Satisfaction with life insurers up 2.5 percent in 2013

Customer satisfaction with New York Life tops the large companies: ACSI pegs the company’s score at 80 — unchanged for the third consecutive year. Northwestern Mutual, Prudential and Metlife, received lower scores, each declining one percent to 78, 78 and 77, respectively.

The following are ACSI scores for these and other large insurers in 2012 and 2013:

“On average, customers view life insurance agents and representatives to be courteous and helpful (ACSI benchmark of 86) and consider policies to be approved quickly and efficiently (87),” the report states. “According to their customers, life insurers provide a variety of policy types that meet different household needs (82).

“They [also] make it reasonably simple for policyholders to understand how insurers arrive at the premiums they charge,” the report adds. “Website satisfaction is above average (81).”

The survey observes, however, that life insurers’ performance is subpar in respect to the availability and range of policy discounts, including health rewards and discounts for combining different types of policies. Policy discounts earn only an ACSI benchmark score of 74.