It turns out that it takes more than just customer satisfactionto keep customers loyal to their insurers. An Accenture Globalsurvey found that while 86% of insureds who filed a claim weresatisfied with how it was handled, 41% of those customers are stilllikely to switch insurers in the next 12 months.

“The very act of filing a claim makes a customer much morelikely to switch insurers, regardless of how satisfied they arewith the experience,” says Michael Costonis, a managing director ofAccenture's insurance industry practice and global head of claimsservices. “Insurers should look at how connected devices and otherdigital technologies can help customers better manage risks toreduce claims frequency.”

The study, which is based on a survey of nearly 8,000 vehicleand home insurance customers in 14 countries, also found that 14%of insureds who submitted a claim in the past two years wereunhappy with the way it was handled. Unfortunately for theirinsurers, 83% of these dissatisfied clients have either alreadychanged companies or are planning to in the coming months.

But the news isn't all bad. The majority of customers (77%) arewilling to share personal information with their insurers if thereare some additional benefits in return such as lower premiums,quicker claims settlements, and personalized recommendations thatcould help manage their risk better and avoid losses.

The most important factors aiding customer loyalty are howquickly claims are settled and transparency during the process,said 94% of the respondents. The value of digital channels shouldnot be underestimated either. Two-thirds of the customers surveyedsaid they prefer using digital channels to check their claimsstatus.