Yahoo News Greggs features among top 10 companies for customer service bucking overall trend
Our much-loved Geordie bakery Greggs is among the UK companies serving up some of the best customer service, according to a new report.
It seems, however, that those in the top 10 list - which is topped by key-cutting company Timpson - are bucking the trend, as the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index by the Institute of Customer Service has found that satisfaction levels have deteriorated over the last five years and are at their lowest since 2010.
The survey asked 60,000 people what they thought of the customer service at 275 major businesses and assessed satisfaction levels at 75.8 out of 100 overall - a drop of 0.8 points from a year ago and 2.6 points below its high of 78.4 in July 2022. People's satisfaction with complaint handling was 58.3 points - down 8.1 on July 2022, reports The Mirror.
Overall, utility companies were among the worst offenders, with a score of 69.8 out of 100. They have however improved by 0.3 points since July last year.
Customer satisfaction with energy companies is higher than a year ago - sitting at 69.8 - with a reduction in the number of customers experiencing issues. But satisfaction with water companies has declined to 69.5 points, nearly six points below the UK average.
Public services, both local and national, are also among the worst for customer service with satisfaction levels at 70.3 and 73.3 points respectively.
But some companies are proving themselves and Greggs is among them. Timpson's score has improved from 83.6 in July 2023 to 86 points this July and it now offers the best customer service in the country, according to the report. John Lewis follows closely behind, with Waitrose, M&S and Newcastle-based Greggs also all featuring with scores in the mid-80s, with Greggs having 83.4 compared to top spot Timpson at number 86.
Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, said: "The UK Customer Satisfaction Index is the independent barometer for the health of the nation's service levels. Unfortunately, the current outlook isn't where we need it to be, despite our research showing that higher levels of customer satisfaction correlate with financial stability and growth.
"Business leaders need to understand the evolving needs and expectations of their customers, developing their organisations' approach accordingly to unlock the sustainable growth the economy needs. The new government's post-election business policy agenda should encourage all organisations to understand and serve customers better if we are to put our economy back on track."
Top 10 companies for customer satisfaction
Timpson - 86
Nationwide - 85.1
John Lewis - 85
Jet2Holidays.com - 84.4
Waitrose - 84.4
Starling Bank - 83.9
M&S - 83.6
Monzo Bank - 83.6
Greggs - 83.4
Yorkshire Building Society - 83.4
