How satisfied are you with how your auto insurance company handled your last claim? Often, people send off a claim, hope for the best, and expect the worst. Allstate is doing something different with the claims their customers send in. Allstate is offering a “Claims Satisfaction Guarantee.”
A survey that was done by YouGov BrandIndex was released in July of 2011. This survey revealed which insurance companies were perceived as being the best ones by American consumers.
A top ten list was put together, based on the responses that people gave to one question. “If you’ve heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?” Allstate came in fifth place on the top ten list.
Allstate is doing something new, that could improve the way that American consumers perceive this insurance company. The insurer is expanding a claims guarantee to customers who have purchased auto insurance. One could call this a “Claim Satisfaction Guarantee”. This is in addition to Allstate’s current promise that guarantees that all repairs made at any Allstate Good Hands Repair Network shop for as long as the customer owns that car.
Allstate has tested this new guarantee in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia. The deal is currently available in 31 states. The insurer is planning to add more states in 2012.
The “Claim Satisfaction Guarantee” was added to the standard auto insurance policies of customers in those states for no extra cost. First, an eligible customer files an auto insurance claim. Allstate offers 24-hour claims service by phone, and it also allows people to file a claim online.
If the customer is in any way dissatisfied with the service on a claim that Allstate paid out, then the customer can receive a credit to their premium. In order to get it, the customer must express his or her dissatisfaction in writing, and must do so within 180 days of the claim.
So, let’s say that you have an auto insurance policy with Allstate, and that the “Claim Satisfaction Guarantee” program is available in the state where you live. You get into a small car accident, which was caused by the other driver. You send a claim for the damages the other driver caused to your car to Allstate.
Someone at Allstate takes a look at your claim, and decides that this is a claim that the insurer will pay out. Despite this, something about this process left you unsatisfied. Maybe you didn’t like the way the representative you spoke with on the phone asked you questions. Maybe the payout didn’t cover as much of the damages as you wanted it to. The “Claims Satisfaction Guarantee” means that you could receive a credit to your premium.
There is something important to keep in mind about the “Claims Satisfaction Guarantee”. It looks like it can only be used on claims that Allstate actually paid for. Customers who had their claim denied, and are not satisfied by that decision, are not likely to get a credit on their premium.
Image by Candie_N on Flickr