If you manage any kind of external corporate PR, you best pay close attention to what customers think of the industry in which you work. In this American Customer Satisfaction Index, here's the latest on what Americans think about customer satisfaction in varying markets. The information was supplied by Wirthlin Worldwide, a research company.
| ACSI RATINGS BY INDUSTRY | ||
| Industry |
Customer Satisfaction Score |
Change From 1996 |
| beverages soft drinks | 83 | -3.5% |
| pet foods | 83 | N.A. |
| personal-care, cleaning products | 82 | +2.5% |
| food manufacturing & processing | 81 | -2.4% |
| beverages beer | 81 | +2.5% |
| parcel delivery, express mail | 80 | -5.9% |
| household appliances | 80 | -2.4% |
| consumer electronics | 80 | -1.2% |
| automobiles, vans, light trucks | 79 | N.C. |
| gasoline | 78 | +1.3% |
| tobacco cigarettes | 77 | N.C. |
| apparel sportswear | 77 | -1.3% |
| insurance casualty, property | 77 | N.C. |
| solid-waste disposal suburbs | 77 | +1.3% |
| insurance life | 76 | +1.3% |
| telecommunications local & Id | 75 | N.A. |
| apparel athletic shoes | 74 | -3.9% |
| supermarkets | 73 | -1.4% |
| electric service | 73 | -2.7% |
| solid-waste disposal central cities | 73 | -3.9% |
| department & discount stores | 72 | -2.7% |
| commercial banks | 71 | -1.4% |
| hotels | 71 | -1.4% |
| motion pictures | 71 | -4.1% |
| personal computers | 70 | -4.1% |
| publishing newspapers | 69 | N.C. |
| U.S. postal service | 69 | -6.8% |
| restaurants fast food, pizza, carryout | 68 | +3.0% |
| airplanes scheduled | 67 | -2.9% |
| hospitals | 67 | -5.6% |
| local police suburbs | 67 | +6.3% |
| local police central cities | 63 | +6.8% |
| broadcasting national news | 62 | -11.4% |
| Internal Revenue Service | 54 | +8.0% |
|
figures as of the end of fourth quarter 1997 N.C. = no change N.A. = not available Source: The Wirthlin Report |
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