Customer experience

Consumers want more technology in their vehicles, both for safety and infotainment purposes, and they expect it to appear in all vehicles, not just luxury lines, according to a new study from Accenture.

The always-on, always-up digital culture that has been so readily adopted by younger Americans is having an impact on direct mail, according Mintel Comperemedia, a firm that provides competitive intelligence services. The firm reports that direct mail volume to consumers from life, health and property/casualty insurers is down 11 percent in Q3 2011 compared to Q3 2010.

Internal use and consumer outreach using social media will undoubtedly persist, but it may take marketers to push the format to flourishing heights.

Allstate is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to claims service.

Online Insurance Marketplace, an online community for educated consumers to shop and access quotes for insurance plans from various companies, has taken its social media efforts to a new level, promoting life insurance on its Facebook page by offering a simple poll question.

In its most recent Insurance Carrier Scorecard, Keynote Competitive Research, the industry analysis group of Keynote Systems Inc., named Progressive Insurance’s website the top website in the car insurance industry. The scorecard, which is part of Keynote’s Online Excellence Competitive Research Study, rates companies on nine categories. Progressive has received top honors on 18 of the last 19 scorecards, dating back to 2000.

Encinitas, Calif.-based Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI) released its 2012 State Report Cards for Workers’ Comp this week. The report, which is used to track trends and give states a grade and tier ranking based on their performance, now includes data from a 10-year period. Forty-three states are covered, plus Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

Professional insurance agents have what insurance customers are looking for, according to research results issued by the PIA Partnership. The PIA Partnership is a group of insurance companies that works collaboratively with PIA National to conduct research and develop tools and resources designed to benefit professional independent insurance agents. PIA is a national trade association that represents member insurance agents and employees who sell and service all kinds of insurance.

Amica Mutual received the top honor for overall excellence from InsuranceQuotes.com’s inaugural Insurance Quality Awards.

New survey puts insurance companies at the bottom of the list in terms of consumer-friendliness on the Web.