IA&B admits it is at a loss as to why regional personal-lines carriers are favored among producers in those states. “Why the regionals do better overall, we just don't know,” Wonder tells NU. “Maybe there is the sense that the regionals have a stronger relationship [with agencies] than the nationals. [That] may have to do with making it easier to do business with them, or their sales representatives may make more visits to the agency.”

The scores also revealed that the regionals outpace the nationals in almost all of the four relationship categories.

Despite having superior resources, national companies even trailed most regionals when it comes to technology, scoring 3.029 compared to 3.115 for super-regionals and 3.114 for regional II carriers. Nationals did beat regional I companies in this area, though, as the latter scored 2.994.

IA&B has conducted the survey on a biannual basis since 2004, asking about both personal and commercial lines. This is the first year in which participants were asked to rate personal-lines carriers only; the commercial-lines survey is scheduled for 2013.  

Of the carriers included in the 2010 survey, only 20 percent improved in satisfaction, while 80 percent declined. The company receiving the highest overall rating was Goodville Mutual Casualty Co. (a regional I carrier), followed by MMG Insurance (a regional II carrier).

Rounding out the top five were:

• Donegal (regional II carrier)
• Penn National Insurance (regional II)
• Selective (super-regional)

At the bottom of the list were MetLife Auto & Home, ranked 37, and Allstate Insurance Co., ranked 38.

Of the 13 national carriers scored in the survey, Cincinnati Insurance (ranked 6), Kemper (ranked 7) and Travelers (ranked 8) were rated highest.