(ACSI: Ann Arbor, Michigan) -- The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) continues to climb, registering a second straight quarterly improvement after a period of decline preceding the recession. For the first quarter of 2009, the Index jumped 0.4 percent to 76.0 on ACSI’s 100-point scale, according to a recently released report by the University of Michigan. When ACSI improved in the fourth quarter of 2008, it stood nearly alone among economic indicators showing positive news in the midst of the recession. Now it is joined by several other indicators.

“Stock prices have been rising, real estate is showing signs of life, consumer confidence is up, corporate earnings are mixed but generally better than expectations and inventories are becoming more in line with demand and, above all, consumer spending rebounded in the first quarter,” says Claes Fornell, founder of the ACSI.

“It is too early to predict whether the recession has bottomed out, but since ACSI is usually a precursor to increasing consumer demand, it could very well be signaling a revival for a very depressed US economy.”

In the first quarter of the year, ACSI measured customer satisfaction with the quality of products and services in utilities, transportation and warehousing, information, health care and social assistance, and accommodation and food services.

What? Airline passenger satisfaction improved?

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