Wednesday 10 July 2019 11:40 am | Updated: Wednesday 10 July 2019 2:05 pm

Customer satisfaction drops for second year running

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 29: Pedestrians cross the street at a busy intersection on the West Side of Manhattan on September 29, 2014 in New York City. Three pedestrians have been killed in the last week in New York City, adding to the urgency of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate city traffic deaths.For the year in 2014 there have been over 77 deaths of pedestrians on city streets. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

British consumers are increasingly dissatisfied with the level of serve they get as the number of companies breaking promises trebled in just two years.

Customers satisfaction dropped for the fourth time in a row since July 2017, according to new figures from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS).

The ICS warned that poor satisfaction could have a knock-on effect on the UK economy, which relies on services for 80 per cent of its GDP.

The survey, which collects opinions from 10,000 customers, found that more people than ever were having problems.

Meanwhile, 17 per cent of customers said that companies had broken their promises, the highest figure on record.

However, there were some bright spots. First Direct was named the best for customer service in the UK, followed by Debenhams.

Amazon was the top-rating online retailer, while Ocado won the battle of the supermarkets. Netflix had the ninth best customer service in the country.

“As we move forward in increasingly uncertain times, driving the customer agenda will become even more crucial. I firmly believe that the organisations who do this will survive and prosper,” said ICS chief executive Joanna Causon.

She added: “Consumers are placing increasing importance on trust, transparency, emotional connection and ethical behaviour.”