The retail industry has ranked the worst for customer service, after a new report scored it just 51.4 out of 100 and revealed customers spend over 11 minutes waiting to reach customer service teams.
The ‘Customer Service Report’ by WhatsApp business communications provider Esendex, analysed Trustpilot review data to give each industry a weighted index score out of 100, factoring in overall review scores and average sentiment ratings for customer service terms. The report then examined average wait times for customer support and the total number of communication channels available across key industries.
With a score of 51.4 out of 100, the retail industry ranked last out of 15 industries analysed, indicating a severe disconnect with customer service quality. Sentiment analysis found the sector scored the lowest out of five for reviews on customer ‘service’ (2.8), ‘satisfaction’ (3.3), and ‘experience’ (3.2), reflecting widespread consumer dissatisfaction with the customer service journey.
Data showing reviews of retailers over the past 12, six, and three months also revealed a 5.17% decline in customer satisfaction leading into the Golden Quarter, while its sentiment score for ‘service’ saw a slightly higher drop of 5.21% in ratings.
After major events, like Black Friday and Christmas, drove a surge in consumer spending and demand in the previous quarter, the critical decline in ratings during this period indicates the need for urgent change to improve the standards and efficiency of customer service operations.
The retail industry also ranked lowest for customer standards, after the report found customers face significant wait times. Averaging 11 minutes and 42 seconds to connect to a human agent, the sector was also revealed to have the lowest number of available communication channels.
Retail also trailed in phone support availability, with only 60% of providers offering a phone line for direct customer service, compared to almost universal phone support in the other industries sampled.
This comes as recent research estimated that poor customer service costs UK businesses over £87.6 billion per year.
Elsewhere, the housing association sector performed only marginally better than the retail industry, with an overall ranking of 55.7 out of 100. The sector had an average score of 3.1 out of five for ‘service’ related reviews, reflecting a similar strain on its overall customer experience and standards.
Despite rounding out the bottom three on the index for customer happiness and satisfaction, with a score of 61.9, the banking and money sector has emerged as the top-performing industry for average wait times, with a higher-than-average number of communication channels.
Richard Hanscott, CEO of Esendex, said: “Customer service is a critical part of any business operation, which is why it should never be relegated to the bottom of the priority list. As consumer demand and expectations increase, businesses must implement fast, flexible, and multi-channel communication solutions that will align with the needs of customers.
“The findings from our ‘Customer Service Report’ highlights this, with the retail industry failing to maintain a quality, consistent standard of customer service – evident in the low scores across the board for satisfaction, service, and experience-related customer reviews. With the lowest index score out of all industries analysed, at 51.4, retail customers were also found to face a 365% longer wait time, (taking an average of over 11 minutes to be connected to speak with a human agent), compared to the best-performing sector.
“Our data shows a clear correlation between the number of accessible communication channels and the overall customer experience, with industries offering more support options seeing shorter wait times and a higher index ranking. With consumer trust paramount to business success, especially during periods like the Golden Quarter, decision-makers must be actively assessing and improving customer touchpoints and access to support.
“Slow response times and poor service execution severely impact trust and can damage brand reputation, making investment in the right customer service solutions – like WhatsApp for Business, AI, and chatbots – essential. Beyond strengthening customer relations, these tools help reduce pressure on customer support teams, cut response wait times, and provide 24/7 assistance so that customers can get the support they need, tailored to them, when they need it.”
