Who Started Trupanion?
Trupanion is one of the oldest pet insurance providers in America. It started as Vet insurance in Canada and moved to Seattle in 2005, where it is now a publicly traded company (ticker symbol TRUP).
Trupanion has extensive coverage options, including prescription food reimbursement, holiday vacation cancellation, and euthanasia costs. Its policies don’t cover preexisting conditions, however.
Founder Darryl Rawlings
When Darryl Rawlings’ family grew too poor to afford routine surgery for their beloved pet Mitzy, it inspired him to create a different kind of pet insurance. In 2000, he launched Trupanion (formerly Vet Insurance Corp) in Canada to ensure that families could afford the best medical care for their cats and dogs. Since then, he’s expanded to the United States and Puerto Rico, becoming one of the first North American pet insurers to take on its underwriting.
He’s also helped to make the company a leader in the pet industry by redefining what people expect from their pet insurance. Rather than relying on reimbursements, Trupanion gives the pet owner 90 percent of the cost directly at the veterinarian’s office. This approach has been met with overwhelming approval by the vet community, making the company’s policies more appealing to pet owners.
The culture at Trupanion is highly collaborative, emphasizing innovation and change. Employees have a vested interest in the company and are encouraged to pitch ideas and collaborate with others across departments. They are also rewarded for volunteering and giving back to their community, with paid time off available. This culture fosters strong at-work and personal friendships, which is why the Trupanion team loves to hang out after work, whether over happy hour or lunch.
Company History
Trupanion is a Seattle-based pet insurance company that provides coverage for pets. The company was founded in 1999 and is currently led by CEO Darryl Rawlings. It is a North American Pet Health Insurance Association member and the AAHA. In addition to providing pet insurance, Trupanion also offers direct pay for veterinary visits. However, this only works if your vet is partnered with Trupanion and has the company’s software.
Trupanion is full of pet lovers who want to give their furry friends the best care possible. This passion is reflected in their work, which has changed how pet insurers operate. The company is vested in its employees and prefers to promote from within. This helps foster a strong culture that prioritizes innovation and collaboration.
Despite this excellent environment, some people may not fit Trupanion well. First, the company only covers dogs and cats up to age 14. Additionally, the plan can be expensive compared to other options.
Despite this, Trupanion is an excellent choice for pet owners looking for an affordable option. The company also provides a free online quote and has 24/7 customer support. It also has a mobile app that allows you to manage your policy. However, the app could use some improvements.
Company Culture
Trupanion takes pet ownership to a new level by allowing employees to bring their pets to work. Their office is pet-friendly, and they even have a dedicated puppy playroom to help keep things fun. This company also goes above and beyond to support its community by providing paid days off for employees to volunteer.
This pet-friendly culture has resulted in a highly engaged, happy, and productive workforce. Employees can focus on their work and not worry about their pets at home, which has helped them deliver on the company’s promise to “Do Happy.”
As Trupanion grew, it knew it was essential to invest in its contact center technology to continue improving customer service and ensure that employees could meet customers’ needs. This is why they deployed Aspect’s fully-integrated contact center suite, workforce optimization, and back-office solutions delivered in a fully hosted cloud environment.
Since deployment, Trupanion has seen significant efficiency improvements. For example, they could shave 30 seconds off their average wait time without adding additional staff. Additionally, they were able to improve the timeliness of emails and stay within their service level goals by leveraging Aspect’s skills-based routing capabilities. This has also made it easier for customers to transition between channels, such as chat, email, or phone, knowing the same agent will greet them.
Customer Service
Trupanion takes pet insurance to a new level by paying veterinarians directly when customers check out instead of forcing them to pay for their vet visits up front and get reimbursed later. This process, known as direct reimbursement, saves pet parents time and money while reducing administrative costs for the company.
Trupanion has an excellent customer satisfaction rating and offers 24/7 access to its customer service representatives. Its mobile app allows pet parents to track claims and view plan details, and its website is easy to navigate. In addition, the company is licensed in several states and has won awards for its innovation in the pet insurance industry.
Employees love working at Trupanion because it’s a fun and collaborative environment. There is a puppy playroom, and the office has various recreational clubs like a running group and a craft night. Employees also appreciate the flexible work schedule and competitive benefits package that includes monthly bonuses, stock grants, fully paid medical/dental/vision, and a generous PTO.
One drawback of Trupanion is that it has a five-day waiting period for accidents and a 30-day wait for illnesses (except in Florida, which has a flat 12-day wait for both). These waiting periods are more extended than some of its competitors, making it challenging to get coverage for pets requiring immediate care.