In these tough times when stores are shutting, sales are sinking and companies are seeking buyers amidst insolvency, there is nothing more relevant for a retailer than getting an insight into customer satisfaction.
It is customer satisfaction that drives growth and helps retailers make business strategies. And that’s why the UK customer satisfaction index, which is published twice a year, is always eagerly awaited by UK retailers including the fashion bigwigs.
John Lewis seems to have done it again.
The fashion retailer has yet again topped the UK customer satisfaction index. That’s quite an achievement for the retailer that has been going through tough phase after its recent announcement that 19 of its stores may not open again. The retailer knows at least it has managed to serve its customers well.
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While John Lewis – following an impressive score of 85.3 out of 100 – has regained its number one spot, its closest competitor Debenhams has dropped out of top 10.
During the same period in 2019, Debenhams had topped the customer index though it slipped to 7th stop in January 2020. And now within 6 months, it is out of top 10.
M&S, on the other hand, has managed to get into 4th position – a big leap considering it was nowhere in the top 10 in January 2020.
Online giant Amazon is at 6th position, which is a slight dip from January, when it was in top 5.
The research was done before and during the coronavirus crisis period, but the real test will begin as the world moves into ‘new normal’. That’s when there will be competition and pressure and only those providing high level of service will manage to survive and succeed.
The UK customer satisfaction index is published by Institute of Customer Service every 6 months and is an independent and objective benchmark of customer satisfaction on a consistent set of measures on more than 250 organisations across 13 sectors.
