A new J.D. Power study found that, among the 2,238 people surveyed, Microsoft Surface owners are happier overall with their device than were people who own an iPad. The U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study was conducted between October and December 2016 and measured customer satisfaction of tablet owners who have owned their devices for less than a year.
Five Factors Measured (listed in order of importance)
- Performance (28%)
- Ease of operation (22%)
- Features (22%)
- Styling and design (17%)
- Cost (11%)
“The Microsoft Surface platform has expanded what tablets can do, and it sets the bar for customer satisfaction,” said Jeff Conklin, vice president of service industries at J.D. Power. “These tablet devices are just as capable as many laptops, yet they can still function as standard tablets. This versatility is central to their appeal and success.”
Key Findings of the 2017 Study:
- Satisfaction is rising: Overall customer satisfaction with tablet devices is 841, an increase of 21 index points from the 2016 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study—Volume 2, released six months ago.
- Driving the selection process: Lower price and past experience are the most commonly cited reasons for tablet selection among customers (22% each). Reputation is next at 19%.
- Size matters: The average screen diagonal among Microsoft customers is highest, at 11.8 inches. Satisfaction is 869 among customers whose screen diagonal is 10 inches or more vs. 850 among those whose screen diagonal is 8-10 inches and 824 among those whose screen diagonal is less than 8 inches.
- Data plans increase satisfaction: Nearly one-third (32%) of customers have a data plan with their tablet. Overall satisfaction among customers with a data plan is 863 vs. 834 among those without such a plan.
The study found that Microsoft Surface owners are more likely to be early adopters of technology. Not only that, the study went on to state that early tech adopters tend to have higher overall satisfaction. Microsoft Surface owners were also more likely to consider productivity features as important, having the highest incidence of saying “very important” for jobs related to productivity.
