America's Top Brands, Nunwood Customer Experience 100 Survey

NEW YORK, NY 5/18/11 – Financial services company United Services Automobile Association (USAA) is the top brand to shop with in America, according to the Nunwood Customer Experience 100, a major new study by global customer experience specialist Nunwood.

San Antonio, Texas-based USAA beat some of America’s biggest brands to first place, with a customer experience score of 8.34. Online retailing giant Amazon.com (8.29) was second and major restaurant chains Red Lobster (8.19) and Olive Garden (8.02) – both owned by Darden Group – in third and fifth places, sandwiching investment group Charles Schwab (8.06), ranked fourth.

Methodology

Nunwood’s in-depth study of 4,853 customers across the US discovered exactly WHY the top performers provide an exceptional customer experience – and what their competitors need to do to catch up. In March 2011, Nunwood surveyed customers about their experiences with more than 250 of America’s best known brands.

Customers marked four factors on a scale of 0 to 10: Would they recommend them, how did they meet their needs, were they easy or difficult to deal with, and how did each company meet their expectations?

The highlights showed that top performers…

·         Offer low prices AND high quality

·         Provide a consistently branded experience.

·         Listens to their customers – swiftly rectifies issues

·         Consistently OVER-exceeds customer expectations.

Despite the global financial downturn, USAA has consistently delivered on its statement, “For those who stood tall for this country and for their families, we stand ready to return the favor.” One customer summed up USAA, saying, “My family has been with them for 40 years and every time we needed them they’ve come through for us.”

Top Performers – Netflix, Zappos, Southwest Airlines

Internet movie subscription service Netflix (7.97) placed sixth overall– one of three online retailers in the top ten, including ninth ranked Zappos.com (7.89) – just ahead of Southwest Airlines (7.95), the top performing air travel company and one of only four in the Nunwood 100.

Fast food chain Krispy Kreme (7.90) placed eighth in the Nunwood Customer Experience 100 with Subway and electronic retailer Apple Store tied in 10th place on a score of 7.87.

Nunwood’s chief strategy officer, David Conway, the study’s author, said: “What distinguishes these companies from the chasing pack is that ALL have an ingrained customer satisfaction culture, in which the customer is ALWAYS right, and they all have the ability to deliver on their customers’ expectations. In fact, they consistently OVER-exceed on those expectations.

“All the leaders demonstrated that offering low prices and outstanding service are not mutually exclusive. They are highly innovative, listen to their customers and give them new products, all delivering fantastic quality. Importantly, they work fanatically hard to charge their customers less.

“America’s top performing brands are all authentic because they do what they say they are going to do. In short, they have that wonderful, and vitally important, ability to stand in their customers’ shoes. It is a winning formula.

“In 1982, Tom Peters published his seminal book, ‘In Search Of Excellence.’. Nearly 30 years on, it is clear that, regarding the top performing brands in the US, it is a case of ‘Excellence Delivered.’.”

Elsewhere, 40 of the top 100 brands were retailers, while fast food restaurants and financial services companies each made up a fifth of the full list. In travel and tourism, only four airlines made the cut , while just seven hotels chains were represented

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For further information just click on http://us.nunwood.com/top100us/

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p:  +1 212-880-1530

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