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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Anna Tims

Poor customer service costs UK firms billions – so why can’t they get it right?

United Kingdom ICS London Le Creuset Paul Smith Reebok
Black and white image of woman trying to answer three telephones at once
Many companies have cut back on customer service staff in recent years. Photograph: Alamy

Since the Covid lockdowns, many companies have scaled down customer service, extending deadlines for complaint resolution and reducing staff. Some have removed helplines, leaving customers reliant on ineffectual chatbots.

As a result, traders are taking record amounts of time to resolve issues, and taking record hits to their profits and reputation.

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