When you have a claim on your car insurance, you demand a certain level of service. There are several insurance company practices that have a significant impact on your overall satisfaction with the claims process, according to the J.D. Power and Associates "2008 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study."

The study, based on 11,671 responses from car insurance customers who filed claims from summer 2007 to summer 2008, rated 25 insurance companies in the satisfaction department. It also identified 10 specific service practices that — if followed — enhance customer satisfaction: Answering all your questions, managing your expectations regarding the claims settlement, expression genuine concern for your situation, avoiding negotiated settlements, providing flexible appraisal appointments, returning your phone calls, sharing information between representatives, providing proactive updates, ensuring you are at ease with the claims process and giving you a timeline and following it.

"We didn’t necessarily rank [the practices] but the data suggest that the most important out of all of them is the ability for the insurer to manage the customer’s expectations regarding the settlement," says Jeff Leiman, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "It’s a classic case of telling the customer what you’re going to do and then doing it."

Only one in three customers who filed a claim reported receiving all 10 of the service practices, according to the study. Among these folks, satisfaction averaged 919 on a 1,000-point scale — with 75 percent indicating they "definitely will" renew their policy with the same company. This compares to only 21 percent who received six or less service practices who "definitely will" renew with their insurer. Satisfaction declines considerably among customers who receive only six or fewer key practices.

Out of the insurance companies ranked, only Auto-Owners and Amica Mutual received a rating of 860 or higher, meaning they are "among the best."

Auto-Owners performed well in service interaction, settlement satisfaction and the repair process. Amica Mutual did well in the first notice of loss. USAA received a score of 863 but is not included in the rankings because it sells only to U.S. military personnel and their families. State Farm and The Hartford followed closely behind, falling into the "better than most category." The majority of insurers fell into "above average category," with a few simply labeled "the rest."