WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmers Insurance Group's HelpPoint claims center has been recognized for call center operation customer satisfaction for a third consecutive year under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program.(SM) This distinction acknowledges a strong commitment from Farmers' HelpPoint claims call center operations to provide "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience." "Meeting the needs of customers is critical in running a successful call center operation, and the fact that Farmers' HelpPoint has passed the rigorous standards to achieve certification for a third year in a row clearly demonstrates their commitment to customer satisfaction," said Jonathan Brookner, director of the call center certification program at J.D. Power and Associates. "Customers of Farmer's HelpPoint are particularly satisfied with the courteousness and concern exhibited by the call center representatives." To become certified, the call center operations in Olathe, Kan., Oklahoma City, Okla., and Caledonia, Mich., successfully passed a detailed audit of their recruiting, training, employee incentives, management roles and responsibilities, and quality assurance capabilities. As part of its evaluation, J.D. Power and Associates conducted a random survey of Farmers Insurance claims customers who recently contacted HelpPoint to report a new claim. HelpPoint handles more 5 million customer calls per year. For certification status, a call center must also perform within the top 20 percent of customer service, which is based on benchmarks established in J.D. Power and Associates' cross-industry customer satisfaction research. The criteria used include evaluation of: courtesy; knowledge; concern for the customer; usefulness of the information provided; convenience of operating hours; ease of reaching a representative; and timely resolution. "By passing the rigorous standards of the certification process, Farmers' HelpPoint demonstrates a strong commitment to providing customers with a consistent, positive experience with its claims call center," said Vince Donofrio, vice president of Farmers HelpPoint Operations. "Farmers' HelpPoint has created a highly customer-focused culture that stresses the importance of meeting customer needs." The Call Center Certification Program was launched by J.D. Power and Associates in 2004 to evaluate overall customer satisfaction with call centers and to help call centers in various industries increase their efficiency and effectiveness by establishing best practices for handling service calls. There are more than 75,000 call centers in North America and an estimated 125,000 worldwide that help customers with product and service questions across a multitude of industries, ranging from credit cards, financial services, investment services, utilities, service warranty and insurance to telecommunications, healthcare and office products. About J.D. Power and Associates Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies. About The McGraw-Hill Companies Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
Media Relations Contacts:
John Tews Jerry Davies
J.D. Power and Associates Farmers Insurance Group
Troy, Mich. Los Angeles, Calif.
(248) 312-4119 (323) 932-3662
john.tews@jdpa.com
jerry.davies@farmersinsurance.com
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate
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