Customer satisfaction is the name of the game — right? After all, in any tightly competitive market, those companies that have the most satisfied customers are more likely to keep those customers for the long term. As companies are competing in markets where service is really the only differentiator, a customer-centric focus can be what drives revenues. When technology is involved, the consumer will also look at ease of use of the product.

 

In a newly released J.D. Power and Associates study, the 2007 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study – Volume 1, SANYO ranked highest for customer satisfaction with wireless mobile phones. This marks the fifth time that SANYO has received the highest ranking in the six years that J.D. Power and Associates had published the study, tying in 2005 and 2007. In this latest study, SANYO received a score of 726 on the customer satisfaction index, well above the industry average of 718. 

 

The study evaluated the overall satisfaction rate among customers who have owned their mobile phone for less than two years. The areas of focus included performance on five key factors, such as physical design, operation, features, handset durability, and battery function. SANYO was the only brand to score higher than the industry average in all five of the factors and outperformed all other brands in the area of operation.

 

“It is a valued honor for everyone within our organization when customers say that SANYO handsets provide the highest level of satisfaction,” said Andy Kodera, senior vice president and general manager of SANYO Fisher Company’s Wireless Communications Division, in a statement. “SANYO has enjoyed a proud history of providing customers with superior products and we are extremely pleased that this commitment has again been recognized through the J.D. Power and Associates study.”

 

Consumers are increasingly viewing the operation of the mobile phone as more important than in the past as they continue to rely on them more and more for everyday communications, including business functions. The study indicated that, as more services are added to the phones, the ability to navigate around the handset in an easy and straightforward manner becomes significantly more important.

 

“As SANYO’s exclusive U.S. wireless carrier partner, Sprint (News - Alert) is thrilled that SANYO continues to receive recognition for wireless phone customer satisfaction,” contributed Oliver Valente, Sprint’s senior vice president for product management and development, in the statement. “We are proud of our strong partnership with SANYO and we look forward to continuing our tradition of bringing customers innovative devices that enrich lives and make instant communication simple.”

 

We, as consumers are relying more and more on our mobile wireless phones to enable us to be as mobile as we want, while also being as connected as we want. With that comes the demand for more functions and features on our mobile devices, while still seeking ease of use. SANYO has done well to recognize what the consumer wants and the company is rewarded with distinctive recognition and repeat business.