Power company storms to top of UK customer service chart
Satisfied customers of a regional power company, have ranked it in the top five organisations across the UK for customer service.
The Institute of Customer Service has been surveying customers since 2008 and this year it found a record 13% of people had complained to a company in the past 12 months. However some businesses have excelled and the independent survey includes household names like John Lewis which was ranked number 7, Amazon at 21, Octopus at 32, and Pets at Home which came first.
UK Power Networks which delivers electricity to 8.3 million homes and businesses across London, the East and South East, came fourth and was one of only three utilities listed in the top 50.
It was the only company rated among the top ten for all five categories assessed; experience, complaint handling, customer ethos, emotional connection, ethics – and it came top for complaint handling and ethics.
Head of customer service Ian Cameron said: “We are so glad that our customers recognise the effort our employees go to, to ensure they receive best customer service - particularly as most of the people who ring us are doing so because they need help to sort out an issue with their power supply, not because they want to buy a nice shiny new product.
“We have tried very hard over the past few years to make sure we learn from customers’ feedback, and had set an ambition to get into the UK’s top 25% companies for customer service over the next six years. It was a delightful surprise to see that a top 5 position is people’s view today.”
Chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service Jo Causon said: “The top 10 organisations combine functional efficiency (often technology-enabled) and human care. The highest rated organisations show they care about their customers, make it easy to contact the right person, build trust and give reassurance. These organisations are better at getting experiences right first time and preventing problems for their customers.
“I believe that some of the improvement in customer satisfaction reflects the volatility of the Covid-affected environment and its influence on customer expectations, mood and behaviour. Many customers welcomed the re-opening of services during 2021 and have become more confident in interacting with organisations through digital as well as traditional channels. Overall, organisations have got better at blending technology and human intervention to improve customer experience.”
UK Power Networks which delivers electricity to 8.3 million homes and businesses across London, the East and South East, came fourth and was one of only three utilities listed in the top 50.
It was the only company rated among the top ten for all five categories assessed; experience, complaint handling, customer ethos, emotional connection, ethics – and it came top for complaint handling and ethics.
Head of customer service Ian Cameron said: “We are so glad that our customers recognise the effort our employees go to, to ensure they receive best customer service - particularly as most of the people who ring us are doing so because they need help to sort out an issue with their power supply, not because they want to buy a nice shiny new product.
“We have tried very hard over the past few years to make sure we learn from customers’ feedback, and had set an ambition to get into the UK’s top 25% companies for customer service over the next six years. It was a delightful surprise to see that a top 5 position is people’s view today.”
Chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service Jo Causon said: “The top 10 organisations combine functional efficiency (often technology-enabled) and human care. The highest rated organisations show they care about their customers, make it easy to contact the right person, build trust and give reassurance. These organisations are better at getting experiences right first time and preventing problems for their customers.
“I believe that some of the improvement in customer satisfaction reflects the volatility of the Covid-affected environment and its influence on customer expectations, mood and behaviour. Many customers welcomed the re-opening of services during 2021 and have become more confident in interacting with organisations through digital as well as traditional channels. Overall, organisations have got better at blending technology and human intervention to improve customer experience.”
Utilities organisations in the Top 50 in January 2022 are:
The Institute of Customer Service has been surveying customers since 2008 and this year it found a record 13% of people had complained to a company in the past 12 months. However some businesses have excelled and the independent survey includes household names like John Lewis which was ranked number 7, Amazon at 21, Octopus at 32, and Pets at Home which came first.
UK Power Networks which delivers electricity to 8.3 million homes and businesses across London, the East and South East, came fourth and was one of only three utilities listed in the top 50.
It was the only company rated among the top ten for all five categories assessed; experience, complaint handling, customer ethos, emotional connection, ethics – and it came top for complaint handling and ethics.
Head of customer service Ian Cameron said: “We are so glad that our customers recognise the effort our employees go to, to ensure they receive best customer service - particularly as most of the people who ring us are doing so because they need help to sort out an issue with their power supply, not because they want to buy a nice shiny new product.
“We have tried very hard over the past few years to make sure we learn from customers’ feedback, and had set an ambition to get into the UK’s top 25% companies for customer service over the next six years. It was a delightful surprise to see that a top 5 position is people’s view today.”
Chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service Jo Causon said: “The top 10 organisations combine functional efficiency (often technology-enabled) and human care. The highest rated organisations show they care about their customers, make it easy to contact the right person, build trust and give reassurance. These organisations are better at getting experiences right first time and preventing problems for their customers.
“I believe that some of the improvement in customer satisfaction reflects the volatility of the Covid-affected environment and its influence on customer expectations, mood and behaviour. Many customers welcomed the re-opening of services during 2021 and have become more confident in interacting with organisations through digital as well as traditional channels. Overall, organisations have got better at blending technology and human intervention to improve customer experience.”
UK Power Networks which delivers electricity to 8.3 million homes and businesses across London, the East and South East, came fourth and was one of only three utilities listed in the top 50.
It was the only company rated among the top ten for all five categories assessed; experience, complaint handling, customer ethos, emotional connection, ethics – and it came top for complaint handling and ethics.
Head of customer service Ian Cameron said: “We are so glad that our customers recognise the effort our employees go to, to ensure they receive best customer service - particularly as most of the people who ring us are doing so because they need help to sort out an issue with their power supply, not because they want to buy a nice shiny new product.
“We have tried very hard over the past few years to make sure we learn from customers’ feedback, and had set an ambition to get into the UK’s top 25% companies for customer service over the next six years. It was a delightful surprise to see that a top 5 position is people’s view today.”
Chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service Jo Causon said: “The top 10 organisations combine functional efficiency (often technology-enabled) and human care. The highest rated organisations show they care about their customers, make it easy to contact the right person, build trust and give reassurance. These organisations are better at getting experiences right first time and preventing problems for their customers.
“I believe that some of the improvement in customer satisfaction reflects the volatility of the Covid-affected environment and its influence on customer expectations, mood and behaviour. Many customers welcomed the re-opening of services during 2021 and have become more confident in interacting with organisations through digital as well as traditional channels. Overall, organisations have got better at blending technology and human intervention to improve customer experience.”
Utilities organisations in the Top 50 in January 2022 are:
| Organisation |
| Change in score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | UK Power Networks | N/A | N/A | |||
13 | M&S Energy | 212 | 12.9 | |||
32 | Octopus Energy | 25 | 1.9 |
Published twice a year, the UKCSI rates customer satisfaction at a national, sector and organisational level across 13 sectors.
Published twice a year, the UKCSI rates customer satisfaction at a national, sector and organisational level across 13 sectors.