Westlake Village,
Calif. – Samsung was the big winner in the latest J.D. Power and Associates
reports on customer satisfaction with major appliances, with the Korean
manufacturer being No. 1 in three of five main categories.
In the annual J.D. Power studies released today, Samsung
was No. 1 in overall customer satisfaction for clothes washers, clothes dryers
and refrigerators. Kenmore Elite was No. 1 in dishwashers and LG was No. 1 in the
ranges, cooktops and ovens category.
LG was the only
brand to be among the top three in all five major appliance product categories.
Price, not
surprisingly, was a main deciding factor in picking a specific brand and model,
the study reported.
Some of the other
factors measured in the Laundry Appliances Study and the Kitchen Appliance
Study were ease of use; available features (such as the number of settings
available and appliance capacity); operational performance (including energy
efficiency, noise level and how well the appliance functions); styling and
feel; and warranty.
In all segments
included in the studies the importance of price in the appliance purchase
decision and as a driver of customer satisfaction has increased notably from
2008.
“Consumers are
scrutinizing the value of new appliance purchases much more carefully than in
recent years,” Dale Haines, senior director of the real estate and construction
industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “Fortunately for consumers,
most major appliance brands produce highly reliable products, so good values
can be found at a wide range of price points.”
The 2009 Laundry
Appliances Study is based on responses from more than 4,000 consumers who
purchased clothes washers and more than 3,800 consumers who purchased clothes
dryers from a retail store, their new-home builder, or received one through
other means (such as a gift) during the past 24 months. The study was fielded
between March and April 2009.
The 2009 Kitchen
Appliances Study is based on responses from 3,387 consumers who purchased
dishwashers, 4,067 consumers who purchased cooktops/ranges/ovens and 4,247
consumers who purchased refrigerators through a retail store or their new-home
builder, or received one through other means (such as a gift) during the
previous 24 months. The study was also fielded between March and April 2009.
For a complete
list of the rankings in each category, click
here.
