Apple may sell close to twice the number of smartphones in the US as Samsung, but the Korean brand beats Apple in terms of overall customer satisfaction. And while BlackBerry has seen its market share almost disappear, satisfaction remains high among those customers the brand still retains, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index, from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
“Samsung has gone from up-and-comer to top-of-the-heap on the strength of its smartphone portfolio,” says David VanAmburg, ACSI director. “Apple’s magic isn’t gone, but the lustre has dulled on its older models. Each iteration improves on the last, but Apple’s year-long product refresh cycle is an eternity when a new Android phone seems to be released every week.”
However, as smartphone adoption grows, there are increasing network demands and higher costs to consumer, each of which are contributing to stagnant customer satisfaction.
“Consumers once used their cell phones primarily for talking, whereas now smartphones are becoming lifestyle accessories that we just can’t live without,” says Claes Fornell, ACSI chairman. “But these powerful devices rely on networks that are still playing catch-up with consumer demand.”
On the subject of networks, Comcast and Time Warner Cable are the two most hated companies in the US. “What’s most amazing is that both Comcast and TWC have even lower customer satisfaction ratings than United Airlines, which has a notoriously bad reputation in an industry that, due in part to government security requirements, is known for delivering a miserable experience,” ASCI report.