More than one in three businesses would also be discouraged from working with other companies based on poorly presented staff. The survey, commissioned by serviced office operator Business Environment, polled 1,000 businesses across the UK.
Just a quarter of those questioned were familiar with their own company’s service standards. By comparison, more than half understood their HR policy and 43 per cent their company structure.
The results demonstrate a real lack of focus on customer service, says David Saul, MD of Business Environment: “No matter what the core service or product that you are offering, high customer service levels remain essential, particularly in today’s competitive business landscape.
“Ensuring staff understand and are rewarded for delivering excellent service should be part of every company’s culture. This is why service standards are so important.”
The research also revealed that one-third of UK workers do not believe their company delivers a good service to its clients.
