Apple drubs rivals in satisfaction survey eighth year running

20.09.2011
For the eighth year running, Apple again beat rival computer makers that sell Windows PCs in an annual customer satisfaction survey, a researcher said today.

Apple scored a record 87 points in the newest poll conducted by American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), a consumer survey started by the University of Michigan. That number was up a point from 2010's satisfaction poll.

The Cupertino, Calif. company's score was nine points higher than its nearest competitor, Hewlett-Packard, and 10 points higher than other Windows PC makers, including Dell and Acer.

"It's pretty obvious that Apple is successful from a strictly satisfaction level, and that it's doing things very well, much better than the rest of the PC makers," said Forrest Morgeson, the director of research at ACSI.

Morgeson attributed some of Apple's continued dominance to the company's iPad, but stressed that the satisfaction score was based not only on Apple's product line, but on intangibles that others have not been able to duplicate.

"Apple's consumers see [it] as a company that cares, that has a face and a relationship with its customers," said Morgeson. "Others can't say that."