News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

August 30, 2007

business

Forbes sez marketshare up, customer satisfaction down

Posted Aug. 30, ’07, 7:43 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Business

Forbes Allow me a moment to rant and rave before I get into the actual meat of the Forbes piece. The title of the article is “Worm In The Apple”. I’m begging tech writers everywhere to please stop using this trite, unimaginative pun any time Apple and something unpleasant happen together. Better yet, stop using puns all together because you clearly don’t have the sense to avoid overused ones. Thank you.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, Forbes reports that while Apple is making ground in marketshare, customers are less than pleased with the support they’re receiving.

Apple’s mark on the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index slipped four points to 79 for the second quarter, down from 83 during the year-ago period.

Forbes explanation is the influx of switchers that are having trouble acclimating to the new interface. Other offered explanations include the iPhone’s introduction (and AT&T seems a little unprepared). I’m most apt to believe that it’s growth in general that’s spreading the support thin (look at how you need to schedule appointments with Mac Geniuses).


3 Comments

Jeff said:

One word for Forbes: DUH. The more customers a company has, the more customers may possibly be dissatisfied. Law of averages. Sheesh...

August 30, 2007 8:00 AM
Dave-O said:

@Jeff, I think the University of Michigan uses advanced techniques to factor out the size of the customer base, like taking the average.

According to your logic, Apple is in a lot of trouble because its score isn't that much higher and its market share is much lower.

August 30, 2007 10:00 AM
Billion003 said:

I suppose I am a "switcher." I bought my first Apple early this year. There are some things to ge used to. I wouldn't go back mainly for reasons related to viruses, et.al.
But my iMac doesn't seem to be snap quick. I often miss capitalizing a letter when I type. I have to hesitate slightly to hold down the shift button. But when I type on a Windows computer, I never miss. I can only assume its the OS speed.
Also, highlighting large items, like lengthly email, to delete it from a response email, is a slower process, too. On a Windows machine the drag through is instantaneous.
Maybe the new OS will address this. But I won't be going back. Just the fact that I don't have to relaod my Windows OS 2-3 times a tear to maintain deteriorating speed is enough to keep me happy.
Why would Safari have a 1 second delay built in?

August 30, 2007 12:38 PM

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