Satmetrix, the Net Promoter company and specialist in customer experience programmes, has released its 2010 European Net Promoter Industry Benchmarks for the mobile operator, mobile handset, banking, car insurance, ISP, computer hardware and television/DVD industries across the UK, France and Germany.

Rankings are based on more than 24,000 survey responses from European consumers, including more than 8,700 from UK consumers who have bought products or services from each company within the previous 12 months.

Consumers also rated companies on various aspects of customer experience, including product or service features, customer service and overall value, allowing Satmetrix to analyse drivers of loyalty and performance gaps.

A company’s Net Promoter Score, (NPS), is based on customers’ likelihood to recommend the company’s product or service. NPS is calculated as the percentage of customers who are Promoters, rating the company 9 or 10 on a zero-to-10 point scale, minus the percentage who are Detractors, rating six or lower.

The study encompasses seven industry sectors. In the mobile handset sector, Apple’s iPhone trounced other manufacturers, with what Satmetrix describes as a “world class” score of 67 per cent, 80 points ahead of last place, and 49 points ahead of the industry average. It beat other handset makers including LG, Motorola, Nokia, RIM, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

In the mobile network sector, O2 came out on top, with an NPS of +24 per cent, comfortably higher than the 3 per cent average and 37 points ahead of last place in a field that also included 3, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin Media and Vodafone.

“Everything we do is based on customer insight,” says Cheryl Black, customer services director at O2. “We thank every one of our customers who took the trouble to participate in this survey and help us gain this fabulous recognition. We won’t be resting on our laurels: we will continue working hard to deliver award-winning customer service for years to come.”

The Satmetrix research also identified the reasons behind a switching epidemic in the UK. It shows that 10m consumers have switched suppliers in the last six months alone. What drove them to spend their hard-earned cash with a different supplier was a poor customer experience, with the main culprits being unfair fees or charges, poor product or service quality, and rude or disinterested employees.

You can access the full report here.