According to the annual Claims Satisfaction Survey issued by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, 85% of auto insurance consumers are consistently satisfied with their insurer.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says that in addition to demonstrating widespread satisfaction, the survey results help consumers make an informed choice when they are shopping for auto insurance.

The annual survey provides people with additional information about auto insurance companies and helps insurers improve the claims services they offer.

“The industry scored the same high satisfaction rate as recorded in last year’s survey, ” says Mark Yakabuski, vice president, Ontario Division, Insurance Bureau of Canada.

“A satisfaction rate of 85% is remarkable given that claims are usually made in very stressful circumstances where policyholders have sustained significant losses.”

Yakabuski suggests the industry has done an excellent job to maintain such a high satisfaction rate, despite sharply rising claims costs associated with health care and vehicle repairs in recent years.

Market research firms chose a random sample from the claims files which insurance companies closed in 2000. The minimum sample size for companies with 18,000 or more closed claims in 2000 was 800.