HP tops online customer service study

Bellevue, Wash.--Hewlett-Packard Co. scored the highest in a recent study that analyzed the online customer service of the 100 largest U.S. companies.

The Customer Respect Group, a research and consulting firm, released the results of its 2003 Online Customer Respect Study on Friday. The study’s Customer Respect Index combines qualitative and quantitative measurements of a customer’s online experience.

HP scored 9.7, while Ingram Micro scored the lowest of the top 100 companies, tallying 2.8. The study found that about 31% of companies didn’t respond to online inquiries, and about 10% didn’t post a privacy policy.

“Too many companies still don't treat their customers online the same way they would offline,” Donal Daly, CEO of The Customer Respect Group, said in a statement. “The basic rules for earning a customer's respect seem to be thrown out the window when it comes to a company's online efforts. One click and the customer is gone to a competitor!”

--Sean Callahan