J.D. Power ranks Kyocera tops in copier customer satisfaction

Office Solutions, Mar/Apr 2006

Kyocera ranks highest in satisfying customers with copiers, according to J.D. Power and Associates' 2005 Copier Customer Satisfaction Study. The study measures the satisfaction of key business decision makers with copiers based on three factors. In order of importance, they are product (50 percent), sales (33 percent), and service (18 percent).

Kyocera leads the industry in the areas of sales and service support. Ricoh and Toshiba follow Kyocera in the rankings in a tie. Ricoh performs particularly well in the product factor, whereas Toshiba receives strong ratings for the sales experience.

The study finds that the sales channel businesses use to purchase their copier can have an important impact on their overall satisfaction. Respondents who acquired their new copiers through direct channels, such as a dealer who only sells one specific brand or by purchasing directly from the manufacturer, report higher levels of satisfaction with the product, sales, and service experience compared to those purchasing from a dealer who sells multiple brands or from an IT reseller.

The study finds that product reliability also plays a key role in impacting the customer's experience with a copier brand. While satisfaction with the product and service experience expectedly falls with every additional service call to fix a problem, customer ratings of the sales experience drop as well. However, if handled correctly, the occasional service visit can also present an opportunity to further strengthen the customer relationship, leading to higher levels of overall satisfaction.

For more detailed ratings of copier brands, visit the J.D. Power and Associates Consumer Center at www.jdpower.com/cc/links/ copier.asp.