What Do Shopping, Planning A Vacation And Filing Taxes Have In Common? That’s Easy, Survey Says

(I-Newswire) April 2, 2005 - What about life has become easier? A lot, according to a recent countrywide online survey conducted by The Progressive Direct Group of Insurance Companies.

The survey found 63 percent of people say their personal/family life is getting easier and 42 percent say their professional/work life is getting easier. The top three things that have gotten easier: shopping (78 percent), planning a vacation (69 percent) and filing income taxes (68 percent). Technology - specifically the Internet (96 percent), desktop computers (92 percent) and cell phones (76 percent) - all rank high in helping to make people's lives easier.

But, the survey found, you can't have it all. For example, while technology makes people's professional/work lives easier (54 percent), increased workload makes it harder (64 percent).

And, your gender and occupation influence your outlook, too. For example, men are more likely than women to think life is getting easier (34 percent versus 22 percent). And, people in managerial positions are most likely to say life is getting easier (39 percent), while almost all students surveyed say it's getting harder (94 percent).

"This was an interesting opportunity to see how people are feeling about a wide variety of subjects and to identify areas where we can make a difference," said Toby Alfred, responsible for customer experiences at Progressive Direct.

The survey asked consumers to compare different experiences. For example,
It's easier to understand the rules for Texas Hold 'Em (58 percent) than it is to understand a car insurance policy (42 percent).

Spending time with family is easier than spending time with work colleagues (80 percent versus 20 percent, respectively).

Shopping for a new car is easier than shopping for car insurance (65 percent versus 35 percent).

It's gotten easier to file income taxes than it has to buy a new car insurance policy (68 percent versus 51 percent).

"That people say it's gotten easier to file taxes than it has to buy car insurance tells us we've still got work to do," said Alfred. "We've made progress - Progressive Direct has cut down the time it takes to get an online quote to just over seven minutes; we make it easier to shop around by providing our rates and the rates of other companies; and we're making it possible to sign documents online to get rid of follow-up paperwork. But still, there's lots of room for improvement."

As for who makes life easier: Many people say their significant other makes life easier (45 percent), but they say their children make it harder (17 percent). And, when given the chance to write in their own answer, some say they make their own lives easier ("Myself"). Others say politicians and the government make their lives harder. Alfred says Progressive Direct is working hard to rank high on people's "easy" list.

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, in business since 1937, ranks third in the nation for auto insurance based on premiums written and provides drivers with competitive rates and 24/7 in-person and online service. The products and services of the Progressive Direct Group of Insurance Companies are marketed directly to consumers by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE and online at progressivedirect.com through the Progressive Direct SM brand. Progressive Direct offers consumers conveniences that help make car insurance easier, including comparison rates of other leading insurance companies and the ability to shop for, buy and manage their policies by phone or online, 24/7. The Common Shares of The Progressive Corporation, the holding company, are publicly traded at NYSE: PGR. More information can be found at progressive.com.
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Toby Alfred is available for interview. For assistance in setting up an interview, contact our Media Relations Department.

http://pressroom.progressive.com/mediacontact.asp

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