In 1,157 telephone interviews immediately following a support call in 2009, 64% of Apple customers were “Very Satisfied” with the experience, as compared to 45% of Dell customers and 47% of HP customers. Apple in this metric, with 39% of HP customers reporting they were “Very Satisfied” with the automated portion of the call, compared to 42% of Apple customers.

“Rising customer satisfaction at HP demonstrates the connection between the service customers receive and their overall satisfaction with the company,” says Peter Leppik, CEO of Vocalabs. “When things go wrong, customers need to be confident that they will receive effective, friendly, and prompt assistance. With complex consumer electronics, this is as much a part of the product as the design and packaging.”

The National Customer Service Survey (NCSS) compares the customer service quality for different companies in the same industry, using survey data and call statistics from the companies' customers. Current research covers computer technical support and mobile phone customer service. The NCSS is underwritten and conducted by Vocalabs independently of any of the companies covered. Results discussed here are based on 1,859 interviews conducted in 2008 and 2009.

Consumers participated in the survey by calling an alternate toll-free phone number to reach a company’s technical support. Immediately after the end of the call, selected consumers are called by a Vocalabs interviewer and complete a survey about the support experience.