Long-time agent is proud participant in the community he serves
Published 7:00 pm Tuesday, January 23, 2018
What does Carl Vincent need with a fully operable fire truck?
“My son, Nick, is a Sulphur fireman and I figured a fireman needs a fire truck,” Vincent, said with a grin.
People who know Carl Vincent know about his subtle sense of humor and his pride in his children, Nick Rogers, Curtis Rogers, Ramsey Vincent, Hanna Doty and Emily Vincent.
Carl will be using the 20-year-old truck for various events and activities. The Sulphur Fire Department will also have use of it when they visit schools to talk about the importance of fire safety.
“Now they won’t have to tie up one of the department’s fire trucks,” Vincent explained.
Vincent holds family, faith, community and education in as high esteem as he holds the continued success of his business, Carl Vincent State Farm, now in its 33rd year. His wife, Carla, is office manager.
“She’s the one with the head for details,” Vincent said. “She was a personal lines underwriter for State Farm for ten years when we married,” Vincent said. “She’s forgotten more than I know.”
Vincent’s parents, Horace and Lucy Vincent, started their agency April 1, 1957. After two years of working at his dad’s agency, Carl started his own office in Vinton and combined offices with the elder Vincent’s Sulphur office in 1991.
Carl Vincent’s son, Sulphur fireman Nick Rogers.
Vincent was one of the first Partners in Education and was the only small business in the program for some time. He has partnered with W.W. Lewis Middle School and Frasch Elementary. He supports McNeese University and is passionate about the State Farm Aspirant Program, a special training program that allows individuals pursuing a State Farm Insurance career to train under the guidance of a current agent. He is also a lifetime learner, currently studying for an upcoming test.
And – yes – the fire truck is a novel and fitting advertising medium for the Carl Vincent State Farm Insurance logo.
“If you want to buy your own truck, you can apply for an auto loan right here,” said Vincent.
State Farm’s other products and services include auto, home, property, business, life, and disability insurance and annuities.
Vincent said, at the beginning of this year, State Farm began writing homeowners policies for properties south of I-10.
State Farm agent Carl Vincent. You can reach him at (337) 527-5211.
“It’s important to State Farm that we are able to provide the personalized service that customers have come to expect,” Vincent said. “I don’t want to promise something and not be able to deliver.”
Vincent warned auto policy holders of all insurance brands about the rising rate of uninsured motorists on the road due to increased traffic. More traffic means more wrecks. More wrecks have resulted in an increased number of hit and runs and drive-aways. He encourages getting uninsured and under-insured motorist coverage. He also suggested that any person who witnesses an accident, their own or another’s, to pull over and take a photo of the license plate of the other car if they can safely do so.
“I was talking to a state trooper who told me the number of uninsured motorists might be as high as 30 percent. I don’t know what he based the number on, but I do know that in the past, no more than one or two claims every six months involved a hit and run or drive away. Now, we get two or three a week.”
Vincent may be considered at little old-fashioned about his customer service standards. He showed up at the damaged homes of customers after Hurricane Rita. He gives customers his cell phone number and he takes time to meet when needed.
“I represent State Farm, Vincent said. “But people don’t do business with a company, and I don’t think they want to interact with a computer any more than necessary,” he said. “They want to be able to meet face-to-face . I don’t want to let down my customers, but these aren’t just my customers. These are the people I interact with, run into when I’m at church, a ball game or the grocery store. I may not always say what they want to hear, but they know I’ll always tell them the truth.”
To find out more, call 337-527-5211.
Location: 815 S. Huntington St. Sulphur
Owner: Carl Vincent
Services Provided: Auto, home, property, life insurance, banking products and annuities
Years in Business: 33 in Sulphur and 61 in Southwest Louisiana
Hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday
Phone: 337-527-5211
Website: www.statefarm.com
