Consumer Reports today released the results of its annual computer tech support survey, which revealed that Apple bested its own scores from last year while also topping every other brand-name computer manufacturer.

The company scored far higher than the other big companies for the elements that make for successful online and phone support: ease of contacting staff, clarity of advice, technical knowledge, patience, and time for follow-up.

Although the full details of the survey are restricted to Consumer Reports subscribers, Macworld reports that Apple's Genius Bar was able to solve 88 percent of problems for in-store support, compared to 73 percent for Staples' EasyTech and 70 percent for Best Buy's Geek Squad.

consumer_reports_wordmark
Consumers surveyed also said that Apple was able to help solve 82 percent of computer problems, more than any other manufacturer, with only independent custom computer shops coming close to Apple. Overall, Apple rated 86 out of 100, which the publication describes as "very satisfied." The next closest brand was Lenovo, which scored a 63 out of 100, or "fairly well satisfied."

Apple traditionally performs well in Consumer Reports' surveys, and has been highly rated for a number of years.

Top Rated Comments

wenghan1992 Avatar
159 months ago
That's the apple I love.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
komodrone Avatar
159 months ago
Maybe we all just hate our calls being routed to India.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ihateilove Avatar
159 months ago
It's not rocket science

It amazes me that while Apple continues to attempt to focus on customer need, its opponents just seem concerned for price. Sure, I'm all for a utilitarian approach to these things -- tech should be available to all -- but I can't figure out why other makers can't try harder. Then there's the media which seems to equate 'cheap' with 'good'. It's quite depressing really.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jayducharme Avatar
159 months ago
That's why I buy AppleCare -- for unrestricted access to that impeccable customer service. I've called them many times, even for seemingly minor questions I've had, and they're always unfailingly helpful.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pipa Avatar
159 months ago
I would expect nothing less from the boys from Cupertino. Keep up the great work guys.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cambox Avatar
159 months ago
Anyone can list an instance where they've gone into an Apple Store and didn't have a great experience (e.g. long wait times, inattentive staff). But overall, I think they deserve credit for providing a great tech support environment.

-staff is usually smart, friendly (esp. if you compare to other retailers)
-repair turnaround is usually 3 days, not 3 weeks
-stores are extremely clean and thoughtfully laid out

What politician said "Don't compare me to perfection, compare me to the alternative"? ;)

I agree entirely, they are masters at customer service but then we do pay for it!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...