Mark Creevey isn’t your typical State Farm Insurance agent. His brick store-front on Main Street in downtown Tigard might look like any other service business from the outside, but when you open the door, you are likely to be greeted by one or two very large, very friendly golden-doodles.
Creevey and his wife own Willow, a 20-month-old golden-doodle, and through a chance encounter, they introduced her breeder to their neighbors, who adopted Olive, Willow’s nine-month-old half-sister. Now Creevey makes some days puppy play-dates by bringing both pups to the office; other days Willow reports for duty alone.
Creevey loves talking about all things doodle, but his main focus has been insurance for the past 33 years. He became a State Farm agent in 1988, and in 2006 he moved to his current office.
“The insurance industry is one of the largest in the country, and there are now more players than ever,” Creevey said.
And insurance companies are promoting themselves more than ever these days, bombarding the airways and digital media with recognizable spokespeople starring in the ads. State Farm, for example, is known for insurance agent Jake, who provides great service to his happy customers, and yes, Creevey has a life-sized cardboard cutout of Jake in his office.
Creevey also does a lot of digital advertising and said he gets a lot more views when Willow is featured.
But most importantly, good service backs up the advertising.
“Our responsibility to our policy-holders is something we take very seriously,” Creevey said. “We help our clients understand what they have and how to protect it. It is all about asking questions to learn what coverage is appropriate and what the client wants.
“I say our role is to set a buffet table, describe the dishes and then hand the client a plate. We don’t tell people what to do, we educate and help people make informed decisions. Our goal is to be a trusted source of all things insurance for our clients.”
The public must be getting that message because State Farm is the largest insurance company in the U.S. selling auto, home, life and business insurance.
At Creevy’s office, “we like to say, ‘Come for the insurance and stay for the doodles,’” he said.
Mark Creevey Insurance/Financial Services is located at 12285 S.W. Main Street; he can be contacted at 503-624-2683 or www.markcreevey.com.
