The “Break it Down” Blog

Just got this in my inbox today from Progressive Insurance: “Go Paperless and Save the World!”

Why is that interesting? My bank has been trying to get me to go paperless so they can save money for years. Same for my goddamn utility companies. They never offer me ANY INCENTIVE (are you guys reading this?) to do it, besides the implied that it will save them money. Oh they plaster “go green!” all over it, like they are wrapping themselves in the American Flag and making the assumption I’m not a good human being unless I go paperless.

Well the difference with Progressive is what the rest of their email said:

And now, it’s not just for bills. If you decide to go Paperless with all of your insurance documents, we’ll plant a tree in a U.S. National Forest damaged by recent wildfires!

With Progressive’s new Paperless Documents option, you can now replace all of your policy paperwork with an e-mail alert when a new bill or policy document is ready and online.

Whaaa? Did I just read that right? Instead of them trying to guilt-trip me into saving them money, they are actually going to take that money I saved them and plant a tree on my behalf? See, this is exactly what all those other companies lacked… the fore-sight to realize that I’m not a retard. If Bank of America wants to hound me about saving paper and going Green, then they should put their money where their mouth is… namely the money they are asking me to save them. That is exactly that Progressive Insurance is doing it looks like.

Bravo to Progressive for taking this step in the right direction, hopefully with support from customers other companies will follow this model and stop acting like street-beggars.