Brokers keep saying that customer satisfaction and relationships are key to driving business – and it seems they are walking the talk, according to a recent survey that shows customer satisfaction on claims are significantly up. But which insurer ranks the highest?
Customer satisfaction with claims has increased by a significant 11 points, driven by substantially improved interactions, according to a recent J.D. Power 2014 Canadian Auto Claims Satisfaction Study.
“Since the customer experience rests in the hands of a number of third parties — such as the repair shop, tow operator and rental car company — this presents a challenge for insurers regarding satisfaction,” said Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power. “Often customers perceive the quality of the service they receive from the fulfillment partners also reflects on the insurer, and as such, blame the insurer if service fails to meet their expectations.”
Among the rank-eligible insurance companies included in the study,
Desjardins General Insurance ranks highest in overall claimant satisfaction with an index score of 835, performing particularly well in the first notice of loss and settlement factors.
Following Desjardins General Insurance in the rankings are
Intact Insurance (829); The Co-operators (819); and State Farm (813).
Now in its second year, the study measures customer satisfaction with the claims process for auto physical damage loss. Depending on the complexity of the claim, claimants may experience some or all of the following factors that drive overall satisfaction: first notice of loss; service interaction; appraisal; repair process; rental experience; and settlement. (continued.)
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The trends indicate that the insurance industry as a whole is communicating more effectively with claimants throughout the process, which has a positive impact on satisfaction.
Year over year, the industry has significantly improved in putting claimants at ease after they report the claim (up by 4 percentage points to 61 per cent) and in notifying repair facilities about the claim at first notice of loss (up by 6 percentage points to 30 per cent). Also, the percentage of respondents indicating they receive proactive claim status updates is up 3 percentage points to 53 per cent in 2014.
Among the service areas in which insurers should focus their improvement initiatives, the most impactful are:
• Ensuring claimants feel at ease after first notifying their insurer of the loss;
• Answering all claimant questions;
• Providing callbacks when expected;
• Reducing the need for claimants to repeat information; and
• Proactively reaching out to claimants with status updates about their claim.
Providing an outstanding claims experience can also generate high levels of advocacy and retention. The study finds that 75 per cent of highly satisfied claimants (satisfaction scores of 900 or higher) say they “definitely will” renew their policy, and 69 per cent say they “definitely will” recommend their current insurer, while only 11 per cent of displeased claimants (scores of 549 or less) say they “definitely will” renew and only 3 per cent say they “definitely will” recommend.
Key Findings
• Overall customer satisfaction with the auto claims experience averages 798 (on a 1,000-point scale), an 11-point increase from 2013.
• On average, the study finds that customers who recently experienced a claim rate their insurer 40 points higher than do customers that have not had this moment of truth and experienced the policy benefits so tangibly (798 vs. 758).
• In 2014, repairable claims account for 83 per cent of all claims (19 per cent tow and 64 per cent non-tow).
• Faster claim settlement times and vehicle return times have contributed to higher satisfaction. Vehicles are returned 1.1 days faster; final payments are received 2.2 days faster; and claimants are being informed of settlement terms 1.6 days faster than in 2013.
• The largest factor increases for repairable-tow claims are in first notice of loss (+40 points) and appraisal (+53 points). (continued.)
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• Post-claim follow-up has also significantly improved, by 7 percentage points, which positively impacts the overall experience among claimants with repairable-tow claims.
• 59 per cent of consumers surveyed indicated they perceive a working relationship between their insurer and the shop that performed the repairs on their vehicle.
The 2014 Canadian Auto Claims Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 2,700 auto insurance customers in Canada who settled an auto insurance claim within the past 18 months. The study excludes claimants whose vehicle incurred only glass/windshield damage or was stolen, or who filed a roadside assistance claim only. The study was fielded between January and March 2014.
Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking
Based on a 1,000-point scale |
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| Desjardins General Insurance |
835 |
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| Intact Insurance |
829 |
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| The Co-operators |
819 |
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| State Farm |
813 |
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| Belairdirect |
810 |
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| Wawanesa |
807 |
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| RBC Insurance |
801 |
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| Industry Average |
798 |
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| The Personal |
796 |
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| Dominion of Canada |
795 |
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| Johnson Insurance |
792 |
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| Allstate |
787 |
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| TD Insurance |
785 |
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| Economical Insurance |
783 |
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| Aviva Insurance |
768 |
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* Included in the study but not ranked due to small sample size are RSA and Grey Power.
