By Adam Wakefield

What trends and insights can be gleaned from the latest SAcsi regarding mobile phones?

The latest South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SAcsi) for Mobile Handsets reveals that South African consumers are highly satisfied with their experience with Apple phones. These phones exceed South African mobile phone users’ expectations of quality and reliability and meet their needs with an index score of 83.5.

Nokia and Samsung phones also score above the average of 78.2, with 80.6 and 79.5 on the index, respectively. While Huawei and Sony have been in the South African market for a few years, they are new entrants to the SAcsi in 2016. Both handsets ranked on par with the industry average, with Huawei scoring 77.2 and Sony 76.2 among consumers. Blackberry phones continue to fall out of consumer favour overall and received low scores across the board. It lagged the industry leader, Apple, by more than 12 points, with a satisfaction score of 71.4.

What drives high customer satisfaction?

Customer satisfaction is driven by a customer’s expectation of a product, their experience with it, the quality of service received, and the perceived quality of a mobile handset. If a customer has high expectations that are met or exceeded and received great service for what they perceive to be a quality product, they are likely to express a higher level of satisfaction with the handset.

Within the mobile handset industry, battery life span and mobile handsets that freeze while in use are among the main contributors to a mobile user’s overall satisfaction (or dissatisfaction).

What makes up perceived value and how does this influence a consumer’s purchasing decision?

Perceived value is measured in two unique but deliberate ways:

  • Overall price versus the given quality; and
  • Overall quality versus the given price.

This means that for a mobile handset to be perceived to be delivering good value, both the price and the quality need to be of a high standard. This is because the perceived value of a handset has a direct influence on satisfaction, this is also affected by expectations and perceived quality. Although perceived value is of great importance for an initial purchase decision, the impact typically diminishes for repeat purchases based on customer experience.

How have brands such as Apple disrupted the market by strategically introducing devices and services that consumers did not know that they needed or wanted?

Apple has created an easy to use, intuitive operating system, iOS. This is compatible across all of its product ranges with minimal or no inconvenience. However, the main disrupter from Apple has been the Apple app store/iTunes. This is a convenient, easily accessible platform for all Apple users to download social media platforms, access music, interact with their bank, receive relevant information, or shop. 

Where do service providers fit in within the customer satisfaction mix, shaping perceptions, experiences and access to web and data?

Most mobile handsets are acquired via service providers. The price customers pay service providers versus the quality of the service that they receive from them directly influences the level of perceived satisfaction that a customer has with a particular handset. Therefore, bad service or poor quality data will reduce the overall experience with, and perception of, a handset.

For more information, visit www.sacsi.co.za.