Aussies favour high-end home appliances

Australian consumers are favouring high-end home appliances, choosing quality and longevity over short-term savings.

That’s according to consumer research company Canstar Blue, which has this year seen Miele take the lead as the most successful manufacturer of household appliances, based on its customer satisfaction ratings.

Winning Canstar Blue’s inaugural Most Satisfied Customers Award for Ovens, Miele has taken its accolades for the year to three – and eight since the ratings website was launched in July 2010. That gives Miele three more awards than any other brand in the market.

Brands by number of Canstar Blue awards

Source: www.canstarblue.com.au

Head of Canstar Blue, Megan Doyle, said cost usually relates to quality when it comes to whitegoods, and those who skimp on spending might pay for it in the long term.

“There’s no doubt there are some fantastic offers out there for households on a tight budget, but spending that little bit extra could mean the difference between replacing a washing machine or dishwasher after 15 years, rather than 10,” she said.

“Across many of the categories we research, value for money is the biggest driver of customer satisfaction. But for appliances, long-term factors like performance and reliability take over in importance – because consumers want and appreciate appliances they can rely on.

“Miele has a fantastic reputation as a leading brand of household appliances and our ratings over the last five years – from the people who matter most, the consumers – clearly show it is living up to that reputation.”

Four of Miele’s eight Canstar Blue awards have come for dishwashers, with their run of success only briefly interrupted by Bosch in 2013. Three others were for front loader washing machines, including the last two years in succession.

“No other brand of appliances has achieved the level of consistency that Miele has,” added Mrs Doyle. “Even across other research categories, it’s extremely rare to see one brand dominate its area of expertise in quite the same way that Miele has – particularly when those areas are extremely competitive.

“Congratulations to Miele for continuing to provide Australians with quality home appliances.”

Miele topped a table of 10 other leading brands to secure its most recent award for ovens. While others scored higher in some research categories, Miele was the only one to achieve top marks from consumers for even heat distribution and reliability – the two biggest drivers of customer satisfaction. Click here to read the full award report.

The survey, of more than 1,200 households who have a working oven in their home, found the average spend to be $981.

Miele’s Head of Category Management, Sacha Leagh-Murray, is delighted that consumers have recognised Miele with three Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customer Awards so far this year.

“This is an outstanding achievement by Miele,” she said. “We’re proud to be in such a defining position in customer satisfaction. It gives recognition to Miele’s premium position as the leading brand in whitegoods appliances.”