// Satisfaction with customer service drops to lowest level since 2015
// Retail has bucked the trend, with average customer satisfaction rising by 0.1 points for non-food and 0.4 points for food
// Top performing organisations include John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Amazon and Aldi
New research has shown that the number of Brits satisfied with customer service has dropped to its lowest level since July 2015.
The retail sector has seen an increasing number of consumers reporting problems with organisations, with 13.9 per cent of customers experiencing a problem with a food retailer and 12.1 per cent with a non-food retailer.
The impact of panic buying and Brexit saw the most common problems within the food retail sector as availability of goods/services cited in 34.3 per cent of problems.
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Overall, the retail sector has bucked the trend, with average customer satisfaction rising by 0.1 points for non-food and 0.4 points for food.
Top performing organisations include John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Amazon and Aldi, research by the Institute of Customer Service found.
M&S was the top ranked food retailer, with an increase in score of 1.7 points year on year leading to it taking fifth place, followed by Aldi, Iceland and Ocado.
“We are navigating one of the most challenging periods in our living history. Whilst the retail sector has bucked the overall trend of declining customer satisfaction, organisations still need to ensure they pay close attention to their service as customer problems increase,” The Institute of Customer Service chief executive Jo Causon said.
“In the face of ongoing uncertainty and shifting customer needs, this is an urgent wake-up call for all sectors, in particular retail, to make service a boardroom priority or risk undermining recovery later this year.
“Customer service is a key enabler of business performance. In an increasingly complex customer experience environment, a bad encounter makes the difference between a one-off transaction and a long-term, loyal customer.
“As the UK economy continues to feel the devastating impact of the coronavirus crisis, maintaining excellent levels of service will be key to pulling the nation out of recession.”
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