Overview

The Hartford, a venerable insurance provider with over 211 years of experience, offers a comprehensive range of business insurance policies. Its user-friendly website facilitates the selection of appropriate coverage, and representatives are available to assist with the application process once a quote is requested. Although The Hartford’s services are not available in all states and it lacks live chat support, it remains a strong option for new businesses exploring their insurance needs.

In addition to business insurance, The Hartford provides auto and home insurance and a variety of employee benefits. Their policies cover everything from protecting business premises from damage to safeguarding against legal suits, and they even offer coverage to ensure business income continuity in the event of property damage.

Why The Hartford is a Good Choice?

The Hartford provides a diverse array of insurance options tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses, whether they operate from a home office or a commercial location. As a well-established provider, The Hartford features a comprehensive website that helps you select the appropriate policies and includes a directory of state employment laws to assist in navigating this complex area.

A notable feature of The Hartford’s offerings is its coverage that extends beyond property damage. The company offers policies that cover legal expenses, such as those from wrongful termination disputes or cyber attacks, which is crucial for modern businesses that handle electronic customer data.

Additionally, The Hartford goes beyond traditional business insurance by offering specialized services to safeguard your business. These services include surety bonds, which guarantee payment to your customers and suppliers if you cannot deliver your services, making them particularly valuable for industries like construction.

For businesses with a high risk of employee injury, The Hartford’s Productivity Advantage system is particularly beneficial. This system integrates employee absence reporting with workers’ compensation claims, streamlining processes and reducing the risk of costly legal disputes.

Insurance Coverage

The Hartford offers an extensive range of business insurance options, ensuring that businesses of all types and sizes can find suitable coverage. Here are some of the key types of insurance The Hartford provides:

1. General Liability Insurance: Protects your business against claims of injury or property damage caused by your operations or products.
2. Business Income Insurance: Provides financial compensation for lost earnings when your business cannot function due to property damage.
3. Business Owners Policy (BOP): Combines general liability, business property, and business income insurance into one comprehensive policy.
4. Business Property Insurance: Covers damage, destruction, and theft of your business premises.
5. Workers’ Compensation Insurance: Provides medical, income, and other benefits to employees who are injured or become ill due to work-related activities. This is enhanced by:

•Risk Engineering: A team that helps you proactively avoid potential issues related to workers’ compensation through safety evaluations.

• The Hartford Productivity Advantage: A coordinated service linking employee absence reporting with workers’ compensation claims to streamline processes and reduce legal risks.

6. Commercial Umbrella Insurance: Provides additional liability coverage when the cost of a lawsuit exceeds your existing policy limits.

7. Commercial Auto Insurance: Covers costs associated with auto accidents caused by you or your employees while conducting business.

8. Commercial Flood Insurance: Protects against damage from flooding caused by events such as hurricanes, heavy rain, and construction activities.

9. Employment Practices Liability Insurance: Shields against costs arising from accusations linked to employment issues like wrongful termination, discrimination, and workplace harassment.

10. Home-Based Business Insurance: Ensures coverage for home-based businesses against property damage, employment issues, and lawsuits.

11. Management Liability Insurance: Specifically protects your management team from financial harm due to their business decisions.

12. Professional Liability Insurance: Covers claims of negligence in your professional services.

13. Data Breach Insurance: Covers expenses related to data breaches, hacks, or cyberattacks, protecting your business from financial losses due to compromised customer data.

14. Marine Insurance: Covers cargo and the vehicles transporting it, whether by sea or land.

15. Multinational Insurance: Provides coverage for businesses with operations outside the United States.

16. Surety Bonds: Guarantees that your customers and suppliers will be paid even if you are unable to fulfill your contractual obligations.

The Hartford’s wide array of insurance options, combined with its specialized services like risk engineering and The Hartford Productivity Advantage, make it a robust choice for businesses looking to comprehensively protect their operations.

Pricing

The Hartford determines the exact cost of its business insurance policies based on various factors, such as the specific nature of the business and the desired coverage. To aid businesses in planning their budgets, The Hartford provides average monthly cost estimates for its most popular insurance options:

• Business Owners Policy (BOP): This comprehensive policy typically costs about $261 per month.
• General Liability Insurance: On average, this policy costs around $88 per month.
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance: The cost for this coverage can range from $52 to $275 per month, influenced by the business’s particular risk factors and industry.

These estimated costs give businesses a clearer idea of potential expenses, helping them to better integrate insurance into their financial planning.

How to Apply?

To secure business insurance from The Hartford, you need to start by obtaining a quote, which is available via phone or through their website. The online quote form is designed to be user-friendly and only takes a few minutes to fill out. You’ll be asked to provide essential information about your business along with your contact details.

Once you submit your information, a representative from The Hartford will reach out to you to assist with the application process. While the absence of an instant quote feature on the website could be seen as a drawback, The Hartford compensates for this with a quick and informative quiz available online. This quiz helps you determine which insurance policies might be most suitable for your business needs, making the process of choosing the right coverage easier and more efficient.

Customer Support

As a long-standing provider, The Hartford offers stability, but customer reviews reveal some areas for improvement, particularly in the claims process and customer support. On Trustpilot, the company has an average rating of 1.3/5 based on 71 reviews as of March 2023, while the Better Business Bureau rates it at 1.05/5.

However, these reviews encompass all of The Hartford’s insurance products. When focusing on business services, customer feedback is notably more positive. Reviews for workers’ compensation on The Hartford’s own website average 4.8/5, and general liability insurance also holds an average rating of 4.8/5.

The Hartford’s website features detailed articles on insurance topics, providing valuable resources for those seeking support. For direct assistance related to business insurance, customers can contact an agent by phone from 8 AM to 8 PM (ET), Monday through Friday, at 866-467-8730.

While these extended phone support hours are beneficial, the addition of a live chat feature on the website would enhance customer service by offering a quicker response option for urgent inquiries.

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Bottom line

The Hartford stands out for its extensive selection of business insurance solutions designed to cater to a wide range of industries and needs. Beyond basic insurance coverage, The Hartford provides comprehensive support including risk management services and integrated solutions for absence monitoring and employee claims processing. These offerings are geared towards helping businesses mitigate risks and manage their insurance needs effectively.

However, despite its robust offerings, The Hartford’s insurance services are not universally available across all states. This limitation can be a drawback for businesses operating in states where The Hartford does not provide coverage. Furthermore, the lack of comprehensive online support is another area for potential improvement. The application process, for instance, must be completed over the phone, and there is no live chat support available for immediate assistance.

Nevertheless, The Hartford compensates for these limitations with its broad range of insurance products and a wealth of informational resources available on its website. The website features detailed guides and articles to assist businesses in understanding their insurance needs, including a helpful quiz to guide policy selection. These resources make it convenient for businesses to explore and tailor their insurance coverage according to their specific requirements.

In conclusion, while The Hartford may face challenges in availability and online support, its extensive array of insurance options and educational resources make it a compelling choice for businesses looking to protect themselves against various risks. Prospective customers are encouraged to explore The Hartford’s offerings and utilize the available resources to make informed decisions about their insurance needs.