CRASH Network is again offering repairers an opportunity to help consumers understand the differences between insurers by filling out its annual “Insurer Report Card.”

The anonymous study asks collision repairers to grade each company they deal with from “A+” to an “F,” based on how well the insurers’ claims practices help ensure quality repairs and customer service.

The latest “Insurer Report Card” is now open to shops at http://www.CrashNetwork.com/gradebook.

The report card can be completed in less than three minutes, although shops are encouraged to spend time to explain why they gave each insurer the grade they did. All individual shop grades and identification information will remain confidential.

“Shops see on a daily basis which insurers really stand behind their promise to deliver top-quality repairs and customer service after an accident,” John Yoswick, the editor of CRASH Network, said. “The ‘Insurer Report Card’ helps amplify the voice of the collision repair industry to get their unique perspective out to vehicle owners. It also gives the highest-graded insurance companies another way to communicate what sets them apart from the companies that receive lower grades from shops.”

Shops that complete the survey and supply an email address will get the results for free, and will be encouraged to share them with their customers.

“Because each state has a different mix of insurers, the ‘Insurer Report Card’ allows repairers to grade insurers specific to their state,” Yoswick said. “That makes it far more extensive than similar surveys, which generally focus on only the 10 largest national insurers. The results of the ‘Insurer Report Card’ can help consumers know, for example, if some smaller or regional insurers they may not be as familiar with are really great at taking care of customers.”

According to Yoswick, insurance companies and consumers are paying attention to the survey’s results. Insurers that consistently receive high grades, such as Chubb and Acuity, use their performance in their marketing and social media, while news organizations like Forbes Advisor and CNET incorporate the results into their auto insurance rankings.

During a presentation at the Collision Industry Conference meeting in Las Vegas earlier this month, Yoswick noted that the results of the report card show that not all shops are dissatisfied with all insurance companies, and not all shops’ negative views of carriers are based solely on payment-related issues.

He suggested that the findings of the survey could be used by carriers as a roadmap for improving their relationship with shops, as well as a resource shops can use “to help convey to consumers that there’s something other than just price to consider when choosing an auto insurer.

For more information about the weekly CRASH Network newsletter, visit www.CrashNetwork.com.

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