Few things have encapsulated the traditionally accepted view of "technology" quite like tablets. While smartphones have undoubtedly become the more vital device, the original iPad served to fill a need that consumers at the time hadn’t even dreamed of. Because of this, top brands in the space are constantly jockeying for customer acquisition and, more importantly, retention.
A large part of these retention efforts, according to J.D. Power’s 2016 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study, customers buying a tablet from a brand with a strong image are less likely to comparison shop, nearly guarantees conversion. These single-tablet shoppers rated their chosen brand 6.2 (on a 7-point scale) in terms of overall reputation, compared to only 6.0 from customers who looked at multiple models before purchasing.
While having customers only look to your brand for their shopping needs is clearly the preferable scenario at first glance, the study also showed that customers who looked at other brands prior to making a purchase make more positive recommendations (5.9) on average compared to those who only considered the brand they bought (4.7).
“Winning over customers who consider multiple brands requires appealing to their desire to get a good deal since they are especially price sensitive and tend to pay about $24 less for their tablet than those who do not consider multiple brands,” said Kirk Parsons, senior director and technology, media & telecom practice leader at J.D. Power. “However, brands with a strong lineup of tablet offerings are in a more favorable position to satisfy the needs of consumers interested in upgrading their existing tablet. Brands minimize the need to shop around when customers have a satisfying device experience, thereby leading to increased brand loyalty, recommendations, and repurchase intent.”
Unsurprisingly, the first brand into the tablet market has also maintained its lead on being the strongest: Apple scored 839 out of a possible 1,000 in terms of overall satisfaction. More impressive is the fact that the brand pioneered by Steve Jobs leads all others in four of five categories: performance, ease of operation, styling & design, and features.
Rounding out the customer satisfaction podium were Microsoft (825) and Samsung (823). The industry, as a whole received, good news as well: The average satisfaction score is up four points, signaling strong consumer perception and a promising outlook for the foreseeable future of tablet technology.