Testimonials
Our Story
As you’ve probably figured out by now, we’re extremely proud of what our clients have to say about PBG. Yet, at the same time we’re really humbled by these comments, because we don’t do what we do so that people will say nice things about us. Nonetheless, the testimonials that appear throughout our website really do tell the story of who we are and just how far we’re willing to go for our client/partners. So, if you want to complete the picture of who PBG is, go ahead and indulge yourself…
- “She assists in many other ways, not just with the renewal process…she also helps us through the open-enrollment process dealing with employees, problem solving, dealing with the carriers. She helps at a number of different levels.”
- “I think one of the things that Judy is able to do is to make the whole insurance arena understandable… she does a great job of distilling whatever the relevant information is that we need to know and letting us know that and helping us make decisions.”
- “She’s very attentive. So any time we have an issue, she’s extremely responsive… when she does bring something to us to make a decision on, her exhibits and all of her documents are really well presented and easy to understand.”
- “Her response is pretty immediate. The nice thing is that even if she can’t provide an answer immediately, she’ll set expectations in terms of when we could expect some sort of a response. Or she’ll provide me with an update on what her time frame might be for getting back to us.”
- “I would say many times she’s been able to resolve issues that we have been unsuccessful at resolving on our own and might never have achieved resolution if she hadn’t interceded on our behalf.”
- “If we weren’t working with Judy through the renewal process, we would be more or less at the mercy of whatever the renewal came back from the provider. And Judy’s able to dig down through the actual numbers and she understands how they generate those numbers and she can ask the right questions and get the providers to sharpen their pencils.”
- “She’s very aware of what some of the consequences are of having union negotiations and collective bargaining agreements, and how that might play into the overall selection of a carrier or an insurance level.”
- “She’s very open, very non-judgmental… very respectful to all parties. Doesn’t get flustered too easily.”
- “She’s very empathetic and that comes across when she’s dealing with employees. And also, she’s really an excellent speaker. She had to make a brief presentation to our Board and she was just fabulous. Very professional and her knowledge came through and she did a really great job.”
Karen Giebink
Director of Administration and Finance
Narragansett Bay Commission
- “It’s been a wonderful – matter of fact, better than I had anticipated – relationship over the years because of the work that she does for the school.”
- “Her personality, her attentiveness toward us, the reports that she produces…are outstanding…And she really works with us on our needs.”
- “She presented to us in a way that whether you knew nothing about insurance or whether you were the insurance agent yourself, everything was clear on what our options were…to make an intelligent decision.”
- “She was not biased…she did give us the pros and cons for each [carrier and plan option]…she was very honest and up front, but not favoring one over the other.”
- “The first time she presented to me, I told her “this is the best thing I’ve seen presented to me – ever”… She overwhelmed us that first time and she has never disappointed us. The quality has not gone down since she’s been working with us which sometimes happens with people.”
- “She knew how to work the system to benefit us. Nobody in my building could have done that. She knows who to call, when to call and what to ask for. Makes it a lot easier.”
- “Sometimes it’s awful hard to coach a sport when you’ve never played before. And I think her experience in that field gives her a big advantage on working with companies like us.”
- “She always gets back to us right away. I don’t know how she does it…sometimes you think you are the only customer she has.”
- “Judy gives you direction and gives you honest answers…she’s not going to tell you something to make you smile today and then disappoint you tomorrow.”
- “She really does take her work seriously and focuses on the task at hand. Whether it’s with me, a bigger company or a smaller company – she works for you.”
- “You can count on her being prepared, whether it’s one person or a group of 200. She’ll be prepared to give the answers.”
- “She has totally impressed me as a person and as long as I’m here and we’re dealing with insurance, as long as she’s available to us, she will be our person. Because we all trust her in what she’s telling us and what she does for our school.”
Mike Shea
Superintendent-Director
Greater New Bedford Regional Voc-Tech High School
- “Her knowledge surpasses any consultant or broker that I work with. And what happens is because she has such an in-depth understanding, she’s able to articulate exactly what it is she needs…”
- “Everything that Judy does happens a lot more quickly because she has that knowledge.”
- “I said to her: “You are a breath of fresh air. You have no idea how you are so different, Judy.” And it’s her level of integrity…She doesn’t play the game…There’s no hidden agenda…”
- “And ultimately, and she says it in every conversation, “I will do it if it’s in the best interest of my client”.”
- “She is so detail oriented, you can’t even imagine.”
- “Judy’s all about her word. She doesn’t guess. She makes sure…you know that you’re not going to be blindsided by an issue.”
- “She just has a level of integrity that no one else has. And it’s not all about Judy, it’s all about her clients. It’s not about the all-mighty dollar. She really has a sense of ownership of her client base and doing what is right… She’s very focused on what the needs of the client are.”
- “You get a level of trust with Judy. Whatever Judy says, Judy means. You know she’s never going to go back on her word…she would risk anything to stick to her word.”
- “If there was a way I could get all my clients with her, I would.”
- “If she feels a task is too challenging or going to be too overwhelming to her client, she’ll take it on. She did that with a mutual client of ours. And she did it at no additional cost. Most consultants do that, but they charge an extra $4,000 a year to do it.”
- “She can simplify your life…Judy can help you free up your plate to do what you’re the expert in doing. Let her be the expert.”
- “She’s very detail-oriented. She’s very patient.”
- “While Judy’s speaking you can hear a pin drop. She has them engaged. She captures them. She pretty much has everybody eating out of her hand. There’s no question that is asked that goes unanswered.”
- “She has the ability to make people feel that she’s almost talking one-on-one. That anyone at any point at any time would not feel embarrassed or reticent to raise their hand…no one feels intimidated when Judy is speaking.”
- “She’s the most articulate person I think I’ve ever met. She’s found her niche in life because she’s super at what she does.”
- “I love that piece of it and they do that so well.” (on presenting and evaluating alternatives)
- “With her 25 years in the business on the other side of it, what better formula could you ask for in a representative.”
- “You have to have somebody like Judy working with you. I’d be lost in a quagmire of laws, rules, regulations…I want somebody on my team as I have with Judy.”
- “And Bill, her husband, has been a wonderful resource with her. They make a fabulous team.”
- “I marvel at her energy and how candid she is. She’s just, she’s someone you want on your team.”
- “She’s wonderful, bottom line, she’s wonderful. I hope that we have a long relationship with Judy and PBG.”
Paula Gendreau
Business Manager
Greater New Bedford Regional Voc-Tech High School
- “Judy does a really good job diving into all the minutia that’s behind all the glossy marketing that the insurance companies do and really asking the questions, making sure that we are well protected.”
- “She’s also able to meet with our staff members…and explain to them what the various coverages mean, how they might differ, how they’re similar and what they can do to better inform themselves as to how the products impact them and their lives.”
- “We always feel that she has our best interest at heart. And it doesn’t really make a difference what the product is that she’s evaluating.”
- I’ve never had even an inkling that she was recommending a certain direction for us to head in, anything other than what’s best for the Narragansett Bay Commission first and foremost.”
- “I’ll say okay, Judy, what do these mean? What are they telling us here? And she’s able to do it with great clarity.”
- “She is absolutely one of the tops in getting back to us when we have a question or we need something researched.”
- “I can ask a question and it might not be that clearly stated or presented or doesn’t really get to where she thinks my true area of concern is and she’ll help me develop it…and help me kind of frame my question in a more understandable manner so she can then get a clear answer in return.”
- “She really has a great personality. She’s a very likeable person. She lights up a room when she walks in.”
- “She’s very good at making people feel comfortable and having them listen to what might not be the news they want to hear, but in the end they understand…”
- “When we do roll some of these products out, she is able to help us craft presentations or language that helps our employees understand what it’s all about and why it’s beneficial to them.”
- “She’s able to access the backup that she has in support of her recommendations readily. You don’t feel as though you’re ever left out there on a limb.”
Ray Marshall
Executive Director
Narragansett Bay Commission
- “She does have a very fine skill set in making some of the complexities of a technical field, such as health insurance, understandable. That’s given me a very high confidence level. I think it’s improved my ability to advocate on behalf of my client.”
- “She always follows through and she is quite committed to customer relations.”
- “She is a person who lives up to the old adage that your word is your bond.”
- “What I’ve noticed on several occasions is that Judy is able to discern questions that clients may have but are unable to articulate those questions.”
- “With the employees of my clients and with the management staff, she wins them over because she has the knack to explain things in very fundamental and understandable terms.”
- “I think she wins people over with just the confidence level she has in her own knowledge of the subject matter.”
- “What I find to be refreshing is Judy expresses to clients what they need to hear, not necessarily what they desire to hear.”
- “She really does have the ability to present options, and do so in a very honest and objective way.”
- “Everything that she does… is well organized. And obviously, the organization that is apparent is an indicator that she’s done her homework and that she’s prepared. I should also say it demonstrates the pride that she has in the professionalism of her work product.”
- “With Judy it’s not about the business of consulting, it’s about the results she delivers and the relationships that she forges with her clients. She sticks out in my mind as somebody that is very special and rare to find today.”
- “She’s got a lot of old world values. She came up from the ground floor, so to speak, in the insurance industry.”
- “She never forgot where she came from and she’s able to relate to people at all levels. That is just such a powerful skill today and a rare skill…”
- “We left another company, that was really quite good…but we always felt like that fee drove where we ended up as far as the health care provider that was recommended.”
- With Judy I always feel like she has our best interests always out there first, and the fee thing…she’s ethical enough to let us know how she gets paid. She’s never hidden that…but I’ve never felt that’s been the driver.”
- ”I had a horrible situation with one of the largest providers in the country and Judy mentored me through a process where I probably ended up saving, out of pocket, $80,000.”
- “The information that Judy provided and the kind of problem-solving and the work that she did on my behalf not only gave me the information that you need to do good advocacy, but gave me the confidence to keep going.”
- “She doesn’t take the process over. She gives us information that we can make our decisions so it makes us feel confident, and then helps us through that piece of the process. I just trust her.”
- “I always feel like I should give her a tip. Literally, because there’s no way that she could be making as much money as the time she puts in on our behalf.”
- “When we have a problem or a question, or whatever, she just keeps going until it’s done.”
- “I feel like I have this whole division behind me that I don’t get to see except I can always call her. It’s just an extra benefit…I always feel like I’m her only client.”
- “She’s so – Capital D – Dependable.”
- “The other thing is the format that she puts things together. In terms of how she organizes for us and bundles the information…The data we need… and maybe that’s behind the scenes and that’s Bill, but the company delivers that beautifully.”
- “Judy is able to communicate with the executive management team and everyone throughout my whole organization, at all levels. She’s able to find a way to make sure that she clearly communicates with people.”
- “She’s a pro. I have to say she’s a pro…She loves this work. You can tell. She just loves this work.”
- “Obviously the two of them must work well together because they’re not big and there’s a level of efficiency that if they didn’t work well together, it would show up.”
- “I’m kind of like… their company, but a Judy cheerleader. I’m on a lot of committees and boards and things like that and I’m constantly referring colleagues in my business to her.”
Lou Nisenbaum
Executive Director, The Nemasket Group
- “I don’t think Judy even considers what the compensation results are. In fact, I know she doesn’t. So that is somewhat unique in our business, but it’s absolutely true.”
- “I think they actually take the time to figure out what the client needs and gets to understand the client’s business.”
- “Judy approaches this with an awful lot of background and because of the nature of the way she is, a lot of analysis where she’s constantly thinking about how can she approach this differently to get a better result.”
- “She does an admirable job of approaching the client situation, understanding their needs and then coming back to them with sometimes a decision or a recommendation that actually gives the client something that they may not have expected…”
- “She comes to the game prepared with an awful lot of study.”
- “She’ll get back to you. She can be on vacation, she’ll get back to you. It’s consistent… It’s just the way she does business. It’s not a stretch for her… That’s the name of the game for her.”
- “I actually work for Judy in some ways. Some of the things that our company does, we support her customers. And knowing that, it puts a little pressure on me because if I’m servicing her, I know the standard she sets.”
- “Working for Judy can be pretty interesting because she sets the bar pretty high.”
- “It’s obvious that when she says something she intends for it to happen.”
- “She basically asks a lot of questions and she tries to understand her client’s business. Most people in our industry haven’t caught on to the fact that you really have to understand your client’s business… she does that very well.”
- “Because Judy’s putting the customer first, she’s willing to put choices on the table that a lot of brokers just aren’t going to consider because they don’t want to take the haircut.”
- “Judy and Bill put together a one-page summary of what we did. And I said, gee, can I use that. I really like it… it gets back to the point of being able to make the complex simple.”
- “Bill has the ability to look at some numbers and say, hey, look, this is the key salient information they (the client) need to have.”
Ed Belt
CEO, Primarily Care, Inc.
Karen Giebink
Tom Riley, M.P.A.
Bob Andrade 
Sharon Collier