Customer experience

Windsor, Conn., and Atlanta - Member companies of LIMRA International and LOMA voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal to unite two of the world's largest insurance and financial services trade organizations. The merger will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2008.

New York - Lightyear Capital LLC, a New York-based private equity firm focused on financial services investing, completed the transactions related to the establishment of Antares Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-based holding company whose businesses will include the sponsorship of a new Lloyd's of London syndicate ("Antares Syndicate 1274").

Atlanta - Connecture Inc., provider of Web-based sales, service and process automation solutions to the health insurance industry, has been awarded the Robinson College of Business (RCB) Eagle Award. The business school selected Connecture as a high achiever among fastest growing private companies in the Southeast.

As mortgage lenders struggle to contend with the double-barreled threat of rising defaults and lower origination volume, a third, less discussed source of risk is now starting to emerge.

USAA and State Farm provide the best customer experiences, according to consumers surveyed by Forrester Research Inc.

Pewaukee, Wis. - Indiana Insurance, a member of Liberty Mutual Group, has been named the 2007 Company of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana (IIAI), an honor that Indiana Insurance also received in 2006.

Los Angeles - The Farmers Insurance Group HelpPoint claims call center has just been recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for the third year in a row for providing "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience." The recognition is for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program.

Atlanta - SunGard Data Systems Inc., Wayne, Pa., has acquired DSPA Software Inc., a Mississauga, Ontario-based supplier of sales compensation and distribution management software to the insurance industry. DSPA Software will become part of SunGard's insurance business.

Insurance customers won't tolerate difficult navigation, endless loops that prevent transactions or other Web site challenges, according to survey results released by San Francisco-based Tealeaf Technology Inc. The survey, conducted by Rochester, N.Y.-based Harris Interactive Inc., indicates about nine out of 10 consumers conducting transactions online (within a number of industries) have experienced problems. This year's survey highlights online consumer intolerance, as 42% of those who have experienced problems when conducting online transactions switched to a competitor or abandoned the transaction entirely. Additionally, 52% who experienced bad customer service from a company's contact center following an online issue stopped doing business with the company as a result.

Adding metrics to customer touch points results in agency's ability to increase first-call closes and improve overall sales.