Organisations were driving improvements in customer satisfaction as they recovered from Covid, but the cost of living crisis has turned this on its head.
The impact of staff shortages, strikes, and price hikes have taken their toll on businesses and consumers.
As a result, the July 2023 UKCSI dropped to 76.6, its lowest score since 2015.
This lower level of customer satisfaction is evident everywhere, with the transport and utilities sectors showing the biggest falls.
Contact volumes are rising and nearly 1 in every 5 consumers is struggling to make ends meet.
However, the biggest single issue highlighted by the report is how organisations handle problems and deal with complaints.
Shockingly, over 40% of UK consumers are dissatisfied with the way that organisations deal with the issues they raise and dissatisfaction in this area is increasing rapidly.
How should organisations respond to the rising tide of customer dissatisfaction?
1) Organisations need to address immediate issues of operational performance and resourcing.
2) Organisations must make it easier for customers to contact them when things go wrong.
3) Organisations should invest in improving the customer service skills of their staff with a particular emphasis on empathy.
You can download the UK Customer Satisfaction Index here.
If customer satisfaction with your organisation is in decline and you are looking for support with your recovery plan, please book a free and confidential online chat.
