Last month, search engine conglomerate Google announced it is throwing its hat into the auto insurance ring. This is big news for the industry, most especially for independent agents already dealing with competition from other direct insurers like Geico and Esurance.

NU-PC360 reader response to the news was mixed, but most felt Google customers would be missing out on the "personal" part of personal auto insurance.

Commenter Maria Parker says, "I have [been] preaching for years that the policy you buy is only as good as the [a]gent that sold it to you and the service and individual attention that they give you. Being a 1-800 customer may be fine for the moment and save a few bucks, but then what happens when you need help and no one knows you? [...] I think that once a customer needs assistance and experiences the 800# form of customer care, they will realize what is important to them…saving $15 or having an agent that cares and actually helps them when they need it."