In the survey, agents and brokers rated the importance of 11 EDB Factors including underwriting responsiveness, handling claims promptly, providing effective technology, acting with the agency's needs in mind, and others, and then evaluated several carriers' performance in those factors.

"We've seen a slight increase in overall performance from last year's EDB survey," said Nort Salz, President of DCC. "Industry-wide, the Ease of Doing Business IndexSM, a composite measure of carriers' EDB performance, rose from 86.9 in 2006 to 87.8 in 2007." The EDB IndexSM gauges a carrier's performance against agents' expectations.

"There continues to be great deal of variation in EDB performance ratings among the carriers," commented Paul Croke, a DCC co-founder. "Individually, carriers' overall EDB IndexSM ranged from 100.7 to 71.1. On any single Factor, the highest score was 114.5 compared to the lowest of 48.6." (See the chart "EDB IndexSM Ranges".)

"The top ten carriers' average rose slightly more than the industry average," added Salz. "This shows that these carriers' attention to EDB as a strategic issue results in measurable improvement. Even in domains where they already scored well compared to the competition--such as handling claims fairly--the best performers found room for improvement."

Some carriers improved their ratings while others' ratings fell. "Declines in ratings may have several causes," noted Croke. "Agents' ratings of EDB performance evolve over time; today's improvements--even in other industries--breed tomorrow's expectations. In some cases, companies may have focused on improving in one Factor and not taken steps to maintain previous gains. Even the best performing carriers need to work hard to continue to earn high EDB ratings."

EDB is critical for carriers because independent agents select a carrier based on its performance in several EDB Factors. A carrier's EDB performance substantially affects agency productivity and profitability as well as the quality of agents' work lives.

About Deep Customer Connections, Inc.
Deep Customer Connections, Inc. specializes in helping property and casualty carriers achieve profitable growth by making it easy for their agents to work with them. DCC's EDB IndexSM is an industry benchmark of carriers' EDB performance. Further details of 2007 survey results will be available in DCC's Annual EDB Benchmark Report, scheduled to be released in December, or by contacting DCC directly.

Contact:
Nort Salz
Deep Customer Connections, Inc.
(978) 263-6100