Apple: below average
p2pnet.net News:- Apple has been getting high marks for iPod, but a new study gives it low ratings for Responsiveness and Attitude, and even lower scores “in the area of Principles”.
The Customer Respect Group’s Spring 2004 Computer Products and Services industry report scores companies on how they treat their online customers and, “While Apple received good marks for the simplicity of its site, its overall score still came in below the average score of 6.8 with a 6.6 out of ten,” says MacCentral here.
The study lists 61 Fortune 1000 firms that focus specifically on computer products and services.
“At the top, with a rating of 9.5, was Hewlett-Packard Co., followed by Science Applications International Corp. (tying with 9.5), IBM Corp. (9.0) and Xerox Corp. (9.0),” says MacCentral. “Also ranked higher than Apple (6.6) were companies like Microsoft Corp. (8.2), Dell Computer Corp. (7.9) and Sun Microsystems Inc. (7.0). Apple beat out Silicon Graphics Inc. (5.4) and Gateway Inc. (5.3). Brightpoint Inc. trailed everyone on the list with a 2.6.”
Customer Respect Group president Roger Fairchild told MacCentral that attributes are are grouped into six main elements: Privacy, or the treatment of personal data; Transparency, or how clearly the company tells its customers how personal data will be used; Principles, or how well-protected the personal data is and how flexible the company is in providing its customers with options about how their data will be used; Responsiveness, or how quickly companies responded to queries; Simplicity – to wit, how easy the Web site is to navigate; and Attitude, which has to do with the tone of communication and the effectiveness of customer service presented on the Web site.
“As the Customer Respect Group sells its findings to subscribers, Fairchild would not share the specific numbers that Apple or other companies scored outside of the overall Customer Respect Index ranking,” it said, going on:
“The last time the Customer Respect Group did this report, Apple’s Customer Respect Index was 6.5, so the company has improved slightly – but the average was lower as well, at 6.6. Fairchild said that comparing the last report to this one has only limited value, since the number of attributes used to compare each Web site has doubled. What the numbers mean
“Of more interest to prospective subscribers is how well their site ranks against their competitors, he added.”
