ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following a stable year, customer satisfaction with personal computers—including desktops, laptops, and tablets—climbs 1.3% to a score of 78 (on a scale of 0 to 100), according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI®) Household Appliance and Electronics Report 2018-2019. The gain comes from a 3% resurgence in satisfaction with laptops (at an ACSI score of 77), though desktop computers dropped 2% to a score of 81 and tablets are down 4% to a score of 77.
ACSI data show that higher perceptions of value are driving this year’s improvement in customer satisfaction at the industry level for PCs. However, it may be short-lived.
“While U.S. and China trade disputes have yet to negatively impact consumer demand, the imposition of tariffs could drive up prices, causing customers to forgo or delay purchases,” said David VanAmburg, Managing Director at the ACSI. “Now more than ever, computer manufacturers must demonstrate their value and necessity to overcome pricing concerns. That means focusing more on design and ease of operation, and creating more accessories.”
Apple still leads PC market, but Samsung isn’t far behind
Within the personal PC industry, customer satisfaction with individual manufacturers varies greatly. Apple holds the top spot for a second straight year with a stable ACSI score of 83 and leads the industry in the laptop and tablet segments.
Meanwhile, despite a 1% dip, Samsung leads all manufacturers in desktop satisfaction and sits in second place overall at 81. Amazon plummets 4% to 79, ranking third overall.
HP is unchanged at 78, followed by three companies that all improve to a score of 77: Acer (up 3%), Dell (up 5%), and Toshiba (up a whopping 8%). Customers consider Dell machines more reliable, while Toshiba, which finished last in 2018, soars thanks to faster devices that crash less frequently compared to a year ago.
Rounding out the bottom, ASUS falls 3% to 76 and Lenovo drops 4% to 74.
Microsoft’s missteps with Windows 10 updates hard to ignore
Customer satisfaction with software for desktops and laptops retreats 1.3% to an ACSI score of 78, losing its gain from a year ago.
Microsoft suffers the largest decrease, slipping 3% to 77 and dropping out of a tie with smaller software makers. According to ACSI data, customer perceptions of quality have deteriorated significantly for Microsoft over the past year, as the manufacturer has encountered a host of customer issues with its Windows 10 updates.
The smaller software companies—including Adobe, Norton, Quicken, and TurboTax—also weaken, inching back 1% to a combined score of 78.
LG takes the lead in household appliances
Customer satisfaction with household appliances climbs 1.3% to an ACSI score of 81 in one of the most stable industries tracked by the ACSI.
LG, unchanged at 82, emerges as the new customer satisfaction leader. The company earns best in class for its refrigerators.
Both Haier’s GE Appliances and Whirlpool gain 1% to meet Samsung (unchanged) and Bosch (down 4%) at an ACSI score of 80. Bosch has historically been a top-performing manufacturer, and despite the drop, remains an industry leader in dishwashers for a second year, a main source of its business.
Electrolux brings up the rear for appliances, gaining 1% to an ACSI score of 79.
Same old story for televisions and video players
Customer satisfaction with televisions and Blu-ray/DVD players retreats for a third straight year – down 1.2% to an ACSI score of 82 – returning the industry to its five-year low from 2015. On a positive note, website satisfaction for TVs and video players increases 3% to 81 after losing ground a year ago.
The ACSI Household Appliance and Electronics Report 2018-2019 on personal computers, computer software, major household appliances, and televisions and DVD/Blu-ray players is based on interviews with 12,594 customers, chosen at random and contacted via email between September 10, 2018, and August 29, 2019. Download the full Household Appliance and Electronics Report.
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No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the data and information in this release without the express prior written consent of ACSI LLC.
About ACSI
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) has been a national economic indicator for 25 years. It measures and analyzes customer satisfaction with more than 400 companies in 46 industries and 10 economic sectors, including various services of federal and local government agencies. Reported on a scale of 0 to 100, ACSI scores are based on data from interviews with roughly 300,000 customers annually. For more information, visit www.theacsi.org.
ACSI and its logo are Registered Marks of the University of Michigan, licensed worldwide exclusively to American Customer Satisfaction Index LLC with the right to sublicense.
