Possibly the fallout of the hardening insurance market,insurance agents are less satisfied working with commercial linescarriers than they were two years ago, a survey finds.

The Independent Agents & Brokers of Delaware, Maryland andPennsylvania released the results of its bi-annual companysatisfaction survey–finding 68 percent of the 457 agents surveyedsay their satisfaction with carriers has declined.

This is an 8 point increase over the 2010 results, and thesecond consecutive time the majority of agents expressedunhappiness with the carriers they work with.Thirty-two percent say their satisfaction has improved since2010.

“We can surmise that the firming market impacted theagency-carrier relationship over the past several years,” saysIA&B President and CEO Rick Russell. “Market shifts affectcarriers' appetites, which may put the pressure on agencies, andmay account for their lowered satisfaction.”

IA&B says the smallest regional carriers (carriers operatingin 1-10 states with less than $100 million in direct premiumwritten) scored the highest satisfaction ratings. Regional carrierswith more than $100 million in direct premiumswritten operating in 1-10 states received the lowestscore.

Of the four categories of carrier relationships the surveycovered—policy service and claims scored the highest, whiletechnology garnered the least satisfaction.

Respondents rated 84 carriers, but only 39 commercial linescarriers received 15 or more completed surveys and were included inthe final results.

The top insurer MMG Insurance with an overall averagesatisfaction score of 3.615 on a scale of 1-4. At the bottom wasState Workers Insurance Fund with a score of 1.961.

Participation in the 2013Company Satisfaction Index Survey increased 63 percent over thenumber of commercial lines surveys returned in 2010. IA&B hasconducted this bi-annual survey since 2004.