Customers Rank Insurer Satisfaction: Look Who Made the Best and Worst Lists

Insure.com, a web site dedicated to all things insurance-related, just completed a comprehensive study of consumer satisfaction, ranking the nation's biggest insurers in life, health, auto and homeowners coverage.

Source: Source: CBS News | Published on January 12, 2012

More than 4,500 consumers weighed in on what they thought about their insurers' customer service, claims behavior, the value they got for the price and how likely they were to both renew their policy with the same insurer and refer a friend.

The hands-down satisfaction leader was USAA - an insurer that offers policies to members of the military and their families. Auto Owners and The Hartford also ranked high in customer satisfaction for auto insruance. Best home insurers included USAA, Amica Mutual, and Chubb.

On the other hand, American Family rated poorly in both auto and homeowner's coverage, scoring among the bottom five in customer satisfaction, with just 62% of its auto customers and 64% of its homeowner's customers willing to recommend the company to a friend -- the customer satisfaction litmus test. In fact, many big insurers that advertise heavily scored among the worst in customer satisfaction, according to the survey.

Here are the companies that scored the worst:

Worst auto insurers:

Esurance: 71.2 overall score; 3.5 stars for customer service; 85% renewal rate; 66% referral rate

MetLife: 72 overall; 3.5 stars for customer service; 86% renewal; 63% referral rate

Mercury General: 72 overall; 3.5 stars for customer service; 89% renewal; 66% referral rate

Progressive: 73.7 overall; 3.5 stars for customer service; 85% renewal; 66% referral rate

American Family: 74 overall; 4 stars for customer service; 86% renewal; 62% referral rate

Worst home insurance companies:

Citizens Property Insurance: 64 overall; 3 stars for customer service; 84% renewal; 30% referral rate

Fireman's Fund: 74% overall; 3.5 stars for customer service; 86% renewal; 61% referral rate

Universal Property & Casualty: 75 overall; 3.5 stars for customer service; 92% renewal; 49% referral rate

American Family: 77.1 overall; 4 stars for customer service; 84% renewal; 64% referral rate

Auto-Owners Insurance: 78.5 overall; 4 stars for customer service; 89% renewal; 58% referral rate

Worst life insurance companies:*

Aviva Life: 59.9 overall; 3 stars for customer service; 45% referral rate

Lincoln National: 68.1 overall; 3 stars for customer service; 36% referral rate

ING Life: 69.3 overall; 3 stars for customer service; 46% referral rate?American General: 70.9 overall, 3 stars for customer service; 30% referral rate

Jackson National: 71.8 overall; 3 stars for customer service; 47% referral rate

*life insurance is typically a multi-year product, thus persistency figures are not meaningful.

Worst health insurance companies:

Blue Shield of California: 59.2 overall; 3 stars for customer service; 83% renewal; 30% referral rate

Assurant: 60.9 overall; 2.5 stars for customer service; 80% renewal; 43% referral rate?Health Net: 71.9 overall; 3.5 stars for customer service; 85% renewal; 43% referral rate

Aetna Life: 72.5 overall; 3.5 stars for customer service; 90% renewal; 49% referral rate

Coventry Health Care: 73.2 overall; 3.5 stars for customer satisfaction; 86 renewal; 54% referral rate