National Underwriter, in partnership with Flasp?hler Research Group, will launch a survey of independent agents this month that will result in the inaugural “NU Producer Choice Awards,” to be unveiled in the Oct. 18 edition.

The survey will focus on the key factors agents consider when evaluating commercial insurers, then will ask agents to rank their most preferred carriers overall, as well as for 14 specific lines of business.

The goal is to identify how agents determine whether to stay with carriers or take on new ones, as well as who they consider best of breed when it comes to different products and support capabilities.

The results of a similar survey by Flasp?hler of commercial insurance buyers appeared in the Oct. 19, 2009 edition of NU as the “Risk Manager Choice Awards.” (See http://bit.ly/392FyL for those results.)

Using unique Flasp?hler methodologies and computer-assisted interviewing techniques, all surveys will be adaptive in nature. This means the survey will adapt itself to the knowledge and interests of each participating agent.

“This technique ensures that producers taking the survey only rate those commercial lines writers with whom they are familiar,” said Rick Flasp?hler, president of the Kansas City, Mo.-based research firm. “Furthermore, they only rate their commercial lines writers on issues that are important to the particular producer being interviewed.”

Mr. Flasp?hler went on to explain that, “while typical surveys can often be biased toward larger competitors, adaptive interviewing levels the playing field. What matters most in an adaptive survey is not how many 'votes' a writer receives–which favors larger competitors–but rather, how highly each commercial lines writer is rated by those familiar with each writer.”

In addition to the survey results, additional articles in the Oct. 18 edition will cover the open-ended responses from producers about the challenges they face in the soft market and tough economy.

Interviews will also be conducted with some of the carriers ranking high in the survey to share the secrets of their successful relationships with agents.