Auto Insurance Blog and Resources

Where do customer reviews and industry trends intersect? We took a look at 2020's car insurance reviews and talked to industry experts to learn more. We'll focus on how the largest patterns in customer reviews relate to trends identified by experts. Here's what reviews reveal about the auto insurance industry in 2020: Car insurers do well with the following: Customer service (60 percent) Cost (27 percent) Claims (21 percent) Coverage (7 percent) Although these numbers show high levels of success, reviews also revealed some complaints: Cost (13 percent) Customer service (10 percent) Claims (5 percent) Coverage (1 percent) These complaints occur less frequently than praise for these items, which is a good sign for the industry as a whole. Customer service (60 percent positive vs. 10 percent negative) Customer service is a key component of the customer experience, and it's a good sign that reviews reveal such a high level of satisfaction with customer service.  From 2020's reviews, auto insurers do well with customer service. Reviewers mention honesty and reliability. They appreciated getting help from knowledgeable and proactive agents. The reviewers with a poor customer service experience mentioned poor communication and uncaring agents. Auto insurers can build on this strength by continuing to train their insurance agents and customer service representatives well. Customer service in 2021 Marc Fredman, CCC Information Services Senior Vice President, notes that auto insurers have the difficulty of delivering continuity for policyholders while engaging with them infrequently. Technology can help insurers meet this challenge. "We predict digital communications that connect policyholders and carriers in real-time conversations will become table stakes, and this same technology will begin to unify parties that need to work together to resolve claims, including collision repairers and auto lenders," says Fredman. Technology's role in customer service will increase. While this can help make the customer experience consistent, it also runs the risk of removing the human interaction that many of 2020's reviewers praised. Cost (27 percent positive vs. 13 percent negative) Good pricing attracts and retains customers. Auto insurance is a necessity for car owners, so finding good coverage at a good price matters. A higher percentage of reviewers had positive things to say about cost, mentioning things like affordability, good discounts, low premiums. A lower percentage of reviews did not have a good experience with cost. These reviewers mentioned increased rates and high pricing for the coverage offered. Although auto insurers seem to balance cost and coverage well for policyholders, more often than not, they can do more in this area — whether it's making the cost and coverage tradeoffs clearer for clients or innovating in pricing models. Cost in 2021 COVID-19 drastically changed driving habits, generally reducing driving time and traffic. This change in habits has affected insurance rates. Duncan France, State Farm Insurance Agent, predicts: "Rates will likely remain low for the foreseeable future. Fewer people are driving nationwide, and the work from home trend is here to stay. Eventually I think people will rotate back in and out of the office, but the morning commute and rush hour seem to be a thing of the past!" Lower driving levels has also made Usage-Based Insurance (UBI) more attractive to consumers. "There will be an increase in policies that measure how many miles you drive. This is a rising trend due to the Work-From-Home phenomenon. If you drive 100 miles round trip to work, you will pay more than the WFH person who has zero miles to work (and consequently zero chances of getting in a wreck)," says Mark Anderson, Texas personal injury lawyer. Rates customized based on how you drive and how much you drive can help safe and infrequent drivers save money on their policies. These offerings make it easier for auto insurers to balance cost and coverage for their policyholders. Claims (21 percent positive vs. 5 percent negative) Policyholders buy insurance policies to be able to protect their finances with the ability to make claims. With this trust, policyholders anticipate that their insurer will help them when needed. In 2020, more reviewers had a positive experience with filing claims than reviewers with poor experiences. These reviewers appreciated quick processing, good communication, and felt their claim had been resolved fairly. Reviewers with negative experiences mentioned claims denials, poor communication, and other complications in the claims process. Claims in 2021 Increased use and reliance on technology has been a rising trend throughout many industries, and the pandemic only increased it. Auto insurance is no exception. "Consumers should be prepared for a greater digital experience during the claims process. From notifying their company about an accident to receiving payment, most companies have adopted some form of digital experience into their claims process. The pandemic has forced the industry to reduce our dependence on face-to-face interactions resulting in companies expediting their digital claim strategy," anticipates Charlie Wendland, Branch Insurance Head of Claims. Tech-enabled claims can keep processing efficient and automate communication, which could help insurers capitalize on praise found in 2020's customer reviews. Coverage (7 percent positive vs. 1 percent negative) Coverage is another important element of car insurance, and it goes hand-in-hand with claims. Reviewers didn't have very much to say about coverage. Coverage was described frequently as "good" or "great." Some reviewers with positive perceptions of coverage had been with their insurer for many years. Those with negative comments on coverage were few. These reviewers usually felt that the coverage was low for the price.  With coverage occuring in reviews at such low percentages, it's hard to draw conclusions on what car insurers do well and what they can do to improve. COVID-19 response (4 percent) Many auto insurers responded to the COVID-19 crisis and the shift to more remote work by returning part of car insurance premiums to policyholders. Four percent of reviewers mentioned the COVID-19 response of their auto insurer. These mentions were largely positive. Continued effects on the auto insurance industry Long-term effects of the pandemic's crises on the auto insurance have yet to be seen. However, short-term effects will be evident as we continue to confront the pandemic. Anderson, identifies one important trend drivers should be aware of:  "There will be more uninsured motorists on the road. As unemployment rises (or remains the same, a relatively high number in 2021 due to pandemic related layoffs), then the number of uninsured motorists also rises.  In the DFW metroplex, for example, recent reports show that up to 25 percent of the vehicles do not carry the state mandated insurance. That number will likely increase as the unemployed must prioritize how they spend their money and auto insurance falls to the back of the line. So we recommend to all our clients and family to always carry uninsured motorists coverage. It is relatively inexpensive and can provide the needed protection if the person who causes a wreck has no insurance.” Methodology The qualitative analysis is based on a random sample of 227 reviews from a total of 1,329 reviews left for car insurance companies on BestCompany.com. Before publication, reviews must pass our verification process that helps ensure that reviews are from real people. AAA reviews are primarily about AAA's roadside assistance services. These reviews were omitted from the random sample to prevent the qualitative analysis from being skewed.

If you drive, you need car insurance. You'll want to find a reliable company that offers good coverage at affordable rates. Best Company has received over 3,200 customer reviews in the car insurance industry. We'll take a look at the top-ranked companies and how they compare to statistics for the industry overall. Here are the top five companies on BestCompany.com: Progressive GEICO Allstate State Farm AAA And, here are the overall statistics for the auto insurance industry: Average User Star Rating: 4.1 /5Customer Review Breakdown: 5-Star — 57% 4-Star — 21% 3-Star — 8% 2-Star — 4% 1-Star — 10% Total Review Count: 3,215 Net Promoter Score: 7.6 /10Sentiment Criteria: Customer Service — 3.8 /5 Quality of Product or Service — 3.8 /5 Value for Money — 3.6 /5 Company Trustworthiness — 3.8 /5 Progressive Best Company Rank: 1Average User Star Rating: 4.1/5Customer Review Breakdown: 5-Star — 51% 4-Star — 25% 3-Star — 13% 2-Star — 4% 1-Star — 7% Total Review Count: 270Net Promoter Score: 7.7 /10Sentiment Criteria: Customer Service — 3.9 /5 Quality of Product or Service — 3.8 /5 Value for Money — 3.7/5 Company Trustworthiness — 3.8/5 Progressive vs. auto insurance industry Progressive's customer review statistics on Best Company stack up well with industry averages. Progressive's star rating (4.1 /5)  is on par with the industry average (4.1 /5).  Its review breakdown also resembles the industry's review breakdown. The 4-star and 5-star review ratings (25 percent and 51 percent respectively) are close, though slightly below what we found for the industry (21 percent and 57 percent).  Progressive has a lower percentage of 1-star reviews than the industry, earning 7 percent 1-star reviews compared to the 10 percent earned by the industry as a whole. It also has one of the highest Net Promoter Scores of the top five car insurers. These scores indicate the likelihood customer reviewers on BestCompany.com are to recommend Progressive to friends. What to expect Progressive offers the standard coverage options for personal car insurance. It also offers policies for RVs, ATVs, UTVs, golf carts, and classic cars. You can also buy Mexico car insurance, which is helpful if you're planning a road trip to Mexico. If you drive for work purposes or are a business owner with delivery services, you can buy commercial car insurance through Progressive. Progressive stands out in the industry for the discounts it offers and its rate comparison tools. Its signature Name Your Price® Tool allows you to view policies based on how much you want to pay. Keep in mind that a lower premium usually means less robust coverage. You can find the typical discounts like multi-policy and multi-car from Progressive. Its Snapshot® program customizes your premium rate after monitoring your driving for six months.  Progressive also offers a unique discount for continuous insurance. This discount is available based on how long you've maintained car insurance without a lapse in coverage regardless of the insurer. Most insurers only offer a loyalty discount based on how long you've been with them. Company insight Progressive did not provide comments. Customer Review: Ashton Rogers from Fayetteville, Arkansas "Progressive has been my car insurance company for 3 years now and I have never had any issues with them. The customer service is great and I love the app because it is so user-friendly and modern. I was able to add my insurance cards to my Apple Wallet on my phone so that if I need to present them, they are easily accessible." Progressive Car Insurance Learn more about Progressive's auto insurance offerings and read customer reviews. Learn More Back to List GEICO Best Company Rank: 2Average User Star Rating: 3.6/5Customer Review Breakdown: 5-Star — 49% 4-Star — 17% 3-Star — 6% 2-Star — 5% 1-Star — 23% Total Review Count: 724Net Promoter Score: 6.0 /10Sentiment Criteria: Customer Service — 3.5 /5 Quality of Product or Service — 3.4 /5 Value for Money — 3.3 /5 Company Trustworthiness — 3.4 /5 GEICO vs. auto insurance industry GEICO's star rating and review breakdown do not stack up well to industry standards. Its user star rating (3.7/5) is below the industry average (4.1/5).  Its 4-star and 5-star review percentages (17 percent and 49 percent respectively) and lower than those for the industry (21 percent and 57 percent). Although these percentages are lower than the industry's, it is promising that a majority of GEICO's reviews are positive. Despite earning a majority of positive reviews, 23 percent of GEICO's reviews are 1-star. This percentage is more than double that for the industry overall (10 percent). Read through both positive and negative reviews to learn more about what to expect when choosing GEICO. What to expect GEICO offers several online tools to help you assess your coverage needs and compare quotes. If you prefer, you can also work with one of GEICO's agents.  The company offers all the standard coverages for car insurance policies and allows you to customize your policy to your needs. Like most insurers, GEICO offers many discounts. These include discounts for seniors, insuring more than one vehicle, and having more than one policy from the company. GEICO stands out for its military and federal employee discounts. GEICO is dedicated to good customer service. It's Auto Repair Xpress® Program makes getting your car repaired after submitting a claim a convenient process. You'll drop off your car, get a rental, and be updated on your car's repair status. Company insight GEICO Communications Team "GEICO continually develops technologies and processes that individualize customers’ experiences. Our customer-first approach allows people to conveniently reach us through the channel they most prefer, whether that’s online or mobile, by phone, or meeting with one of our more than 250 GEICO local agents across the country." Customer Review: Brodie from Smithfield, Utah "We have used Geico for car insurance for many years. Filing claims is so easy and the app makes it easy to always have my insurance cards." GEICO Car Insurance Learn more about GEICO's auto insurance offerings and read customer reviews. Learn More Back to List Allstate Best Company Rank: 3Average User Star Rating: 4.1/5Customer Review Breakdown: 5-Star — 50% 4-Star — 30% 3-Star — 11% 2-Star — 3% 1-Star — 6% Total Review Count: 282 Net Promoter Score: 7.9 /10Sentiment Criteria: Customer Service — 3.8 /5 Quality of Product or Service — 3.8 /5 Value for Money — 3.5 /5 Company Trustworthiness — 3.8 /5 Allstate vs. auto insurance industry Allstate's reviews and ratings are better than the auto insurance industry's. It's star rating (4.2/5) is slightly higher than the industry's (4.1/5). Allstate's 4-star and 5-star reviews percentage combined (30 percent and 50 percent respectively) are also slightly higher than the industry's (21 percent and 57 percent). It's a good sign that 80 percent of Allstate's reviews are positive.  Allstate's percentage of 1-star reviews (6 percent) is just over half of the percentage received by the industry (10 percent). What to expect Allstate is competitive in the industry because it offers the standard coverage options for personal car insurance. You can also find coverage for collector or classic cars.  Allstate's Mexico Tourist Auto Insurance gives you coverage while traveling in Mexico. If you're a rideshare driver, you can close your coverage gap by purchasing Allstate's Ride For Hire® coverage. Choosing Allstate, you can benefit from many savings options, including multi-policy, safety device, and participating in Allstate's safe driving program Drivewise®.  Through Drivewise®, you'll get feedback and earn points for safe driving. These points can be redeemed for gift cards, subscriptions, travel, and more. You can earn cash back or policy credits after your first 50 trips.  The reward flexibility offered through Drivewise® is distinct from what is offered at other insurers. Allstate also stands out for its Early Signing Discount®, responsible payer, and new car discounts. Company insight Allstate did not provide comments. Customer Review: MikeD from Denver, Colorado "Their customer service is awesome! They took care of everything through the entire process when my wife was in an accident. Would highly recommend." Allstate Car Insurance Learn more about Allstate's auto insurance offerings and read customer reviews. Learn More Back to List State Farm Best Company Rank: 4Average User Star Rating: 4.2/5Customer Review Breakdown: 5-Star — 56% 4-Star — 23% 3-Star — 11% 2-Star — 4% 1-Star — 5% Total Review Count: 491Net Promoter Score: 8.1/10Sentiment Criteria: Customer service — 3.9/5 Quality of Product or Service — 3.9/5 Value for Money — 3.6/5 Company Trustworthiness — 3.9/5 State Farm vs. auto insurance industry State Farm exceeds the industry's ratings and review breakdown. It edges about the industry's high user star rating with a 4.2/5 compared to 4.1/5. Its proportion of 4- and 5-star reviews (23 percent and 56 percent respectively) also surpass the industry's proportion (21 percent and 57 percent). State Farm also has half the proportion of 1-star reviews (5 percent) than the industry overall (10 percent).  State Farm also has the highest Net Promoter Score of the top five companies on BestCompany.com. You can be confident when choosing State Farm because of its high performance in customer ratings and reviews. What to expect State Farm is a well-respected insurer and has earned high financial strength ratings. It offers all of the standard coverage options for personal car insurance. You can also find coverage if you're a rideshare driver, need commercial auto insurance, or own an antique or classic car. State Farm is also competitive with the discounts it offers. Like other insurers it offers good driving, safety feature, and bundling discounts. Its Drive Safe and Save™ program monitors your driving and customizes your premium rate based on your performance.  Company insight Kelly Pargett, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist "We deliver value to our customers through competitive prices, top customer service, and personalized coverage opportunities like Drive Safe & Save, which puts customers in the driver’s seat. DSS gives policyholders an opportunity to save up to 50 percet on their auto insurance premium just by being a good driver. Every customer is unique and has specific insurance needs. State Farm offers a variety of discounts that can help a customer save money." Customer Review: Nicole Layer from Lincolnwood, Illinois "Been a customer of State Farm for over 20 years and they've always been excellent. Great service, great coverage, great value." State Farm Car Insurance Learn more about State Farm's auto insurance offerings and read customer reviews. Learn More Back to List AAA Best Company Rank: 5Average User Star Rating: 4.1/5Customer Review Breakdown: 5-Star — 63% 4-Star — 17% 3-Star — 4% 2-Star — 2% 1-Star — 14% Total Review Count: 424Net Promoter Score: 7.2/10Sentiment Criteria: Customer service — 3.9/5 Quality of Product or Service — 3.9/5 Value for Money — 3.8/5 Company Trustworthiness — 3.9/5 AAA vs. auto insurance industry AAA does well when compared to the auto insurance industry. Its user star rating (4.2/5) edges out ahead of the industry's (4.1/5). The company has also earned a higher percentage of 5-star reviews, 63 percent compared to the industry's 57 percent. When looking at 4-star and 5-star reviews combined, AAA has 80 percent compared to the industry's 78 percent. It's encouraging that AAA has earned such a positive response from customer reviewers. However, its proportion of 1-star reviews is 14 percent, 4 percent higher than the industry's 10 percent. Although AAA measures up well in reviews and ratings, it's important to note that many of AAA's reviews on Best Company focus on their roadside assistance services. What to expect AAA has high financial strength ratings, which indicates its financial stability as an insurer. It offers the standard options for personal car insurance. AAA stands out with its new car added protection rider that covers repairs or replaces your car without depreciation according to the policy terms. This option is especially valuable if you've recently purchased a brand new car. AAA offers many discounts, including those common to the industry like multi-policy and multi-vehicle. It stands out for its AAA membership and membership loyalty discount that is available to AAA members. This discount is in addition to an auto insurance loyalty discount. Company insight Ellen Edmonds, spokesperson for AAA "Insurance protects your financial well-being, and can help make things right when life goes wrong. AAA works with you to meet your unique needs by offering insurance coverage that is backed by more than 100 years of financial strength and stability, and a top-notch customer service experience of insurance agents available nationwide. AAA also offers exclusive products and discounts that reward loyal Members." Customer Review: Mo from Windham, New Hampshire "They’re great insurance, very helpful and on top of things. Towing is helpful and value is good. Discounts as well are good" AAA Car Insurance Learn more about AAA's auto insurance offerings and read customer reviews. Learn More Note: Data is as of November 2020.

GEICO has received over 700 customer reviews on BestCompany.com with a majority of 4-star and 5-star reviews (17 percent and 49 percent, respectively). To understand more about GEICO's satisfied customers, I looked at a random sample of GEICO's 4-star and 5-star reviews. Here's what I found: Customer service Good customer service was the most frequently mentioned praise, occurring in 56 percent of 4-star and 5-star reviews.  Specific praise for customer service included the ability to reach a representative quickly and assistance finding discounts to lower costs. Here are two examples: Helpful customer service representatives and their commitment to helping clients save are benefits of choosing GEICO. Cost Occuring in 50 percent of 4-star and 5-star reviews, cost satisfaction and savings was the second most common praise offered for GEICO. Customers were pleased with the competitiveness of GEICO's rates and the discounts and savings offered. Customer Review: Stevey Shumway from Midvale, Utah "I currently have Geico Auto Insurance and love it! Geico has offered me great coverage at a great price. Super happy with their service." Since savings features prominently in GEICO's marketing, this high level of cost satisfaction is a good sign. Nine percent of reviewers praised GEICO for offering good coverage. Savings and good coverage is a nice combination. However, it should be noted that 8 percent of 4-star and 5-star reviewers mentioned switching from GEICO because their rates were raised or changed. These customers found better deals at other companies. Claims 24 percent of 4-star and 5-star reviewers mentioned satisfaction with GEICO's claim process. Not every reviewer had needed to file a claim with GEICO. Although 24 percent is comparatively low compared to the frequency of cost and customer service satisfaction, it's still a helpful indicator of GEICO's claims process.  Customer Review: Nancy Morales from Gilbert, Arizona "Geico has a great response time to my claims. They addressed my issues/concerns and ensured I had repairs done timely. Their customer service representatives also made it clear on what I was required to do to get my repairs completed." While you hope you never need to file a claim, it's the reason you buy insurance. An easy, quick claims process matters. Convenience Reviewers on BestCompany.com also liked the convenience GEICO offers through its easy-to-use website and app. Praise for these features occurred in 15 percent of GEICO's 4-star and 5-star reviews. Customer Review: Amie "Love them i have the app i can see my account pay my bill or even change the date of my payment" The ability to take care of your insurance policy when you want and in the way that's most convenient for you is another benefit of choosing GEICO for auto insurance. Praise for GEICO reveals satisfaction with customer service and cost. The 4-star and 5-star reviewers were also largely satisfied with the claims process — its timeliness and judgements made. The convenience of accessing information online and using the GEICO app was another nice feature of working with GEICO according to positive reviews. GEICO Auto Insurance Learn more about GEICO car insurance by reading our expert analysis and more customer reviews. Learn More Methodology Analysis based on a random sample of 174 from 478 4-star and 5-star reviews with a 90 percent confidence level and a 5 percent margin of error. Reviews are from June 2017 through October 2020.