The UK Customer Satisfaction Index, published by the Institute of Customer Service yesterday, gave public services a score of 74.1 out of 100, 2.3 points higher than it scored in July 2015.
In particular, the sector had improved on metrics of trust and ‘in person’ experience but had dropped on the measure of complaint handling. Public services scored lower than any other sector for over-the-phone experiences, such as getting through easily and the helpfulness and competence of staff.
In terms of public sector organisations, five had improved and none had deteriorated in terms customer satisfaction. The Passport Office topped the customer satisfaction rankings and was also the most improved organisation.
Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, said: “It’s encouraging to see the national public services sector is making progress, but prevention is always better than cure, so the industry should take note of the areas which need to be focused on.
“Efficiency, effectiveness and empathy are key, and organisations should always follow up with customers to ensure that the problem is resolved.”
The institute said there was a clear link between organisations getting customer experiences right first time and achieving high satisfaction scores.
The UK Customer Satisfaction Index is based on 10,000 consumer responses and provides insights into the state and direction of customer satisfaction at a national level, across 13 sectors as well as for individual organisations.
