Toronto, Ontario — According to J.D. Power’s 2024 U.S. Claims Digital Study released on Tuesday, insurers’ investments in the digital claims process has resulted in significantly higher customer satisfaction scores.
Specifically, as noted by the study, overall satisfaction with the digital insurance claims process scored 871 points on a scale of zero to 1,000. This finding represents a 17 point increase from 2023.
The study, now in its fifth year, aims to evaluate the digital experiences among P&C insurance customers throughout the claims process. In order to evaluate results, the study examines the functional aspects of desktop, mobile web and mobile apps based on four factors: visual appeal, clarity of information, navigation and range of services.
Key findings from the study further include that customer satisfaction scores are highest when insurer mobile apps were used to report a claim, submit photos and/or videos and receive updates from the insurer.
Additionally, while 84 percent of respondents say their insurer provides an easy digital communication process, just 39 percent say their insurer always responds in a timely fashion to emails and text messages.
Furthermore, nearly 20 percent of customers say they used more than one channel when they had a question, a frustration point that reduced satisfaction by more than 100 points. Among those who used more than one channel for the same topic, email apps and phone calls were the most frequently cited.
Mark Garret, director of global insurance intelligence at J.D. Power commented that “the digital channel has now surpassed traditional phone-based communication as the most satisfying way for insurance customers to submit a new claim. After years of slow growth in the usage of digital channels for claims reporting, insurers’ investments into developing these tools and promoting usage have really paid off as more insureds than ever are using them. Auto and home insurers have finally gotten the digital formula right with streamlined reporting tools, proactive updates and well-designed apps. However, the industry still has some work to do when it comes to helping insureds navigate between digital and offline channels, which can sometimes create unnecessary friction in the claims process.”
The study’s data was based on 2,982 evaluations provided by auto or home insurance customers who filed a claim in the past 12 months. The study was fielded from May through September 2024.
To read the full report, click here.
