Overall homeowners satisfaction when it comes to property insurance claims is at an all-time high, hitting 883 on J.D. Power's 2021 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, which ranked satisfaction on a 1,000 point scale, the data analytics and insights provider reported. Consumers adopting digital tools at an accelerated clip helped boost satisfaction, according to J.D. Power. When homeowners pursue a fully digital claims process, including estimation and first notice of loss, the time to payout was reduced up to 5.5 days. Additionally, the use of mobile apps and insurer-provided software for inventory creation is up more than 30% since 2018, J.D. Power reported. When inventory lists are made before a loss event, consumers see payouts 3.4 days sooner than when a list is compiled after an incident. Further, pre-loss inventories resulted in higher overall satisfaction ratings. "Insurers have been touting digital first notice of loss, mobile apps and software for pre-claim home content inventory cataloging, but customer adoption stayed stubbornly low until COVID-19 hit," Robert Lajdziak, senior consultant, insurance intelligence at J.D. Power, said in a release. "Overall use of technology — particularly on behalf of the carriers — increased significantly during the past year, creating direct benefits such as faster claims and secondary benefits such as a more consistent claims process for all customers. The key now is addressing some of the lingering issues that create breaks in the digital claims process." The above slideshow ranks the top home insurance providers based on consumer satisfaction with the claims process. Related:

• Insure.com reveals the top-rated home insurers
• 6 ways insurance agencies can support employees better
• Worst states for insurance retirees in 2021