Australian Car Insurance Providers Q1 2026 Call Centre Rankings
These results show how effectively Australian car insurers handle new customer enquiries — based on real mystery shopping calls from people comparing quotes, coverage options, and premium prices before committing to a new policy.
Each call is evaluated across more than 80 CX metrics aligned with the Australian Contact Centre CX Standards. This provides a consistent, independent, and data-driven assessment of how well insurers manage enquiries, explain products, and convert interest into new customers.
For insurers, these results matter. Every missed call, long queue, or poor explanation represents lost acquisition, brand damage, and wasted marketing investment.
Our benchmarking identifies where friction occurs — and how the best insurers turn first contact into confident, well-informed purchase decisions. Through ACXPA's Car Insurance Sector Benchmarking Services, providers can uncover service gaps, improve quote-handling, and lift conversion rates across sales and retention teams.
Executive Summary – Australian Car Insurance Providers Q1 2026
Australian Car Insurance Providers held mid-table position, ranking 4th of 7 sectors nationally with an Overall CX of 53.00%. While this represents a modest decline from the previous quarter, the sector shows year-on-year improvement and continues to deliver strong performance in specific areas including wait times and agent interaction quality.
The quarter revealed contrasting performance across the two core metrics. Accessibility ranked 6th of 7 sectors with 61.10%, facing challenges with IVR complexity and menu navigation times, though the sector maintained the fastest Average Wait Time nationally. Agent Mastery ranked 4th of 7 sectors with 53.50%, remaining stable quarter-on-quarter, with strengths in how agents Educate, Close, and create Impact through empathy and communication quality.
This quarter's results carry significant business implications. Car insurance providers invest millions in advertising to generate new business enquiries, yet these are the experiences prospective customers encounter when they call seeking quotes or looking to switch providers. When menu navigation takes 2 minutes, wait times extend, or agent interactions fall short, these hard-won leads can convert elsewhere or abandon their search entirely.
The following sections break down the quarter's top performers, key wins, and critical challenges—providing context for where excellence is being delivered and where significant opportunities for improvement exist across the sector.
🏆 Top Performers
Youi won the sector with 71.70%, ranking 2nd nationally, and has now led the car insurance sector in 9 of the past 10 quarters since benchmarking began—setting the clear benchmark for customer experience in car insurance. Overall CX measures the complete customer experience, calculated equally from Accessibility and Agent Mastery.
RAC led Accessibility with 73.40%, marking their second consecutive quarter at the top of this metric. Accessibility measures how easily customers can connect with a live agent, including Average Wait Time, IVR navigation, and Calls Answered Percentage.
Youi won Agent Mastery with 72.10%, ranking highest nationally, and has led the sector for 7 consecutive quarters. Agent Mastery assesses how effectively agents Engage (build rapport and ownership), Discover (identify customer needs), Educate (explain clearly), Close (conclude with confidence), and create lasting Impact through empathy and communication quality.
NRMA achieved the fastest Average Wait Time at 00:36 (36 seconds), marking the first time NRMA has led the sector in this metric since benchmarking began. The sector averaged 01:32, ranking 1st of 7 sectors nationally (fastest).
⭐ Key Wins
📈 NRMA achieves third consecutive quarter of Accessibility improvement
NRMA improved to 61.00% in Accessibility, their third consecutive quarter of improvement: 37.00% (Q2 2025) → 61.00% (Q1 2026), demonstrating sustained progress in connecting customers with live agents.
⬆ AAMI records third consecutive quarter of Overall CX improvement
AAMI improved to 49.60% in Overall CX, their third consecutive quarter of improvement: 47.00% (Q1 2025) → 49.60% (Q1 2026), showing consistent upward trajectory across both Accessibility and Agent Mastery.
🏅 Youi achieves record high in Discover competency
Youi led the Discover competency with 88.90%, ranking highest nationally and achieving their highest result on record, improving from 77.80% in Q4 2025. This demonstrates exceptional ability in identifying customer needs through active listening and targeted questioning.
🎯 Sector leads nationally in Close competency
Car Insurance Providers ranked 1st of 7 sectors in the Close competency with 56.90%, demonstrating the sector's strength in concluding conversations with confidence, clarity, and appropriate next steps.
✅ Sector achieves best-ever result for calls with access deductions
The % of Calls with Access Deductions averaged 15.90%, ranking as the best (lowest) result since benchmarking began, improving from 19.00% in Q4 2025, indicating fewer accessibility penalties across the sector.
⏱ RAC maintains perfect call answering streak
RAC has maintained 100.00% Calls Answered Percentage for 6 consecutive quarters, the longest streak of any car insurance provider, demonstrating sustained excellence in answering all calls within the 10-minute benchmark timeframe.
⚠ Overall CX Challenges
📉 RACV records third consecutive quarter in last place
RACV finished last in Overall CX with 30.50%, ranking 7th lowest nationally and marking their third consecutive quarter at the bottom of the sector. RACV has declined for 4 consecutive quarters: 43.20% (Q3 2025) → 30.50% (Q1 2026). For prospective customers seeking quotes, this means consistently poor experiences across both access and interaction quality.
⏳ IVR complexity reaches historic high—customers navigate nearly a minute before queuing
Sector Menu Navigation Time averaged 00:48, the longest since benchmarking began, ranking equal 7th of 7 sectors with Banks (slowest nationally). Total Time Spent in Menu averaged 02:00, also the longest on record, ranking 7th of 7 sectors. This means prospective customers spend two full minutes navigating menus and listening to messages before even joining a queue to speak with someone about their insurance needs.
🔢 Menu layers force customers through increasingly complex journeys
Menu Navigation Layers averaged 3.5 layers, the highest since benchmarking began. When potential customers call seeking a quote or to compare coverage, they must navigate through multiple decision points and menu levels, adding friction to what should be a straightforward sales conversation.
📞 Three insurers fail to answer all calls within 10 minutes
RACV recorded 55.60% Calls Answered Percentage (equal 7th worst nationally), while AAMI and Allianz both achieved 88.90%. This means that for every 10 prospective customers calling RACV, more than 4 either abandoned or waited beyond the 10-minute benchmark—representing significant lost acquisition opportunities.
📉 Two major insurers experience sustained Agent Mastery declines
Allianz has declined for 3 consecutive quarters in Agent Mastery: 61.90% (Q2 2025) → 47.70% (Q1 2026). RAC has also declined for 3 consecutive quarters: 64.70% (Q2 2025) → 51.00% (Q1 2026). When agents struggle to effectively Engage, Discover needs, Educate about coverage options, and Close confidently, even customers who successfully connect may not convert.
📊 Sector struggles to create strong first impressions
The Engage competency averaged 32.10%, declining 3.00 percentage points quarter-on-quarter (from 35.10% in Q4 2025), ranking 3rd of 7 sectors nationally (equal with Banks). For new business calls, the opening moments are critical—customers are comparing insurers, and failure to demonstrate ownership, personalise the interaction, and build confidence early can result in lost sales.
⚖️ Performance pressure evident but causes sit outside rankings
The data shows clear pressure points across access and interaction quality, but it does not explain why they are occurring. Broader increases in service demand and complexity may be contributing to these outcomes; however, ACXPA reports results from mystery shopping and does not attribute performance to specific operational decisions or constraints.
Recognising Call Centre Excellence for Australian Car Insurers
Congratulations to the top-performing Australian car insurance providers delivering standout customer experiences via their call centres in Q1 2026.
These results are based on independent mystery shopping assessments, using real customer enquiries to evaluate how well contact centres are supporting Australians exploring car insurance options, comparing providers, or seeking new quotes.
Recognition in these rankings goes beyond meeting expectations — it reflects insurers who set the pace in a highly competitive, customer-driven market. By delivering faster, friendlier, and more effective service, these providers are not only creating better customer experiences but also converting more enquiries into policies and long-term loyalty.
71.7% 57.7% 56.6%
30.5%Quarterly Trend
Overall CX
Australian Car Insurers
The Overall CX Score is the most important metric in our benchmarking program – a single, weighted score that reflects how easy it is for customers to reach a contact centre and the quality of the experience once connected.
As the defining measure of customer experience, the Overall CX Score blends Accessibility (30%) and Agent Mastery (70%) to reflect both access and impact – with a greater emphasis on the agent's role in shaping outcomes. Penalties are applied for major breakdowns to ensure a true picture of performance from the customer's perspective.
Key Metrics Trend – Australian Car Insurers (12-Month View)
The chart below highlights a 12-month trend across three core CX performance metrics for Australian car insurance providers:
- Overall CX – A weighted composite score reflecting the full quote and enquiry experience, factoring in accessibility, agent quality, and handling efficiency.
- Accessibility – How quickly and easily a potential customer can reach a real person to discuss coverage or pricing.
- Agent Mastery – The skill, clarity, and confidence with which agents engage callers, explain options, and progress toward a quote or policy.
Overall CX
This is the headline metric – representing the total customer experience across every stage of the call journey. It's calculated using a weighted combination of the Accessibility and Agent Mastery scores, providing a holistic view of how well Australian car insurers are supporting prospective customers during key policy and quote interactions.
Accessibility
This measures how easily and quickly potential policyholders can reach a real person. It includes navigating phone menus, clarity of options, queue times, and whether callers successfully speak with a representative. Higher scores reflect smoother, more customer-friendly access experiences – essential in a competitive market where customers can simply call another insurer if service is slow or frustrating.
Agent Mastery
This evaluates the quality and professionalism of frontline service. It includes how well Australian car insurers' contact centre agents greet, listen, explain policy options, and guide customers through quote or cover enquiries – with clarity, empathy, and confidence. It's a direct measure of agent capability during high-stakes service moments.
Learn more about the Australian Contact Centre CX Standards that power these assessments.
Call Centre CX Quadrant – Australian Car Insurers Q1 2026
This Call Centre CX Quadrant shows how Australian car insurance providers compare on Accessibility (how quickly and easily a potential customer reaches a human) and Agent Mastery (the quality, clarity and confidence of the conversation). The mystery shops simulate revenue-intent enquiries such as requesting quotes, comparing policies, and exploring switches from existing insurers.
Some insurers are easy to reach but stumble once connected: agents struggle to qualify needs, explain coverage inclusions, or guide the caller to the next step — whether that's issuing a quote or confirming a policy.
Others deliver strong agent conversations but make customers endure long menus, dead ends, or excessive hold times before help is reached. By the time they connect with a person, buying intent has faded and conversion potential drops.
The top-right quadrant represents CX best practice for car insurance sales: fast, low-friction access combined with confident, consultative guidance that progresses the customer toward a clear next step — from quote completion to policy activation. ⚡️
