Hannaford, Publix take top two spots in 2015 Temkin Effort Ratings
WABAN, Mass. - Based on a study of 10,000 U.S. consumers, Hannaford's and Publix took the top spots in the 2015 Temkin Effort Ratings, which rates how easy or difficult companies are to work with. The ratings examined 293 companies across 20 industries. Aldi, Lowe's, credit unions, PetSmart, Trader Joe's, Amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, Advance Auto Parts and Walgreens filled out the top 10 spots.
At the other end of the effort spectrum, Coventry Health Care, Health Net, Fujitsu, Fox Rent A Car, Medicaid and Comcast earned the lowest ratings.
"Customers avoid companies that are difficult to work with, both consciously and unconsciously, as they often seek to follow the easiest paths," stated Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group.
The Temkin Effort Ratings are a component of the Temkin Experience Ratings. Additional highlights of the 2015 Temkin Effort Ratings include:
Supermarkets, fast food chains and retailers earned average scores of "excellent," while TV service providers, Internet service providers and health plans earned average ratings of "poor";
Kaiser Permanente, Southern California Gas Company, Amazon.com, TriCare, JetBlue Airlines, Georgia Power, Humana and credit unions all earned Temkin Effort Ratings that are more than 10 points above their industry averages;
Ramada Inn, Fujitsu, Fox Rent A Car, Amica, HSBC, 21st Century, Consolidated Edison of NY, Spirit Airlines and Coventry Health Care all earned Temkin Effort Ratings that are more than 15 points below their industry averages;
Comparing results from 2014 and 2015, hotels gained more than 10 points, while the next largest gainer is retailers (+2.5 points). Internet service providers and investment firms dropped the most, a bit more than three points;
Seven companies increased by more than 10 points from last year: Residence Inn, US Cellular, JetBlue Airlines, Hyatt, Westin, Super 8 and Marriott;
Six companies dropped by 10 or more points from last year: Subaru dealers, TD Ameritrade, Buick dealers, Audi dealers, Fujitsu, and Blue Shield of CA.
In its fifth year of publication, the 2015 Temkin Effort Ratings examines the likelihood of consumers to forgive companies across 20 industries: airlines, auto dealers, banks, computer and tablet makers, credit card issuers, fast food chains, health plans, hotel chains, insurance carriers, Internet service providers, investment firms, major appliance makers, parcel delivery services, rental car agencies, retailers, software firms, supermarket chains, TV service providers, utilities and wireless carriers.