Businesses including TotalEnergies, Shell, Roche, and Softbank Group are among the top 10 companies with the best customer service in the world, according to customer data.
However, global tech giants like Microsoft, Apple and Samsung, which many of us interact with every day, are among the companies with the worst customer service. Customer service has become a battleground for brands looking to win or retain loyal consumers as buyers put more focus on the experience they have with a company, not just products and price. So, what can businesses learn from the best, and the worst, customer service companies?
Face For Business has analysed the online reviews and feedback of the world’s top 50 most profitable companies, awarding each business a score based on their annual profit figure and average Trustpilot score. A penalty was deducted for companies with larger profits* and lower Trustpilot scores, before they were ranked from largest to smallest to find the overall worst and best customer service companies.
Andy MacGregor, Face For Business Managing Director, said: “It’s pretty clear and concerning that the world’s biggest companies seem content to pocket billions of pounds from their customers, but don’t put much value into the service they offer. Either they’re not aware they have this problem, or don’t care enough to do anything about it.”
Read on to discover the full list of the best customer service companies in the world, plus the worst ones, and what your call answering business can learn from all of them.
What makes the best customer service?
The best customer service providers will each offer a slightly different experience for their customers, but there are some key elements that all will share. Communication, availability and professionalism are all essential to providing a high level of customer service.
Clear communication
Good customer service relies on clear communication at every touchpoint. The companies with the best customer service will speak to their customers clearly via their website, in marketing communications, in person, and over the phone. Make it easy for people to find information, avoid jargon, and take the time to listen to concerns before responding to ensure your customers feel heard.
Availability
Customers need to be able to contact your business easily, whenever an issue arises – even if it’s outside of your usual hours of operation. Provide a managed live chat function via your website or out-of-hours call answering so you can deal with more customer queries promptly. Outsourcing your phone answering means you can have more people available to pick up the phone, strengthening your customer service further.
Fast complaint handling
Often, the worst customer service companies are those that don’t deal with complaints promptly, creating extra hassle and possibly even extra expense for the customer. It’s always disappointing if someone has a complaint, but responding to it professionally and promptly can go a long way to securing your reputation for good customer service.
A personal touch
The best customer service providers will always make each customer they’re dealing with feel like their number one customer. At Face For Business, all of our UK-based call handlers are friendly, approachable, and will take the time to get to know your business, and exactly how you’d like your phones to be answered. We also employ staff with experience in your specific industry, from property to legal to accountancy, helping to tailor your customer service further.
The 10 most profitable companies with the best customer service
1. TotalEnergies – $27.3 billion (£21.6 billion) profit, average Trustpilot rating of 4.7
2. Alibaba – $37.2 billion (£29.5 billion) profit, average Trustpilot rating of 4.4
3. Shell – $33.5 billion (£26.5 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 4.3
4. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial – $26.6 billion (£21.1 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 4.2
5. Roche – $31.2 billion (£24.7 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 3.7
6. AbbVie – $20.8 billion (£16.5 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 3.6
7. Tencent – $38.1 billion (£30.2 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 3.6
8. Berkshire Hathaway – $51.1 billion (£40.5 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 3.6
9. Softbank Group – $23.4 billion (£18.5 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 3.4
10. Gilead Sciences – $21.1 billion (£16.7 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 3.2
1. TotalEnergies
“Globally integrated energy company TotalEnergies made the top of our list, taking into account its number of satisfied customers in proportion to the money they make and therefore, how much they have to invest back into their customer services,” explains Andy.
With $27.3 billion (£21.6 billion) of profit and 82% of the company’s Trustpilot reviews at 5 stars giving it an average rating of 4.7, TotalEnergies is firmly at the top of our list of best customer service companies.
2. Alibaba
Online marketplace Alibaba ranks second on our list of best customer service businesses, thanks to an average Trustpilot rating of 4.4. From a business generating $37.2 billion (£29.5 billion) of profit serving millions of customers worldwide, it’s certainly an impressive score.
3. Shell
Shell comes in third on the list of best customer service providers with its overall Trustpilot rating of 4.3. Shell might be a multinational oil giant making a huge $33.5 billion (£26.5 billion) in profit, but its reviews suggest it’s still able to provide a good level of customer service, with lessons businesses of all sizes can learn from.
4. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial
Japanese banking and financial services group Mitsubishi UFJ is generating $26.6 billion (£21.1 billion) in profit, but it has a healthy average 4.2 rating on Trustpilot, placing it among the best customer service companies in the world – an impressive feat.
5. Roche
Ranking fifth on the Face For Business list of companies with the best customer service is Roche, an international pharmaceutical and diagnostics group. With healthcare such an important, emotive area, it’s good to see Roche ranking well for customer service, with an average Trustpilot rating of 3.7.
6. AbbVie
It’s another pharmaceutical company in sixth place, AbbVie – the first business on our list with an average Trustpilot rating of 3.6. But with slightly lower profits – still $20.8 billion (£16.5 billion) – than the next two businesses with the best customer service, we’ve awarded it extra points for doing a good job with a little less profit.
7. Tencent
Tencent, a Chinese tech conglomerate, is next on the list. It also has an overall Trustpilot score of 3.6, but it’s making more profit ($38.1 billion – equivalent to £30.2 billion) than AbbVie, so should its customer service score be even higher?
8. Berkshire Hathaway
Eighth on our rundown of the best customer service providers is Berkshire Hathaway, the international holding company owned by Warren Buffett. This business’ Trustpilot average also comes in at 3.6, but with significantly more profit (a whopping £51.1 billion or £40.5 billion) than both AbbVie and Tencent, it should have more resources available for that score to be even higher.
9. Softbank Group
Investment management specialist Softbank Group also makes our list of companies with the best customer service, thanks to an average Trustpilot score of 3.4.
10. Gilead Sciences
Just scraping its way onto the list of top 10 most profitable businesses with the best customer service is biopharma company Gilead Sciences. It generates $21.6 billion (£16.7 billion) in profit, and has an average Trustpilot rating of 3.2.
The 10 most profitable companies with the worst customer service
1. Microsoft – $82.3 billion (£65.1 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.2
2. Apple – $100.4 billion (£79.4 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.9
3. Samsung Electronics – $45.3 billion (£35.8 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.3
4. Meta (Facebook) – $39.4 billion (£31.2 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.3
5. Comcast – $27.6 billion (£21.8 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.1
6. Nestle – $33.9 billion (£26.8 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.3
7. Verizon – $27.9 billion (£22.1 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.2
8. AT&T – $24.8 billion (£19.6 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.3
9. Walmart – $33.1 billion (£26.2 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.5
10. Johnson & Johnson – $35.3 billion (£27.9 billion), average Trustpilot rating of 1.6
Andy commented: “It is worrying to see the big names appearing at the bottom of our list. Tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Samsung and Meta slipped into the bottom four places, given that they rake in huge profits each year, but their average Trustpilot score does not exceed 2.
“Telecom companies like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T are also names that many of us know and use every day. It’s shocking that the same companies that are supposed to connect us all and provide good phone and communication services clearly cannot communicate well with their customers when something is wrong, as their average Trustpilot scores do not exceed 1.3.
“For any company wishing to boost their Trustpilot presence, customer service should be a top priority, and a substantial slice of profits earmarked for investment back into your customer service offering each year.”
How to guarantee the best customer service
Andy continues: “The higher performing companies in our list cover a range of industries and sectors, including commerce, energy and banking. They show that just because your profits may not match up to that of other giants’, customer service does not have to be put to the bottom of the list.”
From global giants to small businesses, companies of all sizes should invest a proportion of their profits into delivering a high standard of customer service. A positive customer service interaction can be the difference between securing a customer’s loyalty for years to come or losing them to a competitor for good. Around half of customers will switch to a competitor after just one bad experience with their current provider, according to a Zendesk customer experience report. What’s more, 3 in 4 consumers said a bad interaction with a business can ruin their day. This shows just how important it is to strive to be one of the best customer service providers, regardless of your size.
At Face For Business, our reliable telephone answering service can help you to deliver a better standard of customer service, whatever your size. Our call answering packages start from only £49 a month, so even the smallest companies can strive to be among the businesses with the best customer service. We price our services to the penny, so you’ll never be charged for more minutes than you use, meaning you can hold on to more of your profits while you focus on improving your customer service rating.
Call us now on 0333 323 1007 or complete our contact form to get started with your free, no-obligation 7-day trial.
*Six of the world’s top 50 profitable companies were omitted from the final calculations, due to no Trustpilot ratings being available for them (China Construction Bank, China State Construction Engineering, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, BHP, General Electric, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial)
**Data sources: Statista, AltIndex, Macrotrends.net, Stock Analysis, Microsoft, Trustpilot
24th October, 2024
Posted by Face For Business
