RTÉ and Ticketmaster ‘among worst for customer experience’ while credit unions top list

For the ninth year in a row Ireland’s credit unions finished in first place in the annual customer experience survey carried out by the CX Company but it was not such good news for RTÉ as it was ranked the worst brand in Ireland for the first time.

The annual study, based on research from Amárach and carried out among a representative cross-section of Irish consumers published today, marked the national broadcaster finishing last out of 150 well-known brands with its overall customer experience score falling by 17 per cent, the single biggest decline recorded by any brand over the past three years.

RTÉ's level of trust among the general public fell by 25 per cent as the public’s anger over a perceived absence of transparency and corporate mismanagement was reflected in the survey.

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Most of those expressing views about RTÉ highlighted the summer of scandal saying it had led to a breakdown of trust between them and the broadcaster.

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Cathy Summers of the CX Company described the survey’s findings as a “new low for RTÉ. Trust is at the heart of every customer interaction and without trust there is no customer relationship. It is built up over time and should never be taken for granted.”

It proved to be a cruel summer for Ticketmaster, too, as it became the focus of anger for thousands of disappointed Taylor Swift fans.

It recorded the second biggest drop in CX scores this year with a fall of 11 per cent.

Ms Summers put this down to the issues that people encountered trying to purchase tickets for concerts such as Taylor Swift and Coldplay and said it could be “extremely frustrating for customers”.

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Ireland’s undisputed customer experience leader remains the Irish credit union. It not only claimed its table-topping position for an unprecedented ninth year in a row but also improved its CX score and widened the gap between it and its rivals in the process.

Pharmacies continue to lead in the retail sector making up three of the top 10 companies with Allcare coming in second place, Life Pharmacy sixth and Hickey’s eighth.

Top performers

Power City, which recorded the second-highest score for the positive impact of its staff, made it into the top 10 for the first time this year, claiming third position while Smyths Toys and Specsavers rounded out the top five.

Laya Healthcare was sixth, M&S Simply Food in ninth and Dunnes Store in 10th place. All 10 have all been among the top performers in past surveys.

Some of the biggest risers in this year’s CX league table include the Passport Service, Aer Lingus and Smyths Toys. Ms Summers said the common denominator for top performers in the supermarket and retail sectors was their ability to respond to the constantly changing needs and expectations of customers.

She said the main reason credit unions have proved so successful at delivering customer experience excellence on a consistent basis was that they are embedded in the community and focus on driving change to meet customer needs rather than to make their organisation more efficient. She added that their CX record means the larger credit unions are well placed to compete with the banks for more complex products like mortgages. “Drawing down a mortgage for a new home is a highly emotive purchase and credit unions have been very good at recognising the importance of that.