Gen Y (born between 1977 and 1994), which represents 40% of the claimants in the study, increased 17 points to 844 — the lowest satisfaction number in the study.

The number of Gen Y respondents increased 7%, making them the largest group in the study, followed by 20% of Gen Xers. The number of pre-boomers and boomers comprised less than 40% of the respondents, as their segments continue to shrink.

“Gen Y is a large and influential segment of the claims market, so it's encouraging to see that insurance providers continue to focus on improving this generation's satisfaction,” says Mark Garrett, J.D. Power's director of insurance industry analytics.

The study shows an increase in the number of consumers who prefer to have multiple communication channels, such as e-mail, telephone and online options during the claims process; however, technology has not replaced their desire to interact with a real person.

While the use of technology to follow a claim's process has increased to 42% of respondents, overall claims satisfaction was highest (882) when claimants actually contacted their agents first when filing a claim, compared to a rating of 848 for those who chose to file claims through a company website. The study found that only 7% of claimants prefer using digital channels to report a claim, although Gen Y consumers had a slightly higher preference at 10%.

An agent's role

According to the study, agents are a key factor in determining a policyholder's satisfaction with the way a claim is handled. Eighty percent of policyholders who purchased their insurance through an agent still contacted the agent first to report the claim, or to at least seek advice and information. For those who contacted their agent about the claim, 64% said the agent actually reported the claim for them, 20% were transferred to a call center and 16% were redirected to another source.