When it comes to keeping customers happy, it appears as if neither Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) nor Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) is able to do it well on their home turf. Each is beating the other one in the one country where you’d think they would do well.
Apple and Samsung in ACSI’s survey
The results are evident in the latest results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI). The expanded survey indicates that the Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 made by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) hold the top two positions. Both received scores of 84. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 5 comes in third with the iPhone 5, which received an 82. The iPhone 4S also received an 82.
According to the ACSI, the National Customer Satisfaction Index shows that in Korea, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s scores are higher than those of Samsung. The iPhone 5 ranks higher than the Galaxy S3 on Samsung’s home turf.
Apple’s phones show consistency
It’s interesting to note that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 5, 4S and 4 all rank one after the other on the list, indicating that customers do not see much of a difference in the models. This is good on one hand because it highlights consistency, but it’s bad in terms of innovation because it shows that there haven’t been any great leaps in between models.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930), on the other hand, sees great differences in the way its smartphones rank. The Galaxy S3 and the Note 2 are both at the top, but the Galaxy S2 ranks down under the Droid Razr Maxx HD, which puts it in seventh place on the list. When the survey was conducted, the Galaxy S4 was not out yet, so the next survey should provide some interesting insight on how customers rank the new device compared to Apple devices.
Apple and Samsung overall
Another area that’s interesting is in overall customer satisfaction. Samsung offers both smartphones and feature phones, so its overall customer satisfaction level is lower than that of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), which only addresses the high end smartphone market.
