Apple Trumps Competitors on Customer Satisfaction Index

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If you live in the US and own an Apple computer, you’re one of the happiest computer owners in the nation.

Apple, Inc. ranks first in customer satisfaction among its PC industry peers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ASCI) survey.

In general, US consumers are happier than they’ve ever been with their computers. The ASCI score for personal computers totaled 78 out of 100 for the last year — higher than it has ever been since the 1994 baseline score.

Apple owners, however, are especially satisfied.  The Cupertino company scored highest for the seventh year in a row, earning 86 out of a total 100 points. That score is two points over last year’s survey and Apple’s highest score to date.

“The company now has a 9-point lead over its nearest competitor. No other company in the ACSI has as formidable a lead within its own industry,” comments Professor Claes Fornell, a professor at the university and head of the ACSI. “Innovation and product diversification, along with strong customer service, have long been at the center of Apple’s success.”

Apple wasn’t always leading the pack: scores from the early 2000s show Apple lagging behind Acer and Dell. In 2004, the year the iMac G5 launched, saw an uptick in consumer ratings.

Despite a few snafus — real or imagined — with the launch of the iPhone 4 and the arrival of the iPad, Fornell doesn’t predict that either will have any impact on Apple’s bottom line.

“At the same time, sales of Mac computers set an all-time quarterly high, which suggests that the popularity of the iPad has not impacted Apple’s desktop computer business. The company’s net income rose 78% in the second quarter and stock price, despite recent volatility, was up about 50% compared with one year ago.”

Via redorbit

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