ACSI: Customer satisfaction keeps sliding

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Customer satisfaction with goods and services purchased and consumed in the U.S. suffered a fifth consecutive quarterly decline, sending the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) to its lowest point since 2006. According to the ACSI, the national level of customer satisfaction is down 0.7% to 74.7 on a 100-point scale in the first quarter of 2015 and is off 2.7% since peaking in the fourth quarter 2013.



ACSI analysis suggests the sustained downward trend in aggregate customer satisfaction dampens consumer demand and forecasts continued economic malaise. A small increase in wages may leave households with more discretionary income, but slipping productivity may be causing more workers to be hired. An increase in productivity, which has been lagging for some time, may slow hiring.



Assuming no short-term change in other factors, the ACSI data point to continued slow consumer spending growth of 2.0%-2.6% for the second quarter, which ACSI says is not enough for a healthy economy.