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2013 European Customer Satisfaction Survey Results

By Ron Bishop | August 19, 2013

2013 European Customer Satisfaction Survey Results

Survey Objectives and Background

Bishop & Associates Inc. annually conducts surveys of electronic equipment manufacturers (OEMs), contract electronic manufacturers (CEMs), and distributors in the US, Europe, and Asia to determine how the connector industry and select connector manufacturers are performing. We last surveyed European OEMs in 2012.

The objectives of the 2013 European survey were to:

  • Identify how the overall connector industry is serving the needs of the customer
  • Establish an industry benchmark from which we can evaluate individual company performance
  • Measure individual company performance in relation to major competitors and the connector industry benchmark
  • Measure performance in selected service areas, identifying where customers believe improvements are required

Survey Methodology 

Questionnaire

Bishop & Associates developed a detailed questionnaire, asking OEMs, CEMs, and distributors to answer 20 questions about 43 connector manufacturers.

The questionnaire was in English, French, and German, and e-mailed to engineers and purchasing managers throughout Europe.

The 40 connector manufacturers in the final report are:

There are 21 European-based connector manufacturers, 12 North American, and seven based in the Asia/Pacific region.

Survey Questions

The following 12 questions were posed to customers.

1.   What is your overall satisfaction with the quality of products?

2.   What is your level of satisfaction with the ability to meet your requested delivery dates?

3.   What is your level of satisfaction with the performance in meeting promised ship dates?

4.   What is your level of satisfaction with order lead times?

5.   What is your level of satisfaction with price competitiveness?

6.   What is your level of satisfaction with technical support and expertise?

7.   How satisfied are you with the turnaround time required to design a new connector?

8.   What is your overall satisfaction with the outside sales representative’s support of your business requirements?

9.   What is your level of satisfaction with the inside sales/customer service function?

      (i.e., ease in placing orders, order status information, price quotes, helpfulness, and politeness)

10. What is your level of satisfaction with the overall effectiveness in handling problems?

11. What is your level of satisfaction with the completeness and ease of use of the product catalog?

12. What is your level of satisfaction with support in obtaining product samples?

Each customer was asked to select one of the following answers for each question and for each company the customer chose to evaluate. A numerical value was then placed on each of the choices as shown below.

Extremely Satisfied 6.0
Very Satisfied 5.0
Satisfied 4.0
Dissatisfied 3.0
Very Dissatisfied 2.0
Extremely Dissatisfied 1.0

Industry Performance

This table identifies the average score of each question in the survey, summing the evaluations of all company evaluations. In effect, this is the performance of the overall industry.

All Companies Combined – Overall Survey Results Questions 1-12

The average score of all questions (1 through 12) for all companies was 4.153; meaning the connector industry’s overall evaluation is satisfactory (a score of 3.500 or higher).

Survey Responses

Bishop & Associates Inc. received 399 completed questionnaires. The number of responses by industry and job function is shown in the following table: & should be and it title below.

Top 10 Best Performers

The Top 10 Best Performers

The following table displays the 10 companies with the highest scores in the 2013 survey. Each company’s average score and rank for years 2012 and 2013 are also noted.

 

Average Score = Average of all evaluations from questions 1-12

As noted above, Samtec and ept were ranked #1 and #2, respectively. These two companies received high evaluations on the majority of questions.

The following table displays how the top two companies were ranked on each question in the survey.

Samtec and ept
Rank by Question

If you would like to learn more about the results of this survey, contact Bishop & Associates Inc. at 630.443.2702 or [email protected].


No part of this article may be used without the permission of Bishop & Associates Inc.

If you would like to receive additional news about the connector industry, register here. You may also contact us at [email protected] or by calling 630.443.2702.

Ron Bishop
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