Survey Reveals What Agents Look For in the Companies They Represent: Progressive

Agents Value Competitive Products, Financial Stability, And 24/7
Service

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio, July 24, 2002 – A recent survey by the
Progressive
group of insurance companies (NYSE: PGR) revealed that independent
insurance agents are focused on placing their customers with strong,

stable, service-oriented companies. Over 1500 agents across the
country
responded to the online survey – which asked questions about what
agents
look for in the companies they represent – at Progressive’s
agent-dedicated
Web site, ForAgentsOnly.com (FAO). Progressive is the number one
writer of
auto insurance through independent agents in the country.

In the survey, almost 40 percent
of
respondents said that a
company’s ability to offer
competitive
products was the most
important thing they consider when

deciding where to place
their personal lines business.
Nearly 30
percent said that a
company’s financial stability as
reported by A.M. Best was
the most important consideration,
followed by a company’s
ability to offer 24/7 claims and
customer service. Rounding
out the list, in rank order, were
agency
compensation,
technology provided to agents, and

advertising or consumer
brand recognition.

“The results of our company survey

verify what we’ve known
all along – that consumers who
want the
highest level of
service for their insurance needs
should
call or visit their
local, independent agent,” said
Bob
Williams, Progressive’s
agent group president.
“Independent
agents put their
customers’ needs first, and are
uniquely
suited to match
those needs with the right
combination
of coverage and
price.”

The survey also revealed that
independent agents are
looking for better technology from
their
personal lines
companies: 45 percent of
respondents
said technology is the
thing they would like to see
improved.
Progressive has been
responding to such needs by
continually
enhancing its
technology to improve the speed
and ease
at which
independent agents service their
customers. For instance,
agents recently began quoting and
selling polices via FAO,
and can process policy
endorsements
online through the
site. Agents can even encourage
their
customers to perform
routine policy maintenance, such
as
making payments or
changing an address, through the
company’s policyholder
self-service site,
personal.progressive.com

The Progressive group of insurance

companies, in business
since 1937, comprises the nation’s

fourth largest auto
insurance group and the largest
writer
of auto insurance
through independent agents. The
more
than 30,000
independent agencies that
represent
Progressive combine
the power of personalized service
and
counsel with
Progressive’s trusted brand,
superior
24/7 service, innovative
technology and competitive rates.
Authorized agents can
logon to Progressive’s
agent-dedicated
Web site,
ForAgentsOnly.com (FAO) to access
customer policies, state
and countrywide news, and other
interactive features. The
group’s holding company, The
Progressive
Corporation, is
publicly traded at NYSE:PGR.