Customer Complaints in the Insurance Sector: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the main problem areas leading to customer dissatisfaction in the insurance sector by examining customer complaints through the qualitative content analysis method. The data source of the study consists of customer feedback available on sikayetvar.com, one of the widely used online complaint platforms in Türkiye. Within this scope, a total of 160 customer complaints related to two insurance companies, published between January 1, 2023 and March 31, 2026, were evaluated through document analysis and analyzed using the qualitative content analysis technique. During the analysis process, customer complaints were coded, and similar codes were grouped together to generate meaningful themes. The findings revealed that customer complaints were categorized under six main themes: process-related problems, financial issues, loss of rights/failure to protect acquired rights, communication problems, lack of information and inadequate disclosure, and unauthorized transactions. The findings indicate that improving customer satisfaction in the insurance sector requires effective management of service processes, strengthening transparent communication practices, and developing improvement initiatives focused on customer experience. This study contributes to the literature by addressing online customer complaints as a natural data source and revealing prominent problem areas in customer experiences through a qualitative approach.