State Farm® Insurance Agent Melanie Bakala

"I don't often think about my insurance, which means two things to me: I feel securely covered and I'm not paying outside my means for such coverage. It's always a pleasant experience talking to Gray, as well."

"Kathy and everyone else are amazing people."

"Kathy Bader is simply amazing. It was a no brainer to go with State Farm after talking with her."

"I was in an accident in a parking lot today. It wasn’t that bad but the thing that made it not that bad was the fact that I knew I had Kim LaGra as my insurance agent. I knew that I could grab my phone and call her and she would make sure that I was OK. And when I did call her, the first thing she asked is if I was OK. She wasn’t concerned about my car or anything else. She wanted to make sure that “I” was OK first. Then she walked me through the claims process in her office. She took the time to make sure that I wasn’t just physically, but that I was also emotionally OK too; because accidents can be scary whether we’re feeling physical ailments or not. The people in her office recognize that, and their first concern is for your wellbeing. So although I was in an accident today, I am completely at ease and I feel protected not just because I have insurance but because there’s amazing people who work behind the scenes with State Farm insurance."

"Gray McCoy helped me solve a challenging insurance issue!! I am super impressed with his efficiency, ingenuity, kindness and friendly nature!! We are really happy with State Farm and the customer service exhibited by Gray!! We will continue using State Farm for all of our insurance needs!!
Thank you!!"

"When I moved to WA state, on my dad's recommendation, went with Bakala agency. Now as I'm buying my first NEW car Josh led me through all the steps to insure it, and disengage the old car. Josh was very responsive and timely in his assistance. I feel very confident as I embark on this new adventure. Thank you, Josh."

"I had an incredibly good experience with Lola Vasquez. She was knowledgeable, responsive, friendly, and professional. What a pleasant experience! Plus she saved me a LOT of money on insurance."

"The staff over in Shelton State Farm.They help me out a lot unanswering my questions on my insurance policies.Good job , keep up the good work.."

"Kathy was so helpful for my boaters insurance! Thank you so much!"

"I've been with this agent for nearly a decade and I've been happy with my coverage and pricing. The staff are friendly and have offered helpful recommendations as my insurance needs have changed over the years, which is what makes this review hard to write. But over the past few years I've run into a pattern of clerical errors I can't overlook.

When I moved and called to update my renters policy, it took at least four rounds of corrections - first no apartment number, then the wrong apartment number, then my housemate left off entirely. Because I needed proof of insurance before move-in, this nearly cost me the keys to my new place, and it was only resolved after days of back and forth over email when I called the office directly to escalate. A year later, I found out that housemate had never actually been added to the policy at all - despite the office issuing me documents, which I handed to my landlord, stating that they were. That meant yet another phone call and correction before I could renew my lease.

When a family member and I separated our auto policies and moved to different addresses, we both called separately to let them know of the change, and yet our addresses ended up swapped between the two policies. I caught it weeks later in the app. Even after calling to get this corrected, it took months to receive my documents, which had been mailed to her address, and created a billing mess because our rates were different.

Most recently, on a policy for a new car, I had to flag typos in both the vehicle make and model and the lender's address.

I have been the one to catch every single one of these errors. The only time I’ve had a policy change go smoothly is when I did it myself, unassisted in the app - however, a lot of these scenarios have required that I contact the office. I’ve tried giving info to them in writing, having them read it back to me on the phone, and can still count on there being a mistake every single time. Routine updates that should take one phone call reliably take several calls and emails to get right, and each one costs me time I shouldn't have to spend. Likewise, I cannot imagine how much headache it would’ve caused if I did have a claim, had these errors not been corrected beforehand. The customer service is warm and the pricing is good, but I'm not sure how much longer I can tolerate this pattern of clerical errors in what should be simple, routine policy changes."

"Kathy Bader was wonderful to work with."

"Joshua Mejia is the best 👌 He was able to complete an auto insurance claim reimbursement so quickly and confidently. If I ever need to have any help again, I will certainly ask for Joshua right away."

"Kathy was very knowledgeable and helpful with getting us multiple quotes on our home and car insurance bundle. She was also very quick to respond and get us set when we decided on the coverage we wanted!"

"Kathy was absolutely wonderful to work with! She made getting my apartment renter's insurance quick, easy, and stress-free. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and took the time to explain everything clearly while helping me find the right coverage. I really appreciated her patience and professionalism throughout the entire process. I highly recommend Kathy to anyone looking for excellent customer service and help with their insurance needs. Thank you, Kathy!"

"We love state farm! We have and have had many vehicles. Nicole from the Shelton branch is always great and takes care of us every time."

"Nicole G was very helpful, answered my questions right away, and went the extra mile to assist me."

"great response quick and friendly . THANKS FOR HELPING"

"My wife and I sat down with Gray McCoy this morning to go over our current State Farm insurance coverage. Gray was very knowledgeable, and recommended a couple minor adjustments to our coverage. We were very impressed with Gray’s expertise and demeanor. Very pleasant experience. We highly recommend the wonderful folks at Melanie Bakala’s Shelton State Farm Insurance Office. Thank you Gray"

"When looking for insurance during the construction of my vacation home outside Shelton, I called State Farm because my Mom's used them. Being from Ohio and not knowing anything about Construction insurance, it was great having someone like Lola to answer all my questions. She worked with my bank to make sure I had tge coverage needed. Would highly recommend them."

"Kathy was great to work with on my boat insurance."

"State Farm/ Bakala Insurance Agency provides exceptional homeowners insurance service. Nicole Gutierrez is a prime example of their professionalism. She handled my home policy request with incredible speed and expertise, making the entire process completely stress-free. Her expedient service and clear communication gave me complete peace of mind protecting my home. I highly recommend working with Nicole for any of your insurance needs."

"I signed up for Drive Safe, but when I got the beacon and directions which I thought required scanning, was going beyond my skill level. I called Joshua and he said come down and I will walk you through it. He not only walked me though it, he did the computer part and then went out to my car with me to put the beacon in. He also explained how it worked. I was not looking forward to doing this and was THRILLED with his above and beyond helpfulness."

"I'm very thankful for the help over the past few days by agent Payton. She was so patient with me as I have a very hectic schedule and she was polite, understanding, competent, and she had done her homework prior to our call. She was a pleasure to work with and is an asset to the office."

"Kathy was very informative and helpful in fully explaining the rate quote for my house in Lilliwaup. Her helpfulness was a key reason I chose State Farm for this insurance."

"Kat Peterson from Bakala State Farm always goes above and beyond to meet her customers needs! From Homeowners to Auto to Life, whatever you need she’s ready to help and she’s always a pleasure to speak with!"