Property insurers have improved overall customer satisfaction through a combination of efforts in enhanced digital tools and faster repair and payout times, according to JD Power's
"There was no shortage of headwinds to customer satisfaction with the property claims experience this year, particularly when it comes to the financial burden customers face, but carriers were really able to counter the negative effects of higher prices by delivering exceptional service," said Mark Garrett, director of insurance intelligence at JD Power,
Overall customer satisfaction rose 20 points to 702 (out of 1,000) in the 2026 study, even though 19% of homeowners experienced premium increases, paid for out-of-pocket expenses and had a deductible over $1,000.
JD Power found that digital capabilities throughout the claims process provide an improved experience for customers. Overall, utilization increased; 38% of property insurers deployed digital tools for reporting the first notice loss, 49% for photo submission used to estimate or payout a claim and 45% to receive updates throughout the claims process. The study finds that overall levels of satisfaction are higher among customers who use enhanced digital capabilities for each of these areas over customers who did not use digital tools.
"Thanks to investments made over the past several years in digital channels that make it faster and easier to communicate with customers throughout the claims process, insurers have made important efficiency gains that are translating into better customer experience," said Garrett. "Despite the industry-wide improvement, however, customer expectations are not always met, with almost one in five customers indicating their experience was not great, so there is still work to do."
While just over half of insurers, 51%, fully meet a customer's expectations for how their policy works, more than a third of customers reported that their policy does not fully meet their expectations. According to JD Power, the lack of explanations over estimates or settlements, high out-of-pocket costs and frequent customer-initiated contacts contribute to this dissatisfaction.
