Risk Managers Surveyed For NU Readers' Choice Awards

NU Online News Service, July 6, 12:50 p.m. EDT

National Underwriter, in partnership with Flasp?hler Research Group, will launch a survey of risk managers this month that will result in the inaugural "NU Readers' Choice Awards," to be unveiled in the Oct. 19 edition.

Using unique Flasp?hler methodologies and computer-assisted interviewing techniques, all surveys will be adaptive in nature. This means the survey will adapt itself to the knowledge and interests of each participating risk manager.

"This technique ensures that risk managers taking the survey only rate those commercial lines writers with whom they are familiar," said Rick Flasp?hler, president of the Kansas City, Mo.-based research firm. "Furthermore, they only rate their commercial lines writers on issues that are important to the particular risk manager being interviewed."

Mr. Flasp?hler went on to explain that, "while typical surveys can often be biased toward larger competitors, adaptive interviewing levels the playing field. What matters most in an adaptive survey is not how many 'votes' a writer receives--which favors larger competitors--but rather, how highly each commercial lines writer is rated by those familiar with each writer."

NU will publish the "Readers' Choice" winners--those commercial lines writers receiving the top ratings by line of business and by key selection factors--on Oct. 19, along with interviews with some of the winners sharing the secrets of their success.