Never leave anyone behind.
That might sound like a universal value, but it is definitely a Midwestern one. Just ask Jordan Batt, CEO and Co-Founder of Endurance Warranty Services. His company’s motto is “empowering confidence for the road ahead,” a principle which encompasses the value of never leaving anyone behind, not a fellow employee or customer, whether a current or future one.
Now that’s trust.
In the tough industry of extended car warranties, gaining trust may seem like an impossible feat. Twelve years ago, Batt, along with his partner Paul Chernawsky, Board Chairman and Co-Founder of Endurance, made it their mission to not only earn consumer trust but to do it by building one of the premier direct-to-consumer vehicle service contract (VSC) brands in the country.
“You have peace of mind because Endurance is going to take care of you from beginning to end.
How Does Endurance Do It?
Endurance’s success is deep-seated in the determination and vision of the company’s founders as well as their uniqueness in embracing their Midwestern values. Those values shape the core of the company, including an unrelenting work ethic, an inherent desire to help others, and the want to protect consumers from unnecessary costly auto repairs.
After all, the company calls the North Shore of Chicago home, the city with big shoulders, so portrayed by Carl Sandburg, which is a pitch perfect representation of the company’s ability to carefully construct a highly-respected VSC in a not-so-consumer-friendly industry.
“We set out to fix the problem which was giving consumers a brand that they can trust in the direct-to-consumer VSC world,” said Batt. After researching the industry, Chernawsky and Batt found there were big players in the indirect VSC market that are associated with auto dealerships, but there were no real big brands on the direct-to-consumer side.
The team also saw there were multiple players involved at different stages of the process. “You had to go to company A to make payments, company B for the sale, company C for the administration,” said Batt. “There was a lot of customer confusion.”
So, the pair set out to legitimize not just Endurance but the direct-to-consumer vehicle contract industry as a whole.
“I’m in the 90% of the general public, especially 10 years ago, who didn’t even know that the vehicle service contract was an option.
The Proof of Endurance's Success
Since 2011, the founders and the company have earned numerous awards, including the prestigious 2017 Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurs of the Year (for the Midwest), and award for which they were also finalists in 2016. According to Ernst & Young, the class of 2017 winners “represent new ways of thinking, disruptive business models and overall dynamism that make this country a great place to do business.”
Additionally, the company made the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies for the past four years, reporting a 206% growth in revenue in 2018 (from 2014). Endurance debuted on Crain’s Fast 50 list for 2016, representing itself as one of the fastest growing companies in the Chicagoland area. In 2015, Endurance took two silver Stevie Awards for Customer Service Department of the Year and Company of the Year at the American Business Awards. The company also received the Gold Award at the Stevie Awards for Great Employers four times, including in 2017.
“It’s like a family atmosphere here.
As far as a great place to work, Endurance has won regional and national awards, including a spot on the Selling Power’s 2017 list of the 50 Best Companies to Sell For and the Chicago Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces of 2015. Additionally, Batt holds an impressive 92% approval rating on Glassdoor with 78% of employees saying they would recommend working at Endurance to a friend.
What Matters in a Car Warranty Company?
First, a VSC or extended car warranty is not really a warranty. It does, however, provide repair coverage for your vehicle after the manufacturer’s warranty expires.
Batt said there are a number of factors consumers should look for when researching car warranty companies, beginning with a company’s stability and financial backing. In other words, you want to go with a company that is going to be around for a long time and will be there for you when you need to file a claim.
“You’re entrusting your monthly budget for your vehicle repairs to a third party, and you need to make sure that the third party has stable financial backing and will assist you when you have something wrong with your vehicle, which is the whole reason why you bought the policy to begin with,” said Batt. He then added that most consumers purchase a 5-year policy, so consumers want a company that prices its policies properly and that they know is going to be around for years.
Another critical factor when researching VCS companies is its quality of customer service. “It’s a huge hassle for consumers when they have something wrong with their vehicle and they have to go to the auto dealership, or they have to go to a repair facility,” said Batt. He went on to explain that consumers can be overwhelmed by the process. “We want to make the customer experience as frictionless as possible.”
“We’re vertically integrated in the customer experience, but we’re also integrated into these different channels of distribution where a lot of companies only planned one side of the fence or the other. They’re either a direct to consumer or they only sell through dealerships.
What Makes Endurance Stand Out?
Peace of Mind for Consumers
Endurance is a direct provider of vehicle contract plans, eliminating the middleman. On the other hand, many other car warranty plans are administered by a third party. Therefore, Endurance can offer lower prices on its plans than dealerships because it provides in-house administration. This means seamless customer support for consumers from quote to claim. Endurance will even schedule maintenance appointments with repair facilities for their customers.
“Our consumers don’t have to do a thing,” said Batt. He goes on to explain that the company will make the appointments and negotiate with repair shops, ensuring customers are treated fairly 100% of the time. Endurance also pays claims up front for covered repairs. “At the end of the day nothing comes out of your pocket, and you’re inconvenienced as little as possible,” he said. Additionally, you deal with Endurance directly for roadside assistance instead of a third party.
Now that's peace of mind.
Multiple Plans to Best Meet Your Coverage Needs
The company offers four levels of coverage on new and used vehicles, including:
- Select Premiere – for high-mileage vehicles
- Secure – Powertrain
- Superior – Stated Components
- Supreme – Exclusionary
Endurance also offers specialty coverages such as hybrid/electric vehicle components, factory navigation systems, high-tech electronic components and commercial/business vehicle coverage. The company covers most new and used vehicles and has the most liberal vehicle age limit in the industry, covering classic cars that are up to 60 years old. It’s Select Premiere plan does have a mileage limit restriction of less than 150,000 miles.
Another unique feature with Endurance’s plans is that additional services are automatically covered, including:
- Roadside Assistance – 365 days a year, 24/7 support
- Trip Interruption
- Substitute Transportation
Its warranties have national coverage, meaning there are more than 350,000 licensed, authorized repair facilities available to customers throughout the United States. If your car breaks down while you are traveling—no problem, you're covered.
Keep in mind that consumers usually make about 18 monthly payments and then they're covered for five years. So, it's not like they're making payments for the life of the policy here.
Financial Stability: They’ve Got Your Back
Longevity is an important factor when looking at the financial stability of a car warranty company and its underwriter. Endurance has been in operation for more than 12 years with a strong history of paying customer claims. Since 2011, the company has been a Better Business Bureau-accredited company and is backed by an A.M. Best A-rated insurance company. It is also gold-certified by the Vehicle Protection Association. In addition, the company holds a 7.6/10 rating with Trustpilot, a highly-regarded consumer review site.
Endurance’s plans are 100% insured by an A-rated insurance company that has been in business for years. You can cancel your policy within 30 days with a full refund of any previously made payments. The plans have a 60-day waiting period before you can file a claim.
A Private Buyer to Private Seller Inspection Program? Yes.
You heard that right. Say you live in Massachusetts but purchased a vehicle online that is located in another state. Endurance will send out an inspector to check out the vehicle, using a 120-point inspection or something similar. “We make sure the vehicle is certified and that the buyer can have peace of mind,” said Batt. “And, that’s just another one of our product offerings that we’ve created that we’re using to try and differentiate ourselves,” he said.
What’s in the Company’s Future?
The co-founders’ vision for Endurance is for it to become more encompassing in auto services. “Expanding our product lines beyond just vehicle service contracts, where we offer maintenance, where we offer car washes, where we offer mobile services to come to your house to do it,” he said. He explains they are in the process of creating all of these services now as well as creating national partnerships with more repair facilities including oil-change ones. “You are not just a customer of ours, you are a member,” said Batt.
The company currently has 700 customers and counting.
The whole point of this is really twofold from the customer's perspective. It's first, they want to manage the budget on vehicle repairs. But second, they don't want to deal with it when something's wrong with their vehicle.
Back to Not Leaving Anyone Behind
To close the interview, we asked Batt to tell us a story about one of his employees who exemplifies the company’s values and motto.
Batt explained that the company embraces its motto of “empowering confidence for the road ahead” both internally with co-workers as well as with consumers. “Culture is extremely important here at Endurance,” he said. “We have an all-hands-on-deck attitude.” He went on to say that they are more likely to hire someone for their gumption and drive than what is on their resume. Batt explained that they nurture a culture of freedom and that a good idea can come from anyone in the company, especially those on the front lines.
“Customer service is the backbone of our industry,” said Batt. He then shared a story about Laura, a seasoned customer service representative who protected a customer from harm by never leaving her side. Here is Laura’s story.
Late one afternoon, Laura took a call from a 70-something-year-old woman whose car had broken down on a bridge somewhere on a New Jersey turnpike. It was getting dark and raining. The customer was by herself and didn’t have any money. She was crying. “Why do I have this if I can’t even get help when I need it?,” she said. It was almost five o’clock, the time the call center closes. Laura didn’t leave her seat. She stayed on the phone with the customer.
She made sure a tow truck was dispatched, worked with the state police to gain permission to access the bridge and the customer’s car. Laura then made sure the customer’s car was delivered to a repair shop and called an Uber to take the woman home. Laura stayed on the line until she knew for sure that the customer made it home safely and the client’s car was in the shop. Endurance paid for all of it.
It took more than three hours, but Laura didn’t budge until she knew all was taken care of. Laura’s story proves that with Endurance, no one is ever left behind.
Now that’s real peace of mind.
To learn more about our partner, Endurance Warranty Services LLC, click here.