Amazon tops UK customer satisfaction index again

AMAZON has topped a table for UK customer satisfaction while Tesco was voted most improved supermarket in a biannual consumer survey.

The UK’s biggest supermarket recorded the sector’s largest year-on-year increase of 1.2 points in the latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), with the quality and helpfulness of staff largely behind the rise.

It mirrors the supermarket reporting a 0.7% increase in UK like-for-like sales over the six weeks to January 7 and a 1.8% rise in third quarter sales.

Amazon had the highest levels of customer satisfaction for the third survey running.

New entrant Asos took second place, followed by John Lewis, Marks & Spencer’s food stores and Waitrose.

Nationwide, first direct, Greggs, giffgaff and Iceland completed the top 10.

Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, which runs the survey, said: “It has been widely acknowledged that customer trust in Tesco suffered during the 2014 accounting scandal which saw the company lose touch with loyal patrons.

“This loss in trust saw record losses of £6.4 billion during 2014/15 but a renewed focus on service excellence has finally got customers back on side – this can be seen in the 2017 UKCSI, and, as shown by the company’s recently announced full-year results, has paid dividends.”

Iceland, ninth in the index, has said its sales increased by 8.3%, while Aldi came in 20th.

Ms Causon said: “The importance of the customer cannot be ignored when it comes to business success for UK supermarkets.

“With the smallest gap in customer satisfaction between the highest and lowest performing businesses out of any sector, a sustained focus on customer satisfaction will be key for business success in 2017.

“There is everything to play for and UK supermarkets cannot take their eye of the ball.”