ACSI: Customer Satisfaction With PCs Rebounds as Tablets Improve

But U.S.-based appliance manufacturers lag behind Asian, European companies

Published: Monday, October 3, 2016 - 14:59

(ASCI: Ann Arbor, MI) -- Customer satisfaction with personal computers halts a three-year slide, according to new data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). The ACSI Household Appliance and Electronics Report 2016 includes desktops, laptops, and tablet computers, as well as household appliances, televisions, and computer software.

PCs gain 1.3 percent to 78 on ACSI’s 100-point scale. Tablets improve by 4 percent to 78, reclaiming a slight edge over laptops, which rise 3 percent to 77. Desktop computers maintain the highest score of 81.

“In an increasingly mobile world, smartphones are the biggest threat to PC sales, and tablets have not been the long-term panacea the PC industry was hoping for,” says Claes Fornell, ACSI chairman and founder. “Interestingly, the two companies that lead in smartphone satisfaction also lead the PC industry, although they have very different strategies regarding the future of tablets. Apple is targeting business customers on the go with laptop-like features for its iPad, while Samsung tablets occupy their own space as devices for entertainment and browsing—not laptop replacements.”

Apple remains the overall leader in the PC industry, unchanged at 84, but Samsung leaps 6 percent to 83 in its second year of ACSI tracking. Amazon, which manufactures only tablets, gets a 3-percent boost to 80, while Acer, ASUS, and Dell tie for the next spot at 78. HP gains 5 percent to 77, followed by Lenovo (+3%) and Toshiba (+4%) at 76. The combined score for all other, smaller PC manufacturers falls 4 percent to the bottom of the category at 73.

Customer satisfaction with software rises 9.5 percent to 81, a record high score for the category. Microsoft’s Windows 10 has been well received, raising the company’s ACSI score by 7 percent to 80. Smaller software makers (including antivirus software and TurboTax) gain 9 percent to a combined score of 81.

Customer satisfaction with household appliances climbs 1.2 percent to 82 as manufacturers invest in smart technology, and Asian and European manufacturers lead the industry. South Korea-based LG pushes the top score up 4 percent to 85, followed closely by German manufacturer Bosch and Samsung at 84.

Bosch improves the most, gaining 6 percent as it invests in the internet of things (IoT) to enhance the user experience. Samsung (+4%) also is improving customer satisfaction and quickly gaining market share. GE Appliances, recently acquired by Haier, is unchanged at 82, ahead of Electrolux, Whirlpool, and the combined score of all other smaller manufacturers (all 81).

Smart technology and low prices lift customer satisfaction with televisions 6.1 percent to an ACSI score of 87, a new high for the category and 5 points ahead of any other ACSI industry. Functionality is improving as many TVs and video systems can connect to the internet, including platforms like Netflix, Hulu and YouTube.

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American Customer Satisfaction Index ACSI

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), founded at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and produced by ACSI LLC, is a national economic indicator of customer evaluations of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States. The national index is updated each quarter and scores on a zero-to-100 scale at the national level. The ACSI produces indexes for 10 economic sectors, 47 industries, more than 225 companies, and more than 200 federal or local government services.