BrazilEmirates tops Service Hero customer satisfaction index for the UAE
The Kuwait-based customer experience platform and consultancy Service Hero has released its annual customer satisfaction index for the UAE, with Emirates taking the first place ahead of Apple and Honda.
Founded in 2010 by Khayal Consultants managing partner Faten Abu-Ghazaleh, the Kuwait-based Service Hero platform collates customer satisfaction data from a wide range of sectors across the UAE and Kuwait to compile its overall country indices, with Emirates Airlines last year earning the UAE customer service crown ahead of Apple and Honda – according to nearly 30,000 valid assessments.
The third straight year that Emirates has appeared in the top-three for customer satisfaction ratings, the airline last year rose up from its previous second placing to claim the top ranking for the first time – unseating previous back-to-back champion Apple. As to the third place, Honda made its first entry into the top-three, curiously knocking out last year’s second place-getter and fellow automotive company Nissan.
Yet another auto manufacturer, BMW, featured in the top-three of the Kuwait index, which had a somewhat different make-up with local Islamic bank Boubyan taking the first spot for the third year running ahead of local long-time family-run favourite Mais Alghanim Restaurant. In terms of category winners in the UAE, Etisalat (mobile operators), IKEA (home furniture), and Carrefour (supermarkets) were among those featuring across the 14 categories.
Service Hero also noted the 1.6 percent rise in satisfaction levels across the board over the past year. “The increase in overall customer satisfaction that we see every year in the UAE is directly related to the nation’s keen interest in reinforcing the ‘Happiness and Well-being’ strategy across its different sectors,” said Abu-Ghazaleh. “With this, companies from both the private and public sector are urged to look into means of developing their performance levels in terms of service excellence, and ensuring that they deliver a service of high standards to please consumers.”
Aiming to provide an impartial overview, the Service Hero platform adheres to ESOMAR (the European society of opinion and market research) standards, and is overseen by a council of independent advisors, including McKinsey veteran and current BCG Senior Partner and Managing Director Reinhold Leichtfuss, who leads the firm’s Financial Services practice in the Middle East. Other advisors include noted academics and business leaders.
Abu-Ghazaleh: “We concluded 2018 with a 29 percent increase in the total number of collected assessments, and witnessed over 300,000 unique website visitors. The two main pages visited most by consumers were the scoreboard for an industry category and the brand information pages. These are two major indicators of consumers’ interest in a neutral and credible platform that can make their voices heard.”
Further to the collection of customer service data and reporting, Service Hero provides a range of other professional services, from statistical modelling and employee satisfaction surveys to customer-oriented organisational culture assessments and people development and training. Khayal Consultants meanwhile is a design and marketing consultancy established in Kuwait in 1996, with Abu-Ghazaleh leading the firm’s retail strategy and marketing consulting practice.
