Apple Claims it Has 99% User Satisfaction, But Is This Even Possible?

Apple has a reputation for being one of the most beloved companies in terms of how its customers tend to perceive it. A few months ago, PerfectRec revealed that 80% of the people that bought the iPhone 13 rated it a full five stars out of five. In spite of the fact that this is the case, Apple claims that its user satisfaction rate is even higher.

The tech juggernaut asserts that it has enjoyed a 99% satisfaction rate among its customers for the past seven years. With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that many consider this to be statistically impossible. One thing that bears mentioning is that Apple uses this statement in earnings calls, and it frequently cites a third party firm called 451 Research to make the claims seem more believable than might have been the case otherwise.

However, according to the folks at PerfectRec, such a high rating simply wouldn’t be possible because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up going against traditional survey methods. Even if every single Apple user in the world was perfectly happy with their product, there is always the chance for human error. Survey respondents might misunderstand the question, select the wrong option or do a number of other things that would skew the results.

It is quite telling that Apple’s claims have not been verified by any other independent surveyor. This seems to suggest that 451 Research is using a highly specialized sample of consumers for its own findings. These might include tech enthusiasts and the like, so while the claims are not entirely false, they are certainly made bolder than they need to be in order to make Apple seem more successful.

Apple has not responded to any requests for comment. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the company’s earnings calls in the future, since the 99% figure has been called into question time and time again and using it repeatedly might ruin Apple’s reputation as a trustworthy corporation.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World