Brands that differentiate themselves throughout the shopping and purchasing process are best positioned to satisfy customers, according to the recent J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Kitchen Cabinet Satisfaction Study.
The study looks at customer satisfaction with kitchen cabinets by measuring five factors, including design features (such as the variety of cabinet colors/finishes and range of sizes and shapes available), ordering and delivery (including ease of ordering, condition of products at delivery and timeliness of delivery), price, operational performance (including smoothness of drawer slides and sturdiness of cabinet joinery) and warranty.
The study finds that one-third of customers rely mostly on the retailers when shopping for kitchen cabinets, placing heavy emphasis on the in-store product displays, sales staff recommendations and retailer website.
The study finds that not only do the cabinet brands with the highest overall customer satisfaction have an image for being environmentally responsible and for being certified by a green accreditation program, but their customers are also willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products. One-fourth of customers who purchased kitchen cabinets are aware of green accreditation programs for kitchen cabinet manufacturers.
IKEA ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among cabinet manufacturers with a score of 776 on a 1,000-point scale. IKEA performs particularly well in three of the five factors: ordering and delivery, price and warranty. Following IKEA in the rankings are American Woodmark (767), Thomasville (763), Merillat (760), KraftMaid Cabinetry (758), and American Classics (702).
The study also finds that ordering and delivery remains the most influential factor contributing to overall satisfaction among kitchen cabinet customers. Although 80 percent of customers indicate a salesperson informed them on how to go through the ordering process, customers of the highest-ranked brands received that information more consistently. On average, it took 18 days for customers to receive all pieces/parts of their entire order. In addition, 14 percent of customers indicate that their cabinets were damaged upon delivery.
The 2012 U.S. Kitchen Cabinet Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 900 customers who purchased kitchen cabinets within the previous 12 months. The study was fielded in January and February 2012.
Pictured: Cabinetry from American Woodmark
