Earlier this month, J.D. Power and Associates reported thatproperty claims satisfaction is holding steady, despite a yearof record natural catastrophes. According to the same firm,however, the auto insurance sector is not faring as well, at leastin the chilly months.

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When releasing the results of its “2013 Auto ClaimsSatisfaction Study—Wave 2” report yesterday, J.D. Power andAssociates said overall customer satisfaction declined 11 points to850 on a 1,000-point scale, when compared to the Wave 1 survey.Claimants are generally less satisfied with their auto repairexperience because of higher out-of-pocket expenses, the firm says.For example, the average deductible and vehicle rental haveincreased about $30, from an average of $469 in Wave 1 of the studyto $499 in early 2013.

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See related article: A Crash Course In 2013 Automotive Trends

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Additionally, appraisal and claims settlement are taking longer.On average, auto claimants wait 3.3 days for an insuranceappraisal. This represents a clear uptick from the 2.9 daysreported in Wave 1. Meanwhile, it is taking long not only to reacha settlement but also for settlement checks to arrive. J.D. Powercited that settlement is reached in an average of 6.6 days,compared to 5.8 days in Wave 1. The settlement payments themselvesrequire an extra day to typically reach claimants, as the averagetime was 14.9 days in Wave 2 and 13.9 days in Wave 1.

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Time and expenses aside, external factors may very wellattribute to the dip in satisfaction in early 2013, as JeremyBowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power andAssociates, explains:

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“There is a seasonal trend in claimant satisfaction, whichdeclines significantly during the winter months,” he says. “Whenconsumers have an accident and need to repair a vehicle around theholidays, it is an inconvenience, and road conditions tend to batchaccidents, causing volume peaks for the repair industry.”

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Bowler adds that claimants who incur personal out-of-pocketexpenses during winter months may have to dip into holiday savingsto pay for repairs, further compounding frustration.

On the bright side, claimants who use a body shop intheir insurer's dedicated repair network tend toget their vehicles back 1.3 days faster, on average, thanthose opting for an out-of-network shop (8.6 daysvs. 9.9 days, respectively). Further, claimants who have theirvehicle repaired at a dealership wait an average of 11.9 days,compared with 11 days for those who have repairs at an independentor chain shop. "While using a shop in the insurer's network may limitwhere claimants can take their vehicle for repairs, it generallyspeeds up the repair process," explains Bowler. "The insurancecompanies may have priority at their network shops, whereasindividual claimants may find themselves at the back of the line atan independent shop."