Internode, Apple, The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi were among the businesses to get a big nod for customer service at the Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Awards last night.
Roy Morgan Research chief executive Michael Levine presented 39 awards to businesses that were considered to have achieved outstanding levels of customer satisfaction. The businesses were judged by surveying more than 50,000 consumers and 22,000 business decision-makers throughout 2013.
The Commonwealth Bank was named Best Major Bank of the Year for service, while Bendigo Bank topped the category of Business Bank of the Year. In retail, womenswear brand Sussan won Clothing Store of the Year, and Myer trumped the award for Department Store of the Year.
For travel, Virgin Australia was triumphant as the Domestic Business Airline of the Year, while Sofitel topped the category for Hotel and Resort of the Year.
“Since their inception three years ago, the Roy Morgan Research Customer Satisfaction Awards have earned a reputation as the most accurate and reliable measure of customer satisfaction in the country,” Levine said.
“By aggregating 12 months’ worth of responses to our Consumer Single Source and Business Single Source surveys, Roy Morgan is able to identify and celebrate those businesses — large and small — that have outperformed their competitors in customer satisfaction.”
Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman said the retail winners, as well as winners from other industries, showed commitment to providing customers with outstanding service and the best retail experience they possibly can.
“The ability to provide a seamless customer experience in store which complements an overall multichannel retail strategy is the way forward for the sector,” he said, referring to the retail industry.
Winner of Mobile Phone Service of the Year, amaysim, hit the Australian market three years ago. Its founder and chief executive Rolf Hansen said the award was meaningful as it was judged by customers.
“What makes this award even sweeter is that we’ve won it by simply keeping our heads down and getting on with the business of customer service,” he said.
“While price will always be important, Aussies are increasingly confirming our view that if companies don’t have things like customer service and online support sorted out, people will vote with their feet.”
