Apple The Only Top PC Vendor To See Customer Satisfaction Dip

Apple fans might not agree, but their favorite computer vendor was the only one of the top-tier PC manufacturers whose customer satisfaction dipped in the second quarter of 2009.

A survey on American consumer satisfaction for the second quarter by the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, in partnership with the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and CFI Group found that, while Apple still has the highest overall customer satisfaction among tier-one PC vendors, overall satisfaction with Apple computers dropped slightly over last year.

The University's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) for Apple in the second quarter was 84, down one point from the second quarter last year.

The ACSI for different vendors is rated on a percentage basis, with 100 being best.

However, that score means that Apple is tops in customer satisfaction, the sixth year in the row it has maintained that position.

No. 2 on the list of computer brands in terms of customer satisfaction was Dell, with an ACSI of 75. It was followed by a four-way tie between Hewlett-Packard, HP's Compaq brand, Acer/Gateway and the group of "All Other" vendors.

Dell's ACSI was unchanged from the second quarter of 2008, while that of the other named vendors as well as the "All Others" rose. Fastest-rising of the top PC vendors was Compaq, whose ACSI rose to 74 from last year's 70, the University of Michigan reported.

The shift in customer satisfaction is interesting in that it comes at the same time the recession is causing customers to look at lower-cost PCs, Claes Fornell, University of Michigan professor and head of the ACSI, wrote in the report.

"The recession has shifted demand toward lower-priced PCs and Hewlett-Packard is taking advantage by rolling out more of its less-expensive Compaq models," Fornell wrote. "Recent sales are up and HP's share value has more than doubled relative to market since the beginning of the year."

A release with the details from the University of Michigan can be read by clicking here.

A Fortune magazine report on the findings, including a chart with more details on the ACSI, can be read by clicking here.