Samsung, who are set to expand their range of appliances in Australia, has cleaned up in a global customer satifaction survey with the company picked as the number 1 choice in three out of five main categories.
The annual J.D. Power customer satisfaction survey of over 4,000 appliance consumers reveals that Samsung was No. 1 in clothes washers, clothes dryers and refrigerators. LG was No. 1 in the cooktops and ovens category.
LG was the only brand to be among the top three in all five major appliance product categories with price being a key factor when consumers chose a brand. Fisher and Paykel came in fourth in the laundry section.
For the full results download the PDF at the bottom of this story.
According to the report, some of the other key factors were ease of use; available features (such as the number of settings available and appliance capacity); operational performance (including energy efficiency, noise level and how well the appliance functions); styling and feel; and warranty.
In all segments included in the studies, the importance of price in the appliance purchase decision and as a driver of customer satisfaction has increased notably from 2008 with analsysts claiming that this was expected due to the economic downturn.
“Consumers are scrutinizing the value of new appliance purchases much more carefully than in recent years,” Dale Haines, a senior executive at J.D. Power and Associates said. “Fortunately for consumers, most major appliance brands produce highly reliable products, so good values can be found at a wide range of price points.”
According to TWICE Magazine, the 2009 Laundry Appliances Study is based on responses from more than 4,000 consumers who purchased clothes washers and more than 3,800 consumers who purchased clothes dryers from a retail store, their new-home builder, or received one through other means (such as a gift) during the past 24 months. The study was fielded between March and April 2009.
The 2009 Kitchen Appliances Study is based on responses from 3,387 consumers who purchased dishwashers, 4,067 consumers who purchased cooktops/ranges/ovens and 4,247 consumers who purchased refrigerators through a retail store or their new-home builder, or received one through other means (such as a gift) during the previous 24 months. The study was also fielded between March and April 2009.
