Allianz scored best in a survey of customers with life insurance policies, achieving a satisfaction rating of 87.3% over the 12 months to February, according to research firm Roy Morgan.

Medibank came second (81.9%), followed by the Zurich Group (77.6%), Westpac (74.5%) and MLC Life (74.4%). AIA Group was next in sixth spot with a 71.3% rating, followed by TAL Group on 67.2% while AMP came last on 54.4%.

The findings are based on interviews with more than 10,000 respondents throughout the year to provide rolling 12-monthly averages up to February.

Respondents are those holding direct life insurance or various types of risk income protection insurance, disability insurance, accidental death insurance, and trauma or critical injury insurance.

“A customer satisfaction gap of 32.9% across the industry, from the top-rated provider of risk and life insurance, Allianz, to the bottom-rated, AMP, is actually more of a chasm than a gap,” Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said.

“We know how closely customer satisfaction is linked to customer retention, which makes satisfaction ratings of great importance for providers of directly held policies.

“Insurance is just one of the many areas in which we continually monitor and track customer satisfaction, providing vital, independent information to a diverse range of industries.”