Credit unions and chemists best in Ireland for customer service, telecom firms among worst

The best in meeting customer expectations were face-to-face organisations, showed the CX rankings

Credit unions and pharmacies are among the best in providing customer service satisfaction in Ireland, while telecom firms and some Government departments are among the worst, as customer service plummets to a seven-year low, according to an annual survey. 

Customers dealing with Eir, Facebook, Ryanair, the Department of Social Protection, Irish Water, as well as RTÉ, SSE Airtricity, courier Fastway, Sky, UPS, and cable provider Virgin Media reported some of the worst experiences, the performance index devised by The CX Company has shown. 

CX said its rankings showed that the best in meeting customer expectations were face-to-face organisations, including credit unions, Smyths Toys, Hickeys Pharmacy, Butlers, McCabes Pharmacy, Lloyds Pharmacy, Nespresso, McCauley Pharmacy, as well as Shaws Department Stores and Aldi.

CX said that service had deteriorated during the pandemic and that companies were slow to improve matters. 

Since the worst of the Covid crisis, there was "a real hunger from customers to get back to personal one on one interactions", said CX. 

Sometimes, they just want to talk to a fellow human being.”  

Cathy Summers, who wrote the report, said that Ireland's overall low score suggested that after the pandemic "indecision and fatigue appear to be taking a toll on companies" in terms of dealing with their customers. 

"Whereas these very customers were quite forgiving during Covid as organisations struggled to adapt to new processes and procedures, that goodwill is fading fast and customers have a lot less tolerance now, especially if there are long delays answering or communicating with the organisation,” she said. 

CX chairman Michael Killeen signalled out Eir’s treatment of its customers. 

"Eir heads this list and, according to the survey, almost half of the company’s customers say the company failed to meet their expectations," he said Mr Killeen.

"This is almost double the number who said Ryanair, second on this list, failed to meet their expectations, while a similar figure was recorded for the Department of Social Welfare, Irish Water, and Sky.

"Other companies which performed poorly and recorded big falls include GameStop, the Passport Service, the National Lottery, Adverts.ie, and Abrakebabra." 

Digital interfaces

The report said that firms who installed digital interfaces to deal with customers during the Covid crisis may have to think again.

“While these can work well and yield savings, sometimes, they can be more focused on the short-term needs of the company rather than the needs of the customer," said CX.  

"In our report, we are seeing a real hunger from customers to get back to personal one on one interactions. They want empathy and reassurance; sometimes, they just want to talk to a fellow human being.”