No matter how much you pay for auto insurance, you probably hope you never have to use it. But if you do, you would like an already bad experience not to get worse. In fact, what you want, and what you expect in exchange for the premiums you’ve paid, is for the bad experience to improve a little.

Researchers at the Insure.com website commissioned a survey of 3,700 American insurance customers and ranked the companies according to a weighted five-point measurement system based on five metrics: customer service, claims processing, value for price, would recommend and would renew. The highest possible index score was 100.

Some of the insurers on the list have membership requirements. For example, top-ranked USAA is open to former members of the U.S. military and their families, while AAA membership is required for the California State Automobile Association coverage.

Penny Gusner, consumer analyst for Insure.com, said:

While price is important, customer service really should also be a top consideration when deciding on an auto insurer. You won’t remember the low price you paid if you need to speak to someone at your insurance company and are given the cold shoulder. You want a company that is easy to reach and helpful when you need them.

Here are the top 10 insurance companies based on Insure.com’s customer service metric:

1. USAA: 100
2. Automobile Club of Southern California: 94
3. Mercury Insurance: 94
4. State Farm: 92
5. Allstate: 92
6. Travelers: 91
7. The Hartford: 90
8. American Family Insurance: 90
9. Nationwide: 90
10. Geico: 89

The Insure.com website lists the top 20 insurers and describes the full methodology for the study.

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