LG ranks highest in customer satisfaction in seven of 11 kitchen and laundry appliance segments measured by J.D. Power.
The “J.D. Power 2017 Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study” and the “J.D. Power 2017 Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study” rank LG highest in all three laundry segments — front-load washer (861 on a 1,000-point scale), top-load washer (845) and clothes dryer (868) — as well as highest in the dishwasher segment (850), freestanding range segment (864), French door refrigerator segment (850) and top-mount freezer refrigerator segment (809).
According to the surveys, LG performs particularly well in four important factors: performance and reliability; ease of use; features; and styling/appearance.
Bosch ranks highest in two of the cooking appliances — cooktops (838) and wall ovens (840) — and shares the top rank in over-the-range microwaves (833). Bosch performs particularly well in the features, warranty and price factors across the three appliances.
The “Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study” results are as follows:
* Side-by-Side Refrigerators:Samsung (848) ranks highest in customer satisfaction and performs particularly well in two factors: performance and reliability, and styling/appearance. Samsung is followed in the rankings by KitchenAid and LG (839 each). KitchenAid performs particularly well in warranty while LG performs particularly well in features.
* French Door Refrigerators: LG (850) ranks highest, performing particularly well in three factors: ease of use; performance and reliability; and styling and appearance. Samsung (846) follows in the rankings and performs particularly well in features and warranty.
* Top-Mount Freezer Refrigerators: LG (809) ranks highest and performs particularly well in ease of use and performance and reliability. Following LG is Maytag (804).
* Dishwashers: LG (850) ranks highest and performs particularly well in features and styling/appearance. Maytag (849) follows and performs particularly well in performance and reliability, and styling and appearance.
* Freestanding Ranges: LG (864) ranks highest, performing particularly well in four factors: features; performance and reliability; price; and styling and appearance. Following is Maytag (855).
* Cooktops: Bosch (838) ranks highest for a third consecutive year and performs particularly well in features and warranty. Following is GE Appliances and Kenmore (832 each).
* Wall Ovens: Bosch (840) ranks highest in customer satisfaction and performs particularly well in three factors: performance and reliability; price; and warranty. KitchenAid (834) follows in the rankings and performs particularly well in ease of use and styling and appearance.
* Over-the-Range Microwaves: Bosch and KitchenAid (833 each) rank highest in customer satisfaction. Bosch performs particularly well in two factors — price and warranty — while KitchenAid performs particularly well in ease of use, features, and performance and reliability. Following Bosch and KitchenAid in the rankings is Kenmore (832).
The “Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study” results are as follows:
* Top-Load Washers: LG (845) ranks highest in customer satisfaction, performing particularly well in features; performance and reliability; and styling and appearance. LG is followed in the rankings by Samsung (841).
* Front-Load Washers: LG (861) ranks highest, performing particularly well in four factors: ease of use; features; performance and reliability; and styling and appearance. LG is followed in the rankings by Samsung (851).
* Clothes Dryers: LG (868) ranks highest in customer satisfaction, performing particularly well in ease of use; features; and performance and reliability. Following LG in the rankings is Samsung (857).
According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the major appliance industry was up 3 percent in 2016 and is up 7 percent in June 2017 year to date. Aggressive pricing and promotions pushed this increase over the past 18 months as manufacturers and retailers battled for market share. Additionally, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), the consumer market for major household appliances is expected to reach $25.3 billion in 2017 and $28.1 billion by 2021.
“Major appliance companies continue to be at the forefront of the industry with innovative products, features and styles. LG has clearly delivered on all these measures this year, delighting their customers,” said Greg Truex, senior director of the at-home practice at J.D. Power. “Competition in the market is extremely fierce, and LG and Samsung are really pushing the industry by adding features that appeal to the needs of consumers.”
In recognition of the omnichannel strategies being pursued by the top appliance manufacturers in conjunction with their retail partners, this year’s studies have been enhanced with pathway-to-purchase questions to better identify where consumers are shopping and how the customer experience is affected by the different paths they take to purchase.
The “Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study” and the “Kitchen Appliance Satisfaction Study” are now in their 12th and 13th years, respectively.
The laundry study is based on more than 6,240 evaluations from customers who purchased clothes washers and/or clothes dryers during the past 12 months. It was fielded in February through March 2017.
The kitchen study is based on more than 2,300 evaluations from customers who purchased dishwashers; more than 4,300 evaluations from customers who purchased cooking appliances; more than 2,225 evaluations from customers who purchased over-the-range microwaves; and more than 5,875 evaluations from customers who purchased refrigerators during the past 12 months. It was fielded in February through March 2017.
