Satmetrix (http://www.satmetrix.com), which specializes in customer experience programs, has released its 2010 Net Promoter Industry Benchmarks for the technology, insurance, financial services, airlines, telecommunications, retail and online services industries. Leaders included well-known brands such as Apple, USAA, Charles Schwab, JetBlue, Verizon Wireless, Trader Joe’s, Costco and Amazon.com.

The rankings are based on survey responses from more than 19,500 U.S. consumers nationwide who had purchased products or services from each company within the previous 12 months. A company’s Net Promoter Score, or NPS, is based on customers’ likelihood to recommend the company’s product or service. NPS is calculated as the percentage of customers who are Promoters, rating the company 9 or 10 on a zero-to-ten point scale, minus the percentage who are Detractors, rating 6 or lower. Consumers also rated each company on various aspects of customer experience including product or service features, customer service and overall value, allowing Satmetrix to analyze drivers of loyalty and performance gaps for each company.

“A company’s ability to deliver a superior customer experience relative to its industry peers is a critical indicator of customer retention and new customer acquisition through positive word of mouth,” says John Abraham, general manager of Net Promoter programs at Satmetrix. “These benchmarks allow companies to see how consumers rate them relative to their competitors when it comes to customer loyalty.”

Apple, with an NPS of 78%, continues to be the top performer in the computer hardware sector. In the consumer software sector, Adobe Systems (37%), Intuit (36%), and Symantec (36%) were the frontrunners, with security software provider Symantec recording the most significant increase between 2007 and 2009.