Airlines and broadband/pay-TV failing in customer service

Broadband and pay-TV firms, along with airlines, saw the biggest increases in consumers touting them as the worst sectors for service, according to service design agency Engine's latest annual study.

by Helen Leggatt

The number of consumers citing airlines as among the worst sectors for service rose by 4.3% to 17.1% in 2017, according to Engine's study, while broadband and pay-TV companies saw such citations rise by 3.3% to 33.5%.

While "British Airways' IT melt-down" and the United Airlines' passenger removal incident were particularly high-profile examples, Engine's co-found Joe Heapy said that, while the incidents were bad "arguably it was their response that caused as much anger" adding that "their actions and reactions can give the impression that people are more akin to cargo than passengers".

Meanwhile, public transport (cited by 38%) and utilities (37%) continue to be regarded as the worst sectors overall for customer service.

The best sectors for service, according to customers, are restaurants (47%) and hotels (46%), both of which increased their lead in 2017. In terms of individual companies, Amazon is the clear retail leader followed by John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, and Sainsbury's.

"The leading sectors and companies in customer service don't think of it as an add-on at the front line, they put as much effort into designing the customer experience as they do their actual products," said Heapy.