Personal computers continue resurgence. Led by manufacturers such as Dell and Gateway, the industry has since enjoyed a two-year rise in customer satisfaction. Electronics manufacturers offer more choice, better value to customers. Combined with improved customer service at the retail level, these trends have led to a relatively large increase in the American public's perception of value offered by consumer electronics. The four-point increase restores the consumer electronics industry to its previous ASCI high of 83, recorded in 1994.
Household appliances maintain a high standard.
With relatively high overall product quality and consistently superior service quality, the household appliance industry continues to enjoy exceptionally high overall customer satisfaction levels. While customer satisfaction is often affected by changing consumer needs and higher expectations that lead to increased product customization, price fluctuations and fragmentation of buyers, these trends have yet to take hold in the household appliance industry. The American Customer Satisfaction Index is the only uniform, cross-industry indicator in the United States that links customer satisfaction of U.S. household customers with company performance. The index measures the satisfaction of U.S. household customers with the quality of goods and services available to them - both those produced within the U.S. and those imported from foreign firms that have a substantial market share of dollar sales. Using information derived from ACSI data, companies can focus initiatives that will have an impact on and improve customer satisfaction.