Apple iPhone achieves highest customer satisfaction score for mobile handsets

The handset manufacturers measured were Apple, Blackberry, Nokia and Samsung based on market share. Apple was a clear winner with a score of 83 (9.7% higher than industry average) followed by Samsung with a score 2.1% above industry average. Nokia scored on par with the industry, while Blackberry's recent spate of challenges are clearly illustrated with a score 8.7% below industry average. The extremes of satisfaction between Apple and Blackberry show that Apple pulls the average up and Blackberry pulls it down.

Growth versus economic losses

"It is not unexpected that Apple scored the highest customer satisfaction score considering that they did so in the USA, UK and most recently in South Korea (Samsung's home turf)," says Prof. Adré Schreuder, founder and chair of SAcsi. "Blackberry has had a rough time with their market share lately and the challenges they face reflect in their customers' levels of satisfaction. Blackberry's satisfaction score is influenced strongly by the fact that their customers show low levels of customer loyalty in the SAcsi model."

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) has proven an economic link between customer satisfaction and market value added. The scores recorded for Apple and Blackberry may be an indication of Apple's continued growth and Blackberry's recent economic losses.

SAcsi holds a licence with the ACSI and forms part of a growing number of ACSI-licensed partner countries worldwide, which allows South Africa to compare its industries' customer satisfaction with this global community.

Relative to the international ACSI scores, the UK is the international benchmark with a score of 78 out of 100 followed closely by Turkey (77). Customer satisfaction with South Africa's mobile handsets industry ranks third together with the USA (76) followed by South Korea (72).

Research methodology

Each company was measured through telephonic and web-survey methods at a statistically reliable sample of at least 270 respondents per company. This sample is regarded as a very reliable estimate of the industry rating since it represents an error margin of 1.8 (on a 90% statistical confidence level).

Customer satisfaction is measured using an advanced statistical model that has been rigorously evaluated, in line with the ACSI methodology.

The SAcsi index gives companies detailed information to assist them in improving customer satisfaction. Each month, customer satisfaction results are released for specific industries.

Summaries of the industry level reports are available at www.sacsi.co.za.