Daily Research News Online no. 2391 - Super Service at US Supermarkets

Super Service at US Supermarkets

June 2 2003

Americans give supermarkets significantly better marks for customer service than any other sector, according to the annual Harris Poll, which ranks fifteen industries. Supermarkets were included for the first time and achieved the highest rating for any sector in the 6 years the question has been asked - 85% believe they do a good job of serving their consumers.

Second placed are packaged food companies, also new to the ratings this year, with 75%. The chasing pack also includes hospitals (73%), banks (72%), computer hardware (71%), and software (70%) companies. At the bottom of the list, only 30% think tobacco companies and managed care companies do well in this respect. Health insurance companies (40%) and oil companies (42%) are only marginally better.

Comparing with previous years, both computer hardware and software have recovered half the ground they lost last year - after riding high in the late nineties they fell c.20 points in 2001-2, perhaps due to the tech stocks crash.

Health insurance companies are down from 51% to 40% after a rise last year, and Pharmaceutical companies also saw a ten-point slide in their score from 59% to 49%. Humphrey Taylor, Chairman of The Harris Poll, Harris Interactive, suggests that bad publicity related to drug prices has been the main factor in a long slide, from 79% in 1997, to 73% in 1998, 66% in 1999, and 59% in 2000. After two static years, hopes that the trend might have bottomed out are dashed by the latest figure.

The Harris Poll(r) surveyed 1,010 adults (aged 18+) by telephone between April 10 and 15, 2003 and is operated by Harris Interactive(r) . Figures were weighted for age, sex, race, education, number of adults and number of voice/telephone lines in the household.

Tables

Table 1: Do you think (industry) generally do a good or bad job serving their consumers?

Base: All Adults
RANK ORDER		Good Job	Bad Job	Not Sure/ Refused
		%	%	%
1	Supermarkets	85	11	4
2	Packaged food companies	75	15	10
3	Hospitals	73	20	7
4	Banks	72	22	5
5	Computer hardware companies	71	14	15
6	Computer software companies	70	13	17
7	Car manufacturers	64	26	10
8	Airlines	64	22	14
9	Telephone companies	57	37	6
10	Life insurance companies	56	27	18
11	Pharmaceutical and drug companies	49	45	6
12	Oil companies	42	48	10
13	Health insurance companies	40	52	8
14	Managed care companies such as HMOs	30	53	17
15	Tobacco companies	30	62	8

Table 2: Trends 1997-2003

Base: All Adults
	TREND (GOOD JOB)							CHANGE
	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2002 -2003
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Supermarkets	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	85	N/A
Packaged food companies	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	75	N/A
Hospitals	77	73	71	72	67	73	73	-
Banks	75	72	68	73	71	74	72	-2
Computer hardware companies	80*	78	80	76	78	59	71	+12
Computer software companies	80*	77	80	78	80	60	70	+10
Car manufacturers	70	69	70	67	67	64	64	-
Airlines	N/A	78	71	66	51	63	64	+1
Telephone companies	80	76	67	64	61	58	57	-1
Life insurance	64	63	61	62	60	55	56	+1
Pharmaceutical and drug companies	79	73	66	59	57	59	49	-10
Oil companies	59	64	55	39	27	38	42	+4
Health insurance companies	55	48	41	39	38	51	40	-11
Managed care companies	51	45	34	29	29	33	30	-3
Tobacco companies	34	32	31	28	28	25	30	+5

NOTES:
* In 1997 'computer companies' were rated together (i.e. hardware and software companies were not measured separately).

** Because airlines were not included in 1997, the trend for airlines is from 1998 - 2002.

For further information see www.harrisinteractive.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.