Apple tops PC buyer satisfaction survey

Consumers who opt for Apple computers are the most satisfied among all PC buyers, according to a report released today by the Temkin Group.

Polling 842 recent PC buyers in the United States, Temkin found that Apple led the way in customer satisfaction across all areas of the buying process, starting with providing the information to find the right computer through customer service.

The information provided by Apple proved to be the most "influential" when compared with that from other PC vendors, according to the report. Apple buyers were especially influenced by word of mouth from family and friends.

Those who chose Macs tended to be less concerned about price compared with PC buyers but also had higher expectations of customer service. In fact, the largest difference proved to be in the area of customer service, where 77 percent of Apple customers were satisfied, compared with 64 percent for other PC buyers in general.

Beyond Apple, Temkin also looked at HP and Dell specifically.

Although both Hewlett-Packard and Dell scored lower than Apple in some key areas, they also shined in a couple ways. HP led Apple, in terms of the overall buying process, while Dell fell just one percentage point behind Apple regarding the ease of setting up the actual PC. Buyers of all three brands were equally satisfied with their computers after purchasing them.

Finally, computer customers found that buying directly from the manufacturer was the most satisfying way to pick up a PC. Although Best Buy was seen as the least satisfying place to purchase a new PC, employees of the retail chain received the biggest kudos for helping consumers with their decision.