Retail is lagging behind other major industries when it comes to customer service, according to a new study by business communications provider Esendex. Its research shows that retail scores poorly for long wait times and restricted communication options, with some of the lowest customer satisfaction scores across all surveyed sectors.
The study assessed five industries — financial services, retail, utilities, insurance and telecoms — against key indicators including phone wait times and the availability of digital contact channels such as web chat, SMS and WhatsApp.
Retail ranked fourth overall, offering an average of just 2.1 customer service channels, one of the lowest levels across all sectors. Ecommerce brands performed even worse, providing only 1.2 channels on average, often relying exclusively on email or web forms.
Communication is key
A lack of communication options is a direct cause of customer frustration. Ecommerce brands recorded an average Trustpilot score of 2.74/5, compared with 2.83 for retail overall — both significantly below the cross‑industry average of 3.4.
By contrast, financial services once again emerged as the top-performing sector, providing the fastest access to human support. Customers wait just 1 minute 59 seconds on average to reach an agent — far below the overall average. Telecoms fared the worst, dragged down by a low 2.3 Trustpilot rating and one of the narrowest ranges of communication channels.
Utilities also underperformed, ranking third due to long wait times of 7 minutes 44 seconds and limited contact options. Insurance secured second place with strong Trustpilot scores, near‑leading channel availability and average wait times.
Across all industries, UK consumers wait an average of 3 minutes 33 seconds to speak to a human — an improvement on last year’s wait of more than five minutes. But the research suggests that speed alone is no longer enough.
How retailers can up their game
Richard Hanscott, CEO of Esendex, said: “Today’s retail customers expect fast, frictionless support, but our findings show many retailers are still falling short. Limited contact options and longer wait times make it harder for customers to get help when they need it, which can quickly damage trust and loyalty.
He added: “With increasingly busy lives, shoppers want to contact retailers through the channels that suit them best, whether that’s web chat, SMS or messaging apps like WhatsApp. Retailers that invest in faster response times and a broader mix of communication channels will be far better placed to meet rising customer expectations and stay competitive.”
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