ACSI: Higher Satisfaction with PCs, Appliances, Electronics

(ACSI: Ann Arbor, MI) -- Customer satisfaction has improved for major household appliances and is at or near all-time highs for personal computers and big-ticket consumer electronics such as televisions, according to a report released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Amid recent news of weak durable goods growth and the continued uncertainty of the housing market, the ACSI results may provide a glimmer of hope for future demand for these durable products.

“In order for demand to rebound, consumers must exhibit an increased desire to spend and have the means to do so,” says Claes Fornell, founder of the ACSI and author of The Satisfied Customer: Winners and Losers in the Battle for Buyer Preference (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007). “ACSI data suggest that, for durables, the first condition has been met in the form of higher customer satisfaction. Whether this will translate into increased consumer demand will depend on positive movement in the factors that impact the means to spend: employment, wages, and access to credit.”

Personal computers: Apple dominates amid industrywide improvement

Satisfaction with personal computers has surged 4 percent to match the all-time industry high of 78 on the ACSI’s 0 to100-point scale. Apple gains 2 percent to 86, its highest score ever. This marks the seventh straight year that Apple leads all other PC makers, and the nine-point gap between Apple and its nearest competitor is the largest in ACSI.

Satisfaction with many Windows-based machines has also improved, and no brand has declined. Dell improves 3 percent, while Acer (Gateway and eMachines) and the HP division of Hewlett-Packard have both risen 4 percent, forming a three-way tie at 77—well behind Apple. These companies are joined by the aggregate of all smaller PC makers, such as Sony and Toshiba, which gained 4 percent to 77.

“Windows-based PC brands appear to have recovered from the problems associated with the Windows Vista software,” says Fornell. “Barely a year into the release of Windows 7, satisfaction with these brands has returned to, and in some cases even surpassed, the levels prior to the launch of Vista.”

PC makers have benefited overall from better customer service, although this service continues to lag far behind other durable goods industries. PC owners who had reason to contact customer support are 8 percent less satisfied than those with no post-purchase contact with the manufacturer or retailer.

Major appliances: Whirlpool maintains lead, but GE is catching up

Customer satisfaction with major appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and washers and dryers has improved 1.2 percent to 82, matching a 10-year high. Whirlpool, unchanged at 83, is atop the industry, and 2010 marks the fifteenth year in a row that the company has had at least a share of the industry lead. GE has narrowed the gap with Whirlpool, gaining 5 percent to 81 and rebounding from a big drop last year. GE’s climb ties the manufacturer with the aggregate of all smaller appliance makers, which improved 3 percent to 81. Electrolux rounds out the industry, unchanged at 79 and matching a five-year low.

Consumer electronics rise to all-time high

Satisfaction with home electronics such as televisions and DVD or Blu-ray disc (BD) players has increased 2.4 percent to 85, the best-ever score for the category and the highest level of customer satisfaction for any ACSI industry thus far in 2010. Greater affordability has made these products more attractive. For the first time, prices for some flat-screen TVs have fallen below $500. Prices for DVD and BD players have dropped as well, translating into better value for the money, with a positive effect on customer satisfaction.

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