BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 21 -- The electronics, scientific product and semiconductor industries need to improve how they treat their online customers, according to The Customer Respect Group, a research and consulting firm that today released the results of its Fall 2003 Online Customer Respect Study. The study analyzes a customers' online experiences when interacting with companies via the Internet.
Overall, Energizer Holdings was the highest scoring electronics firm, Eastman Kodak scored highest among scientific product firms and Analog Devices fared best among semiconductor firms. Emerson Electric and Hubbell Inc. were the lowest scoring electronics firms, Danaher Corp. scored the lowest among scientific product firms and Solectron Corp. fared the worst among semiconductor firms.
The ratings, of more than 1000 Web sites, measured online customer experience in several categories: simplicity (ease of navigation), privacy (respects customer privacy), attitude (customer-focus of site), transparency (open, honest policies), responsiveness (quick and thorough responses to inquiries) and principles (values and respects customer data).
"When more than half of a sector's firms don't respond to inquiries at their Web sites, you begin to wonder how many disenchanted customers, partners and investors are out there," said Donal Daly, chairman of The Customer Respect Group. "Beyond responsiveness, we found room for improvement in a number of areas, including privacy. Clearly, firms surveyed in this study should take immediate steps to improve their customers' online experiences."
The report, available for $7 500, also suggests ways each company can improve its online responsiveness.
Semiconductor firms rank as follows: Analog Devices, 8.1; Intel, 7.3; Micron Technology, 7.3; Texas Instruments, 6.7; Advanced Micro Devices, 6.3; National Semiconductor, 6.3; Fairchild Semiconductor, 6.1; Amkor Technology, 5.9; Sanmina-SCI, 5.9; Kla-Tencor, 5.6; LSI Logic, 5.6; Benchmark Electronics, 5.4; Applied Materials, 4.8; Vishay Intertechnology, 4.4; Jabil Circuit, 4.1; Atmel, 4.0; Teradyne, 3.6; Nvidia, 3.5; Solectron, 3.0
Scientific firms: Eastman Kodak, 8.1; PerkinElmer, 7.3; Agilent Technologies, 6.; Acterna, 6.1; Thermo Electron, 6.1; Mettler-Toledo International, 5.9; Danaher, 2.0
For more information, visit: www.customerrespect.com