The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is an indicator of changing customer satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available to households in the United States. The ACSI uses a national survey to measure customer satisfaction with 164 companies and 30 federal government agencies. American Customer Satisfaction Index conducts more than 50,000 interviews annually with customers of the companies and federal agencies included in the index. The scores for one or two sectors of the U.S. economy are updated quarterly.
For example, in August 2001 the updated scores for manufacturing and cable/satellite television were released. Using a 100-point scale, among automobile manufacturers Cadillac received the highest rating (88), while Jeep/Eagle received the lowest rating (76). Among personal computer manufacturers, Dell received the highest rating (78) and Compaq the lowest (69). When grouped, automobiles, consumer electronics, and household appliances had the highest average ratings (80, 81, and 82 respectively), while personal computers and cable/satellite television had the lowest average ratings (71 and 64). A Wall Street Journal writer concluded, “It shows that shoppers are happier with Old Economy products . . . than they are with New Economy [products and services].”
In the last quarter of 2000, the scores for federal agencies were updated (only those agencies that have significant interaction with consumers are included in the survey). Overall the government-wide index was 68.6, unchanged from the previous year, but significantly lower than the scores for the private sector. Among the federal agencies, Student Financial Assistance Education and NASA Education received higher ratings from the year before, while Head Start parents, the Census, and Veterans Administration all saw their ratings decline. The Internal Revenue Service and Occupational Safety and Health Administration perennially receive the lowest ratings among federal agencies.
The ACSI is produced through a partnership consisting of the University of Michigan Business School, the American Society for Quality, and the CFI Group, a private consulting firm. The University of Michigan’s School of Business is well known for its Index of Consumer Expectations. Like the Index of Consumer Expectations, the ACSI is used to predict consumer behavior. American Customer Satisfaction Index researchers developed an econometric model using the scores to predict customer complaints and customer loyalty. Marketers know building and retaining relationships with customers is critical to long-term success. The developers of the American Customer Satisfaction Index have found their index is correlated with changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Index, and that companies rated in the upper half of the index have generated significantly greater shareholder wealth than those rated in the lower half of the index.