Customer Satisfaction Rising in Some Categories; Declining in Others

In a troubling sign for multichannel merchants gearing up for the big holiday season push, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) third quarter report revealed customer satisfaction is down for the first time since early 2005. The Index dropped 0.1 percent to 75.2 on its 100-point scale. Even still, the Index remains 1 percent higher than it was a year ago. The overall ACSI score for a given quarter is based on consumer scores of about 200 companies in 43 industries and from government agencies over the previous four quarters. This ACSI report measures consumer non-durables, one of the highest scoring sectors of the Index. Here are some findings from the report.

* Customer satisfaction with athletic shoes overall improved 4 percent to 79, halting a two-year slide;

* Customer satisfaction with food companies declined 2 percent to 81, the first industry decline since 2005;

* Apparel companies hit an all-time high of 82, increasing 3 percent over last year;

* VF Corporation leads the industry with a 2 percent increase to a score of 84, while Liz Claiborne registered the industry’s only drop (down 3 percent to 79); and

* The personal care and cleaning products industry recorded the highest industry score with a record high of 85, up 1 percent.

For more information, go to www.theacsi.org .