Utilities sector falls short in customer service rankings according to a recent report.

Utilities sector falls short in customer service rankings, according to a recent report: A recent study has revealed that the utilities sector is falling behind other key industries when it comes to customer service, despite having the highest number of communication channels available to their customers.

 

The ‘Customer Service Report,’ by business communications specialist Esendex, analysed the quality of customer service across 15 major UK industries. Using Trustpilot review data, the study created a weighted index score out of 100 for each industry, combining average review scores, response ratings to key words like ‘service’, ‘satisfaction’, and ‘experience’, as well as average wait times and the number of communication channels available to customers. 

 

Based on these findings, the utilities sector ranked seventh overall with an index score of 82.7 and an average Trustpilot rating of 4.3 out of 5. Sentiment analysis revealed modest scores: 4.4 for both ‘service’ and ‘satisfaction,’ and 4.0 for ‘experience.’ However, the sector fared slightly better than average in terms of accessibility, with customers waiting an average of 3 minutes and 4 seconds to speak to a human representative, compared to the 5 minutes and 6 seconds averaged across all sectors.

 

Despite sitting just above the overall average index score (of 76.8 out of 100), the utilities industry was found to lag behind the top-performing sectors. Construction and manufacturing ranked first, with an index score of 89.9 out of 100, and achieved high sentiment scores for customer service (4.6), ‘satisfaction’ (4.4), and ‘experience’ (4.3). Making up the rest of the top three were HR and recruiting (89.7) and health and medical services (88.0).

 

Furthermore, the report also highlights that despite providing the most communication channels, utilities companies are not seeing this reflected in customer satisfaction levels. It cites another recent survey which found that two in five utility customers reportedly struggled to reach support teams or resolve their issues, suggesting a need for a stronger focus on service quality and issue resolution. 

 

Richard Hanscott, CEO of Esendex, said: “The findings from our ‘Customer Service Report’ highlight how industries such as utilities are falling behind the expected standard for customer service, and need to prioritise efficiency, clear communication and building positive customer relationships.”

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