Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos has been recognized for his consumer-oriented policies aimed at forgoing profit for customer satisfaction. A report published yesterday by the Reputation Institute – an advisory firm that surveys the public in regard to industries and companies – claims that people have voted Amazon as the best company in America.
The information received for the firm’s annual survey has been measured under a point system. A score of above 80 for a company is deemed excellent, while a score of less than 40 is considered poor. Amazon was on top in the countrywide company survey with a score of 84.08. Kelloggs was the runner-up with 81.5; Lego followed with 81.49; and Fruit of the Loom and Campbell Soup were next with 81.23 and 80.29 points, respectively.
The institute has not mentioned why the listed companies have scored so highly, but did say that the survey measures a company’s consistency, workplace, innovation, citizenship, leadership, and financial performance.
Brad Hecht, chief research officer for the Reputation Institute, feels the survey is favorable to a company "seen as open, transparent and fair in the way they do business." His comments have come days after Amazon released its first ever bi-annual transparency report, highlighting the number of data requests the government sends for customer information. Mr. Hecht also expressed his admiration for Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, pointing out that he has "made it very clear that he's all about one thing: providing the single best experience for his customers," even if the opportunity cost is greater profits and incentives.
Other companies that made it to the top-ten companies in the survey include Levi Strauss & Co, Snap-on, Hershey’s, Panera Bread, and Briggs & Stratton.
The institute running the survey also created a separate category for the most well-reputed restaurant and hotel chains in the US. Panera Bread dominated the list with 80 points, followed by Dunkin' Brands, Subway, Krispy Kreme, and Marriott.
The cost-saving franchise Subway, with its score of 77.38, and Wendy's with 75.60 points were ranked far superior to McDonald's, which scored 55.3.
McDonalds is down from 64 points last year, as the company is suffering from dwindling sales in the US and some parts of Asia. The company recently appointed President Obama's former press secretary Robert Gibbs as global chief communications officer, in a bid to recreate the company's image in a more corporate and healthy way.
