Customer Service Continues to Fall as Aviation and Rail Worsen

A recent study conducted by the Institute of Customer Service highlights a continuing fall in overall customer service quality.  It is the first time since January 2016 that two consecutive UKCSI surveys have shown a decline. 

This is largely due to disruptions currently taking place in the economy, as the institute’s Chief Executive Joanna Causon explains:

“The introduction of GDPR and the controversy surrounding Facebook and Cambridge Analytica has reaffirmed the critical importance of managing customer data and its impact on trust and reputation. All this, without even mentioning the uncertainty over Brexit and its impact on access to markets, supply chains and recruitment.”

Looking at the sector analysis in the report, there is good news for Financial Services, which saw its score increase to the highest level on record.  This is largely due to improved complaints handling, getting things right first time, and the quality of website experiences.

However, the Transport sector’s score continues to fall and is at the lowest level since January 2015.  The gap between the Transport sector and the UK average customer service score is 5.4 points - the widest ever recorded in the UKCSI.  Within the Transport sector, aviation and rail showed the sharpest drops (2.2 points and 2.4 points respectively) compared with last year.

The fall in satisfaction with airlines and railway companies is largely influenced by the negative experiences of first-time customers and ineffective complaints handling.

How can we help?
MSB’s roots lie in the Transport sector, and throughout our 31 years in business, we have helped international airlines, airports and railway companies take their customer experience to the next level.  To learn more about our work, you can read our Transport sector case studies on our website.