Google Compare for Auto Insurance (“Google Compare”), the comparison tool for auto coverage introduced to the market in March, announced that it is adding several new features to its site, including user assessments of insurance companies and support for contacting a local agent, reports Insurance Journal.
While the service has only been unveiled in a handful of states in the U.S so far, the tech giant hopes to soon begin offering additional benefits to consumers beyond rate appraisals and price comparisons.
One such item will allow potential clients to view other drivers’ ratings of each insurance provider, similar to popular review sites Angies List or Yelp.
“To provide drivers with more, relevant information as they compare, we’re introducing ratings for each insurer,” Stephanie Cuthbertson, Google Compare’s group product manager, said at the annual AdWords Performance Summit in Half Moon Bay, California. “With a tap of your finger, you can drill in to see ratings for things like customer service, claims satisfaction, and whether other users recommend the insurer.”
In addition, since extensive research suggests that consumers typically use the Internet as a launching point to speak with an agent or broker in further detail, Google Compare will also boast access to local insurance professionals who can assist with the application or renewal process.
“Now when comparing insurers, you’ll have the ability to buy online or call a local agent to get help with your policy,” Cuthbertson said. “This includes support for insurers’ own agent networks, and independent agents.”
Some advocacy groups are championing these new provisions, and have a renewed sense of optimism for Google’s inclusion of local and independent brokerages.
“Their willingness to incorporate agents into the product is also an acknowledgement that agents play an important role in the process for many drivers,” Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Inc. vice president of media relations Michael Barry told Insurance Journal. “This kind of dovetails with what we’ve found in various studies, which show that while the process of shopping for auto insurance often starts on the web, often it leads to a meeting with an agent.”
Some skeptics worry that the tech company may have an ulterior motive for Google Compare, such as obtaining detailed information from drivers, which can then be used to advance its own insurance initiatives.
“If you think about what’s going on with self-driving cars in the future, Google is really going to have to understand how insurance companies price risk because the whole model is going to change,” Forrester analyst Ellen Carney told TechCrunch. “And I imagine that some component of insurance is going to be included with the car.”
The site also announced that it is planning to incorporate a mortgage component to Google Compare.
