For the third consecutive year, Erie Insurance has finished first in customer satisfaction among auto insurance shoppers in a study by J.D. Power and Associates.

Terry Cavanaugh

Erie, which operates in 11 states and Washington, D.C., earned the award in the company’s 2010 Insurance Shopping Study, which evaluates the experience of customers purchasing a new auto insurance policy.

Jeremy Bowler, a senior director with J.D. Power and co-author of the study, told IFAwebnews.com that Erie scored 886 in customer satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale, which he said is essentially 9 out of 10 satisfied customers. The industry average, Bowler noted, was 851 out of 1,000 points, or what he called 8 ½ out of 10 satisfied customers.

Following Erie, The Hartford ranked second overall with a score of 868, followed closely by Auto-Owners Insurance with a score of 867, according to J.D. Power.

The annual study examines the purchasing behaviors and overall satisfaction of buyers shopping for a new auto insurer, using three key measurements: distribution, price and policy offerings.

Terry Cavanaugh, president and chief operating officer for Erie, said the award, “reflects the continued promise of Erie Insurance employees and agents to be above all in service to our customers and consumers.

“To receive this outstanding recognition for three consecutive years is phenomenal,” he said. “Our knowledgeable independent Erie Agents continue guiding customers in their communities to make the best insurance coverage decisions.”

Based in Pennsylvania, Erie is the 14th largest auto insurer in the U.S. based on direct premiums written and the 18th largest property-casualty insurer nationwide. It operates in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.