You never know when a small kindness might have a profound impact on someone’s life. A USAA member who called Barbara Cobean for a seemingly routine Policy Service transaction drove that point home when she revealed that her interactions with USAA allowed her to go on living after her husband’s death.
The member called in to cancel her homeowner’s policy and establish a renter’s policy for the home she would be renting when she relocated to another state to live near her daughter. She eventually disclosed to Barbara that, after the long, painful illness of her husband of 54 years, she had decided to stop taking her medications, stay in bed and let nature take its course.
Cobean and USAA Survivor Relations employees Chad Guerrero, Nora A. Flores and Nora L. Flores helped the grieving widow to not feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand through their kind, patient and gentle support.
Guerrero said it’s rewarding to hear that the efforts of the Survivor Relations team made such a difference to the widowed member.
“We didn’t realize how deeply it touched her,” he said. “It’s amazing that something as simple as taking care of the business can make such a difference. This P&C rep is a perfect example. She didn’t have additional training in dealing with the grieving, but she may have pulled from personal experience.”
Cobean had recently lost both parents, an experience that allowed her to connect deeply with the USAA member.
“Our members look at us like we’re their family, and we treat them accordingly,” she said. “She trusted us enough to say, ‘USAA cared enough about me to make sure I got what I needed to do done, and that was enough to propel me forward. I’m starting a new chapter in my life, and I’m taking USAA along with me.’”