Report Benchmarks Online Auto Carriers
By Mark E. Ruquet
NU Online News Service, Aug. 19, 9:55 p.m. EDT?An independent technology consulting firm said its benchmarking survey shows that when it comes to the customer's ease of use to obtain automobile insurance online, some traditional insurers' online systems are as good as Web-based carriers.
Change Science Group of Irvington, N.Y., found that of 15 online company sites it examined, Esurance was rated as having the easiest site for consumers to use. Coming up last, in the overall rating, was GEICO. However, some other notable carriers, AIG, Progressive and Liberty Mutual, were equally well rated for ease of use.
This was one of the many findings in a report issued by the firm, said Steve Ellis, partner and founder of the three-year-old firm. He said Change Science's primary job is to evaluate consumer usability with online technology and develop ways to make it better. The firm uses a consumer evaluation modeling program it developed, named Typifi, to measure the experience.
"To be able to benchmark yourself with your competitor is a critical thing to be able to do," Mr. Ellis observed.
While working for years with financial service companies on an individual basis, the firm said it decided to begin evaluating different markets. The report benchmarks companies against their competitors. This is something, he said, that would be very expensive for any individual corporation to do using the traditional focus group methods.
The report breaks down ease of use into different experiences ranging from reading text to scrolling, typing in data and getting the desired quote.
While Esurance came out first overall, Mr. Ellis pointed out, in some specific areas of the experience GEICO surpassed Esurance.
Mr. Ellis said the independent report is "totally unbiased, and we pull no punches based on any preexisting client relationships we may have. Our whole reputation is based on us being an objective third party and we take that pretty seriously," he noted.
This is the first of what is intended to be a quarterly survey of online carriers. From a technology standpoint, he said, changes occur so quickly that the firm believes such reports would be useful on an ongoing basis. He added that different carriers also would be examined in the report.
For information about Change Science, or to purchase the report, go to www.changesciences.com or e-mail info@changesciences.com. The group can also be contacted at (888) 864-1160.
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