Realme, Samsung the Least Returned Brands

The lowest return rates are determined by the first visit to the brand’s service centre within the first six months of purchase for either repair or replacement, says CMR

China’s Realme and South Korea’s Samsung have the lowest return rates among all smartphone brands in India, finds a survey by Cybermedia Research. The CMR Mobile Industry Consumer Insight (MICI) survey that included 4,000 smartphone owners across top eight Indian cities, focused on smartphone purchase process, key smartphone specs of priority, as well as issues with post-sales service, including repairs or replacements.

“The return rates in smartphone brands provide a measure of consumer satisfaction with their current brand and, in turn, implies that the brands have been able to excel in meeting consumer expectations. Our survey findings report the lowest return rate for brands, such as Realme and Samsung, in comparison to the prevailing industry average,” said Prabhu Ram, Headindustry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, in a statement.

The lowest return rates are determined by the first visit to the brand’s service centre within the first six months of purchase, for either repair or replacement, by both online as well as offline buyers. Of those who faced problems with their smartphones, around 3% visited a service centre for the first time within the first six months of their smartphone purchase, during the in warranty period. Most common issues reported by consumers, included issues with software and accessories. Smartphone buyers are looking at functional use cases, including performance (88%), build and durability (83%), camera capabilities (80%), battery life (79%) and RAM (78%). These use cases trump more advanced smartphone technological features such as facial recognition and digital wellness, were deemed less important by buyers.

“For consumers looking to buy new smartphones, it is not just factors such as design and value for money that matters. A key factor influencing smartphone purchase decision is the emotional relationship that consumers feel with smartphone brands, as exemplified by intangible brand factors,” said Satya Mohanty, Head- User Research Practice, CMR.

Satisfaction with Current Smartphone

As per the CMR MICI survey, these were the key findings by smartphone brand:

• When it comes to smartphone looks,

design and feel, users of Vivo are most satisfied (99%), followed by Oppo and Realme users (98% each), and at third place, Xiaomi with 97% satisfaction.

• In terms of camera capabilities and

performance, Oppo scored 99%, followed by Vivo with 98%, and Samsung with 97% satisfaction.

• When it comes to smartphone reliability,

Realme users rank their smartphones high (90%), followed by Samsung (88%) and Vivo (87%).

• When it comes to battery life, Xiaomi

users were most satisfied (94%), followed by Realme (92%) and Vivo with 91%.

Key Influencers for Smartphone Purchase

Smartphone purchases are increasingly influenced by digital platforms. A majority of the consumers research online before buying either online or offline. Most consumers seek product information online. Among consumers who researched online, smartphone ratings on e-commerce websites, including Flipkart and Amazon, also influenced them in their purchase decision.

Interestingly, those in the age group of 18-33 years buy online as well as offline, while those in the age groups 34-45 years, tend to research online, and buy offline.

After Sales Service

When it comes to overall after sales service,

Samsung is the clear leader coming first (84%), followed closely by Vivo with 82% and Oppo at third with 80%.

Samsung wins in ease of finding service centers (84%), followed by Vivo (82%) and Realme (79%), closely followed by Xiaomi (76%) and Oppo (75%).

When it comes to problem resolution,

Samsung scores highest (75%), followed by Realme (71%) and Xiaomi (70%).

“Smartphone brands which are responsive to consumer needs and focus more holistically on all aspects of consumer experience, including after-sales service, stand to gain in a hyper-competitive smartphone market. Realme’s product quality performed the best among the major players in the industry which is impressive. Similarly, Samsung has got everything right, when it comes to their overall after sales service,” Prabhu said. ■