Apple and HP Prevail as Customer Experience Leaders in Computer Industry, According to Latest Temkin Group Research

WABAN, Mass., March 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on a study of 10,000 U.S consumers, Apple and HP earned the top spots in the computer sector of the 2013 Temkin Experience Ratings. At the other end of the spectrum, Sony and Lenovo were the lowest-rated computer makers.

"Apple continues to be the customer experience leader in computers, but HP has narrowed the gap," states Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group.

The Temkin Experience Ratings evaluates three areas of customer experience: functional (can customers do what they want to do), accessible (how easy it is to work with the company), and emotional (how consumers feel about their interactions).

The ratings include 10 computer makers: Acer, Apple, Compaq, Dell, eMachines, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba.

Here are some additional highlights from the ratings:

• The computer industry has been steadily improving over the last three years, from an average Temkin Experience Rating of 54% in 2011 to 60% this year.
• Apple is the highest-ranked computer maker for the third straight year, ranked #134 across all industries. It's rating of 64%, is one percentage point below its 2012 rating. It also led the industry in the accessible and emotional components of the ratings.
• HP is in second place in the industry with a rating of 62% and leads in the functional component. The company's ratings increased three percentage points since last year, narrowing the gap with Apple.
• Dell showed the largest improvement over 2012, with an increase of six percentage points.
• The lowest-ranked computer makers are Sony and Lenovo, with ratings of 54%. Both of those firms had the largest declines in the industry.
• Sony is the lowest rated in functional and accessible components and Lenovo is the lowest rated in the emotional component.
• The average rating for computer makers places the sector tied for 13th out of 19 industries.

The 2013 Temkin Experience Ratings along with other ratings can be accessed at the Temkin Ratings website, www.TemkinRatings.com.

The report "2013 Temkin Experience Ratings" can be downloaded for free from the Customer Experience Matters^® blog, at ExperienceMatters.wordpress.com as well as from the Temkin Group website, www.TemkinGroup.com.

About Temkin Group: Temkin Group is widely recognized as a leading customer experience research and consulting firm. Many of the world's largest brands rely on its insights and advice to steer their transformational journeys. Temkin Group combines customer experience thought leadership with a deep understanding of the dynamics of organizations to help accelerate results. Rather than layering on cosmetic changes, Temkin Group helps companies embed practices within their culture by building four critical competencies: Purposeful Leadership, Employee Engagement, Compelling Brand Values, and Customer Connectedness. The firm's ongoing research identifies leading and emerging best practices across a wide range of activities for engaging the hearts and minds of customers, employees, and partners. For more information, contact Bruce Temkin at 617-916-2075 or send an email.

About Bruce Temkin: Bruce Temkin is widely recognized as a customer experience thought leader and is Customer Experience Transformist and Managing Partner of Temkin Group. He is also the author of a very popular blog, Customer Experience Matters® (ExperienceMatters.wordpress.com). Prior to forming Temkin Group, he was a VP at Forrester Research for 12 years. Bruce is a highly demanded speaker who consistently receives high marks for his content-rich, entertaining keynote addresses. He is also the co-founder and Chair of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA.org), a global non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of customer experience management.

Customer experience matters is a registered trademark of Temkin Group.

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SOURCE Temkin Group