.  We try to help you make great choices about insurance, and design a protection plan for you that helps when you really need insurance…. at CLAIM time.  We really want to help you with your auto, home, and/or business insurance, that is why we have a lot of different companies to look at, but bottom line, we may take more than 15 minutes and we may be a few dollars more, but when it comes to protecting your families future most people want the best team possible.

Loading up six computers, monitors, keyboards, and mice, a couple of our employees went to the Chelsea Public Library and donated it all to them. The local librarians, Laura Adkins and Rae Brown, were absolutely ecstatic about the new computers. For such a small library, their clients have a great need for computers. There is usually a wait for the few computers that they do have.

Laura and Rae were so happy with the computers and couldn’t wait to get them set up. Laura kept exclaiming excitedly, “We got six?!?! We got six?!?! We got six?!?!”

While Rae justkept saying said “Christmas came early this year!!!”

RCI Insurance is proud to have helped a local library make giant leaps in the process of education.
Here is a letter from the ladies at the Chelsea Public Library:

To the RCI office family,
Today, Christmas came early to the Chelsea Public Library.
As a longtime customer of yours (over 10 years), I was very impressed with your out-reach work in the communities of Rogers County.
Your very generous donation of 6 computers, keyboards, and monitors, to the Chelsea Public Library (where I work) is a testimony to the kind of company you are, and the kind I am proud to do business with.
Again, THANK YOU VERY MUCH from the grateful staff at Chelsea Public Library!

Sincerely;
Laura Adkins Library Director
Rae Brown (customer) Librarian

The guest informed the desk clerk that this was “Service Dog” and that the ADA requires hotels or other public places with a “no pet” policy to allow service dogs with no additional charge. The desk clerk told the guest that the hotel usually charged a sanitation fee to guests with service animals. Even though the desk clerk waived the “sanitation fee” the guest filed a complaint alleging a violation of the “Americans with Disabilities Act”.

Whether or not the allegation/claim will result in monetary damages to the alleged victim, a lot of time and effort will be required to answer the complaint, or worse a resulting lawsuit.

That brings up a very important question. Does the hotelier have insurance protection for this type of allegation or claim? Your standard General Liability provides coverage for only bodily injury and property damage, so there would be no coverage available there. Fortunately this hotelier has Employment Practice Liability Insurance with 3rd party discrimination. So, coverage under his EPL Insurance would respond and provide coverage.

That begs the next question: How do I prevent this from happening? You must have policies and procedures in place addressing ADA issues. In addition to having the policies, you MUST TRAIN AND EDUCATE YOUR STAFF.

There is valuable information at the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division website www.ada.gov and found out more on the topic.

Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), privately owned businesses that serve the general public are prohibited from Discriminating against individuals with disabilities. ADA requires that such businesses allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed.

What is a service animal? According to the website, a service animal is any guide dog, signal dog or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability. If they meet this definition, they are considered service animals regardless if they have been licensed or certified with the state or local government.

What am I allowed to ask, if I’m not sure if the person is disabled or what service the animal provides? You can ask two simple questions under the Act: 1) is the service animal required because of a disability and 2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? You or your staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require any sort of documentation or identification or even ask that the animal demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

There are only 2 instances that you may ask a person to remove the service animal from your premises. 1) the animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or 2) the animal is not housebroken. Control does not mean that the dog must be on a leash. If the individual’s disability prevents using a leash or similar device, then it must be controlled through voice or signal.

As with most regulations dealing with ADA regulations, the service dog issue is often a difficult issue with hoteliers. I want to encourage each of you to go to the website: www.ada.gov and study further.

This is by no means a comprehensive look at the “Service Animal”, issue but hopefully this will alert you to dig a little deeper into the ADA regulations.

This is the 2nd service dog issue our agency has been involved with this year, so take heed. Be prepared and train your staff.

For those of you with EPLI coverage now, all of the EPLI providers have agreements w/Law Firms that usually will provide you with 30 minutes (or more) of legal counsel on any Employment or ADA related issues.

If you need further information, in addition to the ADA website, feel free to check out our RCI website: www.rci-ins.com or give me a call at 800-753-5797.

September 8-10, 2011

Every year over 30,000 people flock from all over northeastern Oklahoma to see what’s brewing at Claremore’s Annual Bluegrass & Chili Festival. For 32 years local bluegrass, country and gospel performers, artisans and budding chefs turn out for a three day long event to show the world how to kick it up Oklahoma style.

The chili cook off is expecting a record number of entries this year and the only way to find out if you are a whimpy mild or smoking hot kindof chili guy is to show up and give your taste buds a workout.

Admission to the Festival and all concerts are free of charge and there is a little something going on to entertain every member of the family including:

• Three stages for concerts
• Mid-America Chili Cook Off
• Open car show
• Kiddie Korral
• Festival Marketplace filled with arts and crafts and handmade goods for sale
• Vocal competition
• Junior showcase
• Dance exhibitions
• Antique tractor pull

Event Schedule:

Thursday:
• Festival opens at 4pm
• Festival Market 4-9pm
• Kiddie Korral& Craft Night 4-8:30
• Music starts at 6pm
• Concerts by: Josh Williams Band, and Lost & Found

Friday:
• Festival opens at 4pm
• Festival Market 4-9pm
• Kiddie Korral& Craft Night 4-8:30
• Music starts at 6pm
• Concerts by: IIIrdTyme Out, and Sam Bush Band

Saturday:
• 11am Stages open with great music; Open Car Show, & Festival Market opens
• 11am-8:30pm: Crafts & more in the Kiddie Korral
• 1:00pm: Chili Cooks light their fires and Antique Tractor Pulls start
• 2:00pm: Taster Kits on sale, $5 each; Junior Showcase kicks off
• 4:00pm Chili submitted to judges, tasting starts
• 8:00pm: Vocal Competition
• Concerts by: Mountain Heart; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; and Rhonda Vincent & the Rage

You remember the old saying….’if you don’t like the weather in Oklahoma, give it a minute’. After the last two months of unrelenting 100+ degree temperatures and not a cloud in the sky, some may think our ways are a changing.

Not so fast quick silver!

Oklahoma weather is still as fickle as ever. We shouldn’t get lulled into complacency during the long bouts of unchanging weather. The long, dry summer months are coming to an end and as history has shown us in the past, one season of extremes does not bode well for the rest of the year. We are probably in for a wild ride this fall and winter.

One thing Mother Nature loves to do here in Oklahoma is prove that she is a woman of excesses. A dry summer usually means a really wet fall. And when I say wet what I really mean is Oklahoma’s penchant for flash flooding. We’ve all seen and experienced it to some degree.

Does this sound familiar…….standing in your driveway, looking out on the river that you will have to drive your car down just to get to work and wondering if you should take some type of flotation device with you just in case?

What you really need to know is that a standard Oklahoma Home Insurance Policy does NOT cover flood related damage. Yep, you heard me right. If the water damage to your home or property is caused by an outside water source that is considered an act of God or due to a fickle Mother Nature it must be covered under a separate Oklahoma Flood Insurance Policy.

Now hold up and don’t panic just yet. If your home is not located within a FEMA designated 100 year flood plain, a preferred risk flood policy is available at very low premiums. Here are some of the particulars:

Standard Flood Insurance Policies

If you live in a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), your building and its contents can be covered by a standard flood insurance policy. The NFIP was established by the Federal Government to help communities who “voluntarily participate in the NFIP by adopting and enforcing floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage.” To be considered a flood, the waters must cover at least two acres or affect at least two properties. You must apply for building coverage and contents coverage separately if you choose to invest in a standard flood insurance policy.

Preferred Risk Flood Insurance Policies

If your home or business is in a low or moderate risk zone, your building may qualify for a low-cost preferred risk policy. While you aren’t required to purchase flood insurance in low-to-moderate risk areas, a preferred risk policy will protect your home and its contents if you are affected by a small flood or a larger flood that has extended into your low-risk area. In truth, many flood insurance claims occur in low-to-moderate risk areas.

Call one of our experienced agents for a free assessment and to make sure you don’t get stuck out in the rain without an umbrella!