Objective

BSI wanted to establish how customer service has changed in the years between 2008 and 2013 in order to inform and help them re-launch the British Standard BS 8477 Code of Practice for Customer Service. They were also looking to raise awareness of this newly revised standard and help organisations to better understand the benefits of standards

Strategy

Opinion Matters undertook quantitative research into the opinions of 2,000+ consumers’ around customer service. The research focused on repeating key areas which were initially explored back in 2008 such as satisfaction around the handling of complaints, reasons for moving to a competitor/new service provider and influences that prevent consumers buying products both abroad and in the UK. An addition to this, due to the rising influence and importance of social media, Opinion Matters recommended looking into how consumers use social media as a way of making a complaint and also view it as a form of customer service from businesses.

Result

The outcome of the research provided BSI with comparable insight into how customer service has changed over the last 5 years during the recession, a time through which many businesses adjusted the way they work. This insight helped BSI re-launch and promote their standard BS 8477 as a guideline and code of practice for customer service, illustrating that good customer service is essential for retaining customers.