The relationship between an insurer and insured can be put to the test when a claim is filed. Insurers need time to accurately sort through the claims process, but this can leave an insured in limbo as they await a decision. Effective communication is an area many insurers need to work on, according to the J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction study. Specifically, the components of the claims process that need improvement are:

• how well customers are kept informed on the progress of their claim;
• the time needed to settle the claim; and
• the fairness of the claim settlement.

Despite this, the study found insurers continue to earn high marks for overall customer satisfaction. The U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study measures satisfaction with the property claims experience among insurance customers who have filed a claim for damages by examining five factors (listed in order of importance): settlement; claim servicing; first notice of loss; estimation process; and repair process. The 2019 study is based on responses from 6,374 homeowners' insurance customers. With this in mind, above are the 22 insurers with the highest overall customer satisfaction*. Note: USAA is an insurance provider open only to U.S. military personnel and their families, and therefore is not included in the rankings. Included in the study but not award-eligible due to small sample size are Cincinnati Insurance and The Hanover.  Related: How carriers can improve customer responsiveness