Web Site Reveals Agents' View of Insurers' Performance

Glenmont , N.Y. — Data collected by a group of professional insurance agents that ranks insurance carrier performance is now available online.The Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) of Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York, a Glenmont, N.Y.-based voluntary, membership-based trade association representing professional, independent property/casualty insurance agents, published its company performance survey database, the result of a five-year collaborative project in which PIA members ranked the performance of more than 80 insurance companies.

PIA members are routinely asked how well their carrier companies execute things agents’ care about, including service, products, technology and treatment of their agency partners. By clicking on a carrier’s name, agents can see a company’s overall score, its scores on 16 individual performance items and how the company ranked compared to others in the survey each year.

The Web site is designed to provide useful data that can help agents evaluate prospective business relationships, support placement recommendations they make to clients and communicate objectively with their current insurance carriers about business issues.

Survey data was provided by PIA members in Connecticut and New York from 2003-2007, and in New Jersey from 2005-2007. Members could choose from dozens of insurance companies (or company business units) to rate the carriers with which they do the most business.  

“In each of the past three years, more than 1,000 PIA members took the time to score their companies,” said Diane Fowler, executive director of PIACT, PIANH, PIANJ and PIANY. “Each person rated an average of six companies each year, so the amount of data we have assembled is truly impressive.” 

According to Christopher Wilson, PIACT president, members may want to check out their companies’ ratings before they talk about the business commitments many carriers want. “A company may ask you for growth, but how competitive are their prices? Now, it’s not just a subjective call on a single agent’s part. You can see what other agents say about the company’s pricing, products and other selling points.” 

“I can see many uses for this data,” said Martin Koles, PIANY president. “At a time when agency owners are developing their 2008 business plans, were pleased to give members a way of confirming how their business partners are perceived. Even in this soft market, producers may believe that market consistency counts heavily over time. Survey results may help show a client objective data on market stability, claims handling and other attributes of a given market.” 

Also available are the 2007 results from PIA of New Hampshire members, who first took part this year. “We use the survey to recognize companies that are getting it right,” said Judy George, PIANH president. “Companies show an amazing amount of interest in how they’re doing and how they could improve.” 

Altogether, nearly 23,000 individual company ratings make  up the data displayed in the database. It can be viewed using the Company Performance Survey Database link at the PIA Web site: www.pia.org/GIA/cps/index.php.

Source: PIA