With Increasing Product Parity Among Copier Brands, Sales and Service
Become More Important to Customers
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic ranks
highest among copier brands in satisfying business customers, according to
the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Business Copier Customer Satisfaction
Study(SM) released today. Following Panasonic in the rankings are Kyocera,
and Lanier and Konica Minolta in a tie.
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The study measures the satisfaction of key business decision-makers
with single and multifunction copiers based on three factors: product
(46%), sales (34%) and service (20%). Panasonic receives the highest
ratings for both the product and sales factors.
"Panasonic's efforts in improving product reliability and sales/service
satisfaction is showing dividends in their overall customer satisfaction,"
said Steve Kirkeby, executive director of telecommunications and technology
at J.D. Power and Associates. "Panasonic's broad-based success is an
example of the change in customer attitudes in the copier industry. The
past several years have seen increasing product parity among
copier/multifunction peripheral devices. At the same time, 'people factors'
such as sales and service have become more important to business customers
in terms of overall customer satisfaction. Decision-makers at companies are
increasingly evaluating the entire experience with their copier brand,
impacting whether they stay with the brand for future copier acquisitions."
The study finds that the sales channel through which a customer obtains
their copiers can have a dramatic impact on satisfaction levels. Business
customers who acquired their copiers using a manufacturer's direct source
(such as a single-brand dealer, direct sales channel or manufacturer Web
site) generally report higher levels of satisfaction than those who used
multiple brand dealers, with one key exception. Businesses that purchase
through multiple brand dealers report higher levels of satisfaction within
the service factor than most other sales channels.
Product reliability continues to play a key role in the customer's
experience with a copier brand. When asked to disclose key reasons to
consider a different copier brand for their next purchase, one-half of
respondents -- twice the incidence rate observed in 2005 -- state
reliability.
Sixty-five percent of respondents report requiring some type of service
call for their copier, ranging from scheduled maintenance to repairs needed
to return the copier to working order. The study finds that among business
customers who make an equipment maintenance or service call of some type,
the importance of the service factor doubles, replacing the product factor
as the most critical contributor to customer satisfaction. Consequently,
service capabilities can be a significant advantage to a dealer, regardless
of whether they are single or multiple brands.
"Needless to say, business customers will always be concerned with the
costs associated with copiers, which is one of the reasons it is important
for copier brands to develop a strong reputation for reliability and value
for the price paid," said Kirkeby. "Acquisition and operating costs are the
top two reasons why prospective buyers reject a particular machine, with 36
percent saying the initial cost is too high and 27 percent saying potential
operating costs are unacceptable. In fact, nearly two-thirds of businesses
report having rejected a particular model that cost more than the model
they purchased. Ultimately, the entire price-value proposition has to be
brought into sharp focus."
Overall Copier Ownership Index
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)
Panasonic 772
Kyocera 761
Konica Minolta 746
Lanier 746
Sharp 742
Toshiba 740
Ricoh 738
Industry Average 735
Canon 715
Xerox 706
Brother 705
Included in the study but not ranked due to small sample size are:
Copystar, Gestetner, Oce Imagistics and Savin.
The 2006 Business Copier Customer Satisfaction Study is based on
responses from more than 1,500 business people and technical
decision-makers at small, medium and large businesses in a variety of
industries, who purchased or leased a new copier in the previous 21 months.
The study is a companion to the J.D. Power and Associates Business Printer
Customer Satisfaction Study,(SM) released in October, which focuses
exclusively on business customers who have purchased or leased new
printer-based products.
For more detailed ratings of copier brands, please visit the J.D. Power
and Associates Consumer Center at
http://www.jdpower.com/electronics/ratings/copier/index.asp.
About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is
an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating
in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting,
training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction
measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually.
J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global
information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial
services, education and business information markets through leading brands
such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D.
Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 290 offices in 38
countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional information is
available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.
J.D. Power and Associates Media Relations Contacts:
John Tews Syvetril Perryman
Troy, Mich. Westlake Village, Calif.
(248) 312-4119 (805) 418-8103
john.tews@jdpa.com syvetril.perryman@jdpa.com
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information
in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and
Associates. http://www.jdpower.com/corporate
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Steve Kirkeby
Original Post