Twinsies! PEMCO Insurance welcomes second recognition from J.D. Power for ranking highest in customer satisfaction

SEATTLE, June 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PEMCO Insurance has done it again. The Northwest's largest local insurer has received the highest ranking for customer satisfaction from J.D. Power for the second consecutive year.

The Seattle-based mutual insurer, which serves Northwest residents exclusively, is recognized for ranking the highest in customer satisfaction among auto insurers in the Northwest Region by J.D. Power in its 2014 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. PEMCO received 854 points on a 1,000-point Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking scale, outpacing its closest competitor by 20 points and surpassing the Northwest Region's average of 812 points.

"We're delighted to be ranked highest again for customer satisfaction by our Northwest neighbors," said PEMCO CEO Stan McNaughton. "I'm very proud of all the PEMCO people, because it takes real teamwork and individual commitment to make such recognition a reality. And we won't be satisfied because we consistently seek even better ways to serve our customers; it's ingrained in PEMCO's DNA. We believe we can know our customers and serve them like no one else, because we live, work, learn, and play in the same special Northwest corner of the world as they do."

The J.D. Power study, conducted from March to April 2014, reflects consumer opinions from 44,661 total responses nationally. It measures 12 award-eligible auto insurers, including both regional and national brands, doing business in the Northwest.

Despite industry-wide premium hikes over the past five years, this year's J.D. Power study reports that auto insurance customers' satisfaction has improved significantly across each of the study's five measured categories: interaction, price, policy offerings, billing and payment, and claims. The factor with the largest impact on overall satisfaction – interaction – improves by 13 points, compared with 2013.

According to J.D. Power, the 2014 U.S. Auto Insurance Study finds that auto owners' satisfaction with auto insurers has reached record-high levels. "A premium increase often triggers shopping behavior, but we're seeing fewer people shopping," said Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power. "This indicates that insurers are more effectively communicating with their customers, making them aware of the premium increases when they occur and why they're necessary, and demonstrating the value of their coverage."

This is the second year that J.D. Power ranked insurers in its recently designated Northwest Region, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

PEMCO, which serves Washington and Oregon exclusively, received a higher customer-satisfaction ranking than its competitors in the Northwest Region, many of which serve the rest of the nation, as well.

Disclaimer: PEMCO Insurance received the highest numerical score among auto insurance providers in the Northwest region in the proprietary J.D. Power 2013-2014 U.S. Auto Insurance Studies ^SM. 2014 study based on 44,661 total responses measuring 12 providers in the Northwest Region (ID, MT, OR, WA, WY) and measures opinions of consumers with their auto insurance provider. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed March-April 2014. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.

About PEMCO Insurance
PEMCO Insurance, established in 1949, is a Seattle-based provider of auto, home, boat, and umbrella insurance to Northwest residents. PEMCO Insurance is sold to consumers by the method they choose – phone, local community agents, or online. For more information, visit pemco.com. J.D. Power has ranked PEMCO "Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Auto Insurers in the Northwest Region, Two Years in a Row." For J.D. Power award information, visit jdpower.pemco.com.

About J.D. Power
J.D. Power is a global marketing information company that represents the voice of the customer. For more information, visit www.jdpower.com.

CONTACTS:

Jon Osterberg
PEMCO Insurance
206.628.4019
[email protected]

Kristi Clough
Firmani + Associates Inc.
206.443.9357
[email protected]

SOURCE PEMCO Insurance