IA&B Survey: Agencies Report Slight Decrease in Commercial Carrier Satisfaction

Insurance Agents & Brokers (IA&B) — a partnership of three agents’ associations serving Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware — said its latest survey shows its members’ overall satisfaction with commercial lines carriers has decreased slightly.

IA&B reported its 2013 Company Satisfaction Index today. The group said the slight decline in members’ overall satisfaction with commercial lines carriers broke the continuous trend of improvement since the survey’s inception in 2004.

“We can surmise that the firming market impacted the agency-carrier relationship over the past several years,” said Rick Russell, president and CEO of IA&B. “Market shifts affect carriers’ appetites, which may have put the pressure on agencies and may account for their lowered satisfaction.”

IA&B opened the survey between April 15 and May 15 to all member agencies’ staff in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. In total, 457 participants rated 84 commercial lines carriers. Collectively, the smallest regional carriers received the highest satisfaction rating.

When dissected by category, survey respondents’ satisfaction remained the highest with their carriers’ policy service and claims and lowest with technology — a trend continued from previous results.

The report also lists individual carrier results. IA&B said MMG Insurance, ACUITY, Lackawanna Casualty, Donegal and Goodville Mutual received the highest satisfaction ratings.

IA&B is a partnership of three agents’ associations: the Delaware Association of Insurance Agents & Brokers Inc., the Insurance Agents & Brokers of Maryland Inc., and the Insurance Agents & Brokers of Pennsylvania Inc. The associations work together to deliver programs, products and services for IA&B members, all provided by the associations’ management arm, the Insurance Agents & Brokers Service Group.

Topics Trends Carriers Agencies Commercial Lines Pennsylvania Maryland Iowa Delaware