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JD Power finds 203-point satisfaction gap based on broker and insurer expertise
Overall satisfaction with small commercial insurers rose to 713, with the study also linking gains to a drop in insurer-initiated rate increases and a 29-point improvement in digital channels.
Small business customers report higher satisfaction with their small commercial insurers when both the insurer and the agent understand the client’s industry, according to JD Power’s 2026 US Small Commercial Insurance Study.
The study identified a 203-point satisfaction gap, with scores at 750 when the insurer and agent completely understand the customer’s business, compared with 547 when neither does. It also found overall satisfaction rose 15 points on a 1,000-point scale to 713, based on responses from 2,900 customers surveyed between January and April.
JD Power’s breakdown across seven dimensions, including trust, price for coverage, product and coverage offerings, ease of doing business, people, problem resolution, and digital channels, showed the largest individual gain in digital channels, up 29 points. JD Power said expanded insurer digital capabilities improved smaller businesses’ access to policy management tools, while price and service measures such as problem resolution and coverage offerings each rose 16 points.
The study period also reflected pricing moderation, with one-third of small commercial customers experiencing a rate increase in 2026, down one percentage point from last year. Among those with increases, 52% were attributable to insurer-initiated rate actions, down four percentage points from 2025, a trend JD Power said is helping but not the primary driver of the satisfaction improvement.