Any driver who is looking for a new car insurance policy or a better price on their current policy should hopefully already know about our quote comparison tool. By using this tool, drivers can get a list of quotes and compare the prices that are given to them according to the answers they provide in the questionnaire. Many times the prices are within a few dollars of each other and the driver decides to pursue their search further by comparing the companies who are providing the prices. We only give out quotes from reputable companies, but it would be a wise idea for the driver to check into the companies further to make sure they will be happy working with a particular company.

Often, drivers may wonder other types of things they can compare besides the price that is being offered. We will go over some other factors about insurance companies that can be looked at and compared to ensure the future policyholder will be satisfied with not only the price they are paying, but also with the insurer as a whole. It is important to experience satisfaction with an insurer because a policyholder who is frustrated with any aspect of their automobile insurance will most likely spend more time looking for another company’s coverage.

Customer Service
The first aspect of auto insurance companies we will discuss is their ability to provide excellent customer service. Customer service doesn’t just include polite manners used over the phone, but it involves more than that. Any time a policyholder needs to deal with their insurer, whether it be to ask a question, file a claim, or pay a bill, their experience interacting with a representative of the insurance company needs to be a positive one. The time when a policyholder contacts the insurer directly is equally as important as the time spent browsing the company’s website. Both instances should be informative, easy, and not intimidating. The policyholder should feel welcomed and valued, and when the experience is completed that policyholder shouldn’t feel the desire to avoid any more contact.

One way to evaluate an insurer’s customer service abilities is by asking trusted family and friends about who they have used in the past and who they are currently using. Find out about their experiences, both positive and negative, and what they would like to see changed, if anything. Asking a large number of people will help give the best findings, but keep in mind that other people’s opinions about what is and is not important may differ from each other and you. Another way to gather this type of information is by turning to a third party company that evaluates insurer’s customer service abilities. One such company that does an excellent job is JD Power and their findings can be found at jdpower.com. They evaluate many aspects from bill pay options to overall customer service. They give star ratings to each company and annually they determine which company provides the best customer service. It’s a great way to compare insurers using an unbiased reference.

Financial Strength
The next aspect to consider when comparing car insurance providers is checking into their financial strength. Wouldn’t it be terrible if you went to file a claim, only to find the insurer doesn’t have any money to pay for the damages that were supposed to be covered according to your policy? You would be left paying for those repairs out of pocket even though you had every right to hand the costs over to your insurer. Knowing the financial strength of an insurer can help drivers choose the best insurer for them according to the insurer’s ability to pay for what they’ve claimed they will pay.

Much like the customer service review, there are other companies who review the financial status of insurance companies. It would be very time consuming if drivers spent their time watching the quarterly earnings of each insurer they are considering, evaluating how much free cash flow and debt each insurer has accrued. Instead, drivers can turn to companies like AM Best and Standard and Poor’s to find these professional ratings and opinions. They are willing to share their findings to the public for free, so every consumer should take advantage while searching for their optimal auto insurance provider.

AM Best (ambest.com) gives their ratings in the form of letter grades, with pluses and minuses for added levels. They recommend a company who has earned a grade of a B+ or better. AM Best feels these insurance companies are financially secure, while those who receive lower grades are vulnerable to financial mishaps. Standard and Poor’s works very similar, also distributing grades for their ratings. Both of these companies can be relied on by any driver who is comparing insurers and wants to know of their financial strength. After all, no one wants to be placed in the negative situation mentioned above when an insurer can’t provide their coverage.

Price Isn’t Always Everything
To emphasize once more, there is more to choosing an auto insurer besides the price they are asking. A smaller, local company may charge a little bit more money for the same policy offered by a national insurance chain, but that smaller company may provide much better customer service and give more care and attention to their policyholders than what the national chain can. On the flip side, the national chain may have stronger financial strength when compared to the smaller local companies. It all depends on what is important to the policyholder. Knowing what is important before looking for a new or evaluating a current insurer is key when trying to choose the best insurer.

Take into consideration these elements of an insurer when looking for top rated auto insurance companies. If you haven’t tried our quote comparison tool yet, enter your zip code in the appropriate box on our homepage and start the process. In a matter of minutes we can provide you with a list of quotes from insurance companies, which you can then take and evaluate on your own time and in your own way.