Which auto insurance companies in California received the best rating — 5 power circles (Among the best) — for customer satisfaction by JD Power in 2012? I’ll tell you not only the companies with the top ratings, but how I think you should consider each company’s rating, and how it compares with other leading companies. I’ll help you avoid the mistake of paying too much for car insurance, because of the possibly false expectation of excellent customer service. If you look at the JD Power number scores behind the power circle ratings, you will find some companies rated among the best may not be really much better than other companies.

As I have stated in a previous blog post, the annual JD Power national auto insurance customer satisfaction study is now a group of seven regional studies. Six of the regional studies cover multiple states, such as the Southeast region.

Only one study is comprised of a single state: the California region study. Reviewing the California auto insurance market as the sole state in a regional study is a good idea, not only because California is a large, heavily populated state, but because the California state government strictly regulates the market, defining which type of drivers insurance companies must insure as “good” drivers, and what rating factors can be used by car insurance companies.

Every single state in the USA has a unique car insurance market, but many states have similarities. Some states, like California, are so different from other states, you must consider them by themselves.

The 17 car insurance companies included in the JD Power California region study are among the largest insurers of private passenger motor vehicles in California. However, there are many more than these 17 companies selling auto insurance in California. The companies included in the study are not necessarily the best companies, or the ones with the lowest rates. An auto insurance company not included in this study is not a sign of a bad company, or expensive auto insurance rates.

Yet, if you are shopping for auto insurance, it makes sense to start with the largest companies in your state, since their popularity may be a sign of acceptable service and competitive rates.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking the bigger the company the better it is, and the top 5 largest companies must have the best rates & service. Many companies get by on their brand name and advertising to make you think they are the best, allowing them to charge you too much, and keep you from shopping for better coverage at much lower rates.

I recommend checking the rates of as many auto insurance companies as you can. Once you know the companies with competitive rates for you, use the information in this blog series to help you decide on the company with the best mix of price, coverage, and service for you.

Now, let’s review the companies rated among the best in the California region auto insurance survey, and I’ll give you my opinion and more information behind each company’s power circle rating.

1. USAA (United Services Automobile Association)

USAA is by far the best scoring company in the JD Power 2012 US auto insurance study across all regions. In California, USAA scored 912 out of 1,000 possible points for overall customer satisfaction, earning the highest 5 power circle rating. As a percentage score, it’s a score of 91.2%, meaning if it was a pop quiz when I was in high school, it would be a grade of A-.

By comparison, the next highest scoring company in the California region received 823 out of a possible 1,000 points, which would be 82.3%, or a B- grade, if we keep with the pop quiz analogy.

USAA beats the next highest company by a whopping 89 points.

To give you some perspective, the California region average, for all the auto insurance customers surveyed in the study, is 785 out of 1,000 points. The lowest rated company in the study scored 705 points out of 1,000 points. There is a bigger point difference — 89 points — between USAA and the next best rated company, which also received a 5 power circle rating (Among the best), than there is between the lowest rated company and the regional average, which is 80 points.

I don’t recommend making a decision about an insurance company’s customer service based on the JD Power survey alone, but this JD Power score is a strong indicator USAA is probably your best choice based on quality of service.

USAA received a rating of 5 power circles, or “among the best,” for all four factors, such as Pricing, Policy Offerings, Billing & Payment, and Contacting the Insurance Company, used to determine the company’s Overall Satisfaction rating.

However, eligibility for USAA is restricted to the military, their immediate family members, and honorably discharged former service members. If you meet this qualification, be sure to contact USAA for an auto insurance price quote. Other considerations, like your driving record, may also affect your eligibility.

This is the second highest rated company in the California study, and the only other company in the California region receiving the highest rating by JD Power — 5 power circles (Among the best).

Wawanesa scored 823 out of 1,000 points, and received a 5 power circle rating for all four categories used to determine overall customer satisfaction: Billing & Payment; Contacting the Insurance Company; Policy Offerings; Pricing.

Don’t be misled thinking a 5 power circle rating for Pricing means Wawanesa has low rates for every driver in California. But it’s still a good sign when customers surveyed are happy with their rates, so it’s worth getting a car insurance quote from them, and finding out how low their rates are for you.

As with any car insurance company, you may not qualify based on your claims history, motor vehicle report, or other reasons.

However, California defines liberally which drivers qualify for “good driver” rates, and Wawanesa, like all companies, must comply with California state law. It’s worth your time to visit their website to find out if they can insure you.

Wawanesa scored only 25 points (on the 1,000 point scale) more than the lowest scoring company in the next best JD Power rating category: 4 power circles (Better than most). Although Wawanesa received a 5 power circle rating, I do not think its score means it is significantly better than any of the companies receiving the 4 power circle rating.

To once again use the pop quiz example, Wawanesa scored 82.3%, and the lowest scoring 4 power circle rated company, The Hartford, scored 79.8% (based on 798 points out of 1,000 possible points.) I don’t think a difference of 2.5% makes a real difference in quality. The top scoring 4 power circle rated company was only 16 points less than Wawanesa, so I think you can confidently choose a 4 power circle rated company over Wawanesa, if it has a better rate for you with the same coverage, and not feel like you will get worse customer service.

Tomorrow, I will blog about the remaining car insurance companies in the California region rated above the regional average, including all the companies rated at 4 power circles (Better than most).

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