Customer Satisfaction Registers Big Jump

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in Q1 2006 registered its largest increase since 2003, according to University of Michigan Professor Claes Fornell, ACSI head and director of the National Quality Research Center. An announcement from the ACSI says the index rose by 0.8% to 74.1 for the quarter.

Fornell points out that this increase in customer satisfaction comes at the same time as a fast growth rate in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Fornell says rising customer satisfaction as measured by the ACSI is correlated with greater inclination to spend on the part of consumers. Fornell comments in the ACSI announcement:

"Even with climbing energy prices, higher interest rates, a soft dollar, a low approval ratings for the President, satisfied American consumers will likely continue to spend only if they can find the money to do so, and that is certainly unclear. But as consumers feel a bigger economic pinch, companies will be competing for fewer and fewer dollars, making customer satisfaction increasingly important."

The ACSI measures relative levels of customer satisfaction among major companies within sectors. The first-quarter ACSI measured five sectors: Transportation, Information, Utilities, Health Care, and Accommodation & Food Services.

Of particular interest to the TMCnet audience are the figures for Fixed Line Telephone Service, Wireless Telephone Service, and Cable & Satellite TV, all included under the Information sector. Here are the figures for those industries:

Fixed Line Telephone Service

Cox Communications, Inc. -- 76
All Others -- 71
AT&T Inc. -- 71
BellSouth Corporation -- 71
Qwest Communications International Inc. -- 70
Comcast Corporation -- 69
Verizon Communications Inc. -- 69
Sprint Nextel Corporation -- 64

Wireless Telephone Service

T-Mobile USA, Inc. -- 69
Verizon Wireless (Cellco Partnership) -- 69
All Others -- 68
Cingular Wireless LLC (BellSouth Corporation, SBC Communications Inc.) -- 63
Sprint Nextel Corporation -- 63

Cable & Satellite TV

The DIRECTV Group, Inc. -- 71
EchoStar Communications Corporation -- 68
All Others -- 63
Cox Communications, Inc. -- 63
Time Warner Cable Inc. -- 61
Comcast Corporation -- 60
Charter Communications, Inc. -- 55

AB -- 5/11/06