Apple Delivers Best Experience For New Computer Buyers, But HP And Dell Are Not Far Behind

Online, July 4, 2011 (Newswire.com) - A new research report published by Temkin Group, The PC Buying Experience, 2011, examines the purchase experience delivered by computer manufacturers. The research is based on a survey of 842 US consumers who recently purchased a computer.

Apple customers are more satisfied than PC customers across all five stages of the experience that consumers go through with a new computer, starting with the information available for choosing the right computer. The largest gap between Apple and PC makers is in customer service, an area where 77% of Apple customers are satisfied compared with only 64% of PC buyers. When selecting a computer, Apple buyers are much less concerned about the price than PC buyers and also have much higher expectations for customer service.

"Customer service has become the competitive differentiator for Apple's computer business. Consumers chose Apple for the service and the company delivers," states Bruce Temkin, author of the report and Managing Partner of Temkin Group.

The research also examines the results for HP and Dell, which outperform "other" PC makers. When comparing Apple with these two computer makers, Apple's advantage is less significant. HP actually leads Apple when it comes to the purchase process and Dell is only one percentage point behind Apple when it comes to the ease of setting up the computer. The new buyers of Apple, HP, and Dell computers are all equally satisfied with their computers.

The report also examines the channels that consumers use to buy their computer. Customers who purchased their computers directly from manufacturers are generally more satisfied than those that buy from retailers. Best Buy's customers are less satisfied than other retailers' customers across most steps in the process. PC buyers that go to Best Buy give it the highest marks for the value of discussions with employees when trying to select a computer.

According to Temkin: "There's a plethora of opportunities for companies to improve the computer buying process."

This report can be accessed from the Temkin Group website at http://www.temkingroup.com or from the blog, Customer Experience Matters, at http://experiencematters.wordpress.com.

For more information about Temkin Group, visit http://www.temkingroup.com.