Esurance Rated a Model Insurer

Customers want to know their car insurance company provides superior customer service and fast response to claims. It can be difficult to know whether an auto insurance company really delivers or only makes false promises to customers. While many auto insurers say they do these things, eleven year old Esurance has proven its worth.

Celent, a financial services technology research and advisory company, recently put out the study: Celent Model Insurer 2010: Case Studies of Effective Technology Use in Insurance, in which Esurance was pointed out for its excellent insurance processes and practices using technology to quickly file claims.

Esurance uses what’s called Innovation Claims First Notice of Loss to process claims faster and lower loss costs. Essentially, the longer it takes to process a claim, and the more people that are involved in that process, the more expensive loss costs are to an auto insurer. Esurance has honed in on a practice that quickly gets a claim filed and processed, making it easy for the policyholder to get her car repaired and back on the road.

This, in addition to Esurance’s self-service online claims system, got the attention of Celent in the report. The company has successfully used web technologies to help customers quickly file claims and get them processed. Esurance recognizes that having to file a claim can be stressful, and the company strives to take the stress out of the process by providing multiple options and step by step assistance to policyholders on its website.

Policyholders with Esurance can file claims online or by calling customer service 24 hours a day. The auto insurance company works with what it calls E-Star facilities, where policyholders can actually watch their cars being repaired online.

Esurance’s website provides ample information on how to file a claim and what to expect in the process. Visitors to the site can quickly find a repair shop approved by Esurance to get easy repairs that are billed directly to Esurance.

How Celent Ranked the Companies

To rate the companies in the report, Celent looked at multiple criteria to determine how well a company performed in different areas. Celent ranked insurance companies in 27 insurance technology initiative categories, including:

• Product definition
• Distribution
• Underwriting
• Policy administration
• Service
• Claims
• Infrastructure

Esurance rated well on all of these, but did the best in the claims category in the report. Other winners include Erie Insurance Group, American Modern Insurance Group and Liberty Mutual. The report spanned all types of insurance, not just auto insurance. Winners were announced at an event in New York City.

Esurance: More than Just Car Insurance
Esurance, best known for its spunky pink-haired mascot, Erin, offers a variety of insurance products, including auto insurance (for which it received recognition by Celent), motorcycle insurance, home insurance, renter’s insurance, and life and health insurance. The company also offers insurance coverage for snowmobiles, boats, personal watercraft and ATVs.

Esurance ranks high for customer satisfaction and offers affordable rates for car insurance.