Male call center operators.
Brits value ‘premium’ service (Picture: Getty Images)

Whether it’s being placed on hold for hours on end, or service without a smile, we’ve all had our run ins with public-facing staff.

According to research, customer service is dipping across the country, with the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index finding that satisfaction levels are at their lowest level since 2010.

But it’s not all bad news.

The survey, which asked 60,000 people what they thought of the customer service at 275 major firms, also ranked the companies with the best customer service – and it was retailers that came out on top.

Need a key cutting? Well you’re sure to be skipping out of Timpson, as they have the best customer service in the country.

The firm’s customer service score improved from 83.6 in July 2023 to 86 points in July 2024.

Timpsons dry cleaners shop brand logo seen in Cambridge
Timpsons came out on top (Picture: Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Coming in at second place was Nationwide – one of four banks in the top 10, with a score of 85.2.

Starling Bank ranked 6th, millennial favourite Monzo came in at 7, and Yorkshire Building Society squeezed into the list in 10th place.

Iconic department store John Lewis & Partners rounded out the top three with a score of 85, beating out rivals M&S and M&S Food who placed in joint seventh place.

Highest rated organisation for customer satisfaction

1. Timpson

2. Nationwide

3. John Lewis

4. Jet2holidays.com

4. Waitrose

6. Starling Bank

7. M&S

7. M&S (food)

7. Monzo Bank

10. Greggs

10. Yorkshire Building Society

Jet2 Holidays was the only tourism company to make the top 10, at fourth place.

Finally, we were hardly surprised to hear that Greggs also made the top 10 with a score of 83.4 placing them at joint tenth.

After all, how can you be unhappy with sausage roll in hand?

M&S Store in Westfield Shopping Centre, Stratford, London.
M&S and John Lewis both placed in the top 10 (Picture: Getty Images)

Overall, the best performing industries were retail – both food and non-food – and banks and building societies.

At the other end of the scale, utilities were ranked the lowest.

Having a positive experience is important to UK customers – in fact, the survey by the Institute of Customer Service found that 31% of customers prefer excellent ‘premium’ service – even if it costs more.

And it pays companies to treat their shoppers well. The monthly cost to UK organisations of service failures and problems is a staggering £6.8billion.

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