Floral Park insurance prez in Nationwide hall of fame

Bryan Ahrens

Ron Keats said he wasn’t completely surprised when he was inducted into the Nationwide Insurance hall of fame in August, making him just one of 46 people to receive the honor in the company’s 88-year history.

Keats’ Floral Park-based insurance agency had won the insurance company’s President’s Award for outstanding achievement every year since he opened the business 20 years ago

“We are the first agency in the history of Nationwide to have gotten that award every single year,” he said.

But, Keats said, the recognition for what he had achieved was still welcomed.

“We are so blessed to have achieved the pinnacle of an insurance career,” he said.

Keats, who has worked in insurance for 30 years, said his agency’s customer service and satisfaction separates the Keats agency from the rest.

“Our reputation has been built upon helping others,” he said. “We help clients define their protective needs and satisfy them with a well thought out and cost effective insurance plan.”

He said his agency, which operates in three other locations in New York including Baldwin, Florida and Monticello, and one location in Georgia, takes the extra step to make sure customers have what they need.

“It’s one thing to sell a product and another thing to back it up,” Keats said. “We stand beside our customers when they have a loss, that’s not typical of a local insurance agency. We only do what’s right.”

The agency, which is one of the largest in the United States, is successful due to the more than 35 people operating it, Keats said.

“It wouldn’t be fair for me not to mention the team,” he said. “The team sits with the customer every single day, on the weekends and makes sure everything is right.”

Keats, who is the president of the Floral Park Chamber of Commerce as well as a member of the Great New Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce, added that his family helped to make his agency what it is today.

“It would be terrible for me not to mention how important my wife Cyndi has been,” he said. “She has been doing the bookkeeping since the agency started and has taken care of the family.”

Keats said he attributes customer satisfaction to the family-friendly approach his agency has.

“It is a wonderful family environment,” he said. “I think that’s part of the reason why the consumer reacts to us so well. Even our non-family members of the team are family.”

John Keats, Ron’s brother, is vice president of operations for the agency, and Ron’s son, Justin, also works at the agency.

“My greatest pride is my son,” Ron said. “As his employer I have not had anyone perform the way my son is performing.”

John said his brother sets himself apart from the rest by being involved with his customers and doing things right the first time.

“He’ll be in a meeting and people will call him, he’ll always be available to take the calls,” John said. “He will do things right the first time so he doesn’t have to go back and do them again.”

Charity work and community involvement are staples in the business, Ron said.

“We help the needy with food drives and work at local food banks,” he said. “We help our most valued charities by raising funds and increasing awareness through participation in each of the causes.”

Ron said the love of the job keeps him and his agency moving forward.

“We’re a bunch of good people doing a lot of good things outside and inside the office,” he said.

John said the agency plans to keep its pace and looks to be acknowledged at the 25-year milestone.

“We’re going to stay on top of trends and continue to grow the business,” he said.

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