Customer satisfaction levels suffer as retailers battle tough trading condtions
Customer service satisfaction levels have suffered the longest decline since records began as retailers struggle to juggle meeting consumer expectations and facing the challenging trading conditions on the UK high street.
The latest research showed that customer service satisfaction is at the lowest level since July 2015 with a score of 76.9.
The top five companies for customer service, dominated by retailers and banks, have all seen their scores drop in the last year.
Embattled department store John Lewis – which prides itself on customer service – was the highest rated UK company, however its score fell 0.9 per cent to 85.6 last year, research by The Institute of Customer Service found.
Next and Amazon were the other retailers to make the top five, however their scores fell 0.7 per cent and 1.3 per cent respectively.
Out of the 259 organisations included in the index, 28 per cent fell by at least two points, compared to 20 per cent of companies in January last year.
Jo Causon, chief executive at The Institute of Customer Service, said: “Today’s figures are not cause for celebration. This is the longest continuous run of declining customer service in the history of our index.
“The index demonstrates that a number of organisations are struggling to meet customer needs in a more complex trading environment.
“Our evidence does show that where organisations ‘buck’ this trend over the longer term there are clear links to overall business performance.
“Excellent service is not just a collection of transactional experiences. The most effective organisations demonstrate agility, innovation and a consistent and constant realignment with purpose.”
Research published yesterday showed that Amazon, John Lewis, First Direct, Waitrose and M&S food were the strongest performers for customer service over the last decade.