Apple slipped behind Sony, Samsung, and Microsoft in Forrester Research’s 2014 customer experience survey. This marks the first time Apple has been rated behind its rivals in the three years the survey has been conducted.
The survey measures customer experience, which involves difficult-to-define criteria based on how a customer feels about his or her interaction with a company. Forrester queried 7,500 consumers about their retail and customer support experiences and used the responses to assign each company a customer-experience index score.
Amazon scored highest in the survey, and was the only manufacturer to obtain an “excellent” rating of 91 from Kindle customers.
Sony grabbed second, with an 83, while Microsoft and Samsung tied at 82. Apple fell into fifth place, with a rating of 81. Apple rated above all three brands in previous surveys.
On the bright side for Apple, their score was an improvement over previous surveys, and earned a “good” rating according to the survey’s criteria.
Apple has been struggling on the customer service front a bit lately, as they are faced with an increasing volume of customers visiting its retail stores for sale and support, and it has struggled to find the right person to lead its retail operations. After nearly a year and a half without a retail chief, Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts will take over the division in the near future, overseeing both retail and online store operations.
