Conn. Agents Rate Chubb, NLC Highly

Chubb Group and NLC Mutual Insurance Company received high performance ratings among Connecticut independent agents in a survey sponsored by the Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut.

The online survey asked agents to rate companies in 16 performance categories concerning products and pricing, treatment of agents, marketing support, technology, service and underwriting.

Close to 200 agents responded to the fifth annual company survey, rating 33 companies.

Warren, N.J.-based Chubb and Washington, D.C.-based NLC have rated highly in the survey for the past few years.

Others carriers with scores of 60 or higher from all categories include: New York-based Atlantic Mutual; Boston-based Liberty Mutual subsidiary Peerless Insurance Co.; Mayfield, Ohio-based Progressive; St. Paul Travelers, based in St. Paul, Minn.; Hartford, Conn.-based The Hartford; The Hanover Insurance Group of Worcester, Mass.; Seattle-based Safeco; and Zurich, based in Switzerland.

Scoring is based upon the adding up of all responses, with an overall score of 80 possible.

The report is similar to the New Jersey survey released two weeks ago by PIA New Jersey, which had 308 responses to rank 42 companies or business units that the agents deal with.

That survey gave the following firms a top ranking with overall scores of 60 or more: Great American, based in Cincinnati, Ohio; Atlantic Mutual; Progressive; Branchville, N.J.-based Selective; Chubb Group personal lines; First Trenton, a subsidiary of St. Paul Travelers; Penn National Security Insurance Co., based in Harrisburg, Pa.; Berkeley Heights, N.J.-based Palisades Group; St. Paul Travelers; Andover Companies, based in Andover, Mass.; Chicago-based CNA's Continental Casualty; The Hartford; and ARI Mutual Insurance Co., based in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Among some of the highlights of the reports, on the issue of treatment of agents, Andover, Atlantic Mutual and NLC personal lines scored overall highest on three rankings by Connecticut agents. In New Jersey, the highest rated companies were Andover; ARI; Atlantic Mutual; Farmers of Flemington, N.J.; Great American; Penn National; Quincy Mutual of Quincy, Mass.; and Selective.

In the area of technology, Progressive and Selective got high marks from New Jersey agents, while St. Paul Travelers and its subsidiary First Trenton, The Hanover Insurance Group, Progressive, Safeco and The Hartford scored very well among Connecticut agents.

In the New Jersey survey, while most insurers scored in the high 50s or better in their overall score, New York-based American International Group's commercial lines and Camden Fire Insurance Association, a subsidiary of Boston-based White Mountain Group, came in with overall ranking of less than 50.

AIG scored well in branding, products and pricing, and overall technology, but did not fare well on service, and on a one-to-five scale (five being the highest) was below three on treatment of agents and claims handling. The company's total score was 43.5. Only eight agents rated AIG commercial lines.

Camden Fire, with 16 agents responding, did poorly on marketing support and underwriting, but received rankings well above three in most other categories. Total score was 49.6.

In the Connecticut survey, AIG commercial lines did poorly as well, the only company in the survey with a total ranking below 50 with 32.7. Nine agents responded in that state's survey.

A representative from AIG declined to comment on the survey.

The average score in the Connecticut survey was 57.9, while in New Jersey it was 58.

Mary Christiano, director of member and public information services for the Glenmont, N.Y.-based PIA members of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and New Hampshire, said the company survey of New York agents will be released July 10.

AIG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.