Customer experience

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.

You can't hop into a cab, step into an elevator or walk down the street without passing someone using a Blackberry, iPhone or other type of mobile device. Business professionals, students, police and even your kids are connected every second of the day. As a result, more and more carriers are recognizing the inherent value of mobile technologies as a productivity tool, and have embraced this technology.

In a new 68-page report entitled 'BPO Opportunities in the Property & Casualty Insurance Sector,' analyst John Willmott finds that P&C insurers perceive themselves to be in a mature and highly competitive industry where process cost reduction and continuous service improvement are viewed as far more important mechanisms for achieving improvements in competitive positioning than process innovation.

Bala Cynwyd, Pa. - Philadelphia Insurance Companies, a writer of commercial property/casualty, personal lines and professional liability insurance products, is launching a new online policy delivery system effective December 1, 2007.

Los Angeles – Using the 2006 fatal crash data released by the U. S. Department of Transportation just weeks ago, Farmers Group Inc. has completed a study to determine the most influential factors in drivers’ mortality rate in multi-vehicle accidents.

Needham, Mass. — The insurance industry has relied upon the independent agency system as a main distribution channel for decades. However, new business concerns are threatening its success and even its existence, according to recent research from Needham, Mass.-based TowerGroup Inc.

Oakland, Calif. — Kaiser Permanente has received the "Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award" from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its efforts to provide health plan members across the country with culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services.

Los Angeles — Annette Thompson, VP of marketing operations at the University of Farmers was awarded Learning Leader of the Year for her leadership, organizational commitment, vision and ability to deliver organizational results during the International Quality and Productivity Center Conference held at the Disney resort in Orlando, Fla.

Wellesley, Mass. — The U.S. division of Waterloo, Ontario-based Sun Life Financial Inc. has been awarded the LOMA Educational Achievement Award for the third consecutive year. Of more than 1,200 companies worldwide that were eligible for this award, Sun Life is one of only 15 to be recognized for its educational efforts. Sun Life was honored in both the global and regional (United States and Canada) categories.

Cincinnati — The Midland Co., a Cincinnati-based provider of specialty insurance products and services, today reported that it has signed a definitive merger agreement with German-based Munich Re, whereby Munich Re will acquire all of Midland's outstanding stock. Under the terms of the agreement, stockholders of Midland will receive $65 in cash per share. This represents a 13.5% premium above the Oct. 16, 2007 closing price of $57.27 and a 55% premium over Midland's share price at the start of 2007. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2008, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, as well as other customary closing conditions.

Chicago — The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), Chicago, and participating Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies joined with four U.S. physician groups, national employers and national consumer groups to examine a patient care model that places the patient and primary care practice at the center of care.

Hamilton, Bermuda — Reinsurance Holdings Ltd. announced Flagstone Underwriters Latin America Ltd. A.I. was successfully formed and licensed, and will conduct business from its offices in Puerto Rico.

Thousand Oaks, Calif. — For small-business owners who face pressure to provide their employees with affordable health insurance, one statewide provider has devised an online solution to address the situation. Blue Cross of California has released a new tool that makes it easier for small-business owners to navigate the health care arena and find the most affordable products for their employees with the launch of an online tool called Click4Biz.