Customer Satisfaction Index: Top Brands in UAE

Customer satisfaction index for 2020 shows a 1% increase despite challenges brought about by pandemic 

Service Hero, the company providing the region’s only consumer powered customer satisfaction index, today revealed the results of its 2020 UAE Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), which showed a 1 percent increase in customer satisfaction levels in the country. The company also announced the top-performing brands across 15 industry categories listed in the index.

The satisfaction index for the full year stood at 77.7 points out of 100, with an overall 20% larger sample in 2020 compared to 2019, registering a 1 percent increase since then. The positive gap reflects consumers adjusting their expectations downwards in response to the pandemic’s restrictions. Meanwhile, the best performing categories were Clothes and Cafes, whereas those with a substantial decline in service were Mobile Operators and Banks.

Commenting on the market performance, Faten Abu-Ghazaleh, President of Service Hero, highlighted the shifts seen across many aspects of life in 2020 in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, noting that the ability of brands to offer the best customer experience despite challenges held the key to resilience in the times of unprecedented uncertainty. She added that new market realities and consumer behaviors brought about by the global health crisis highlighted the importance of loyalty in ensuring the survival and prosperity of businesses.

Abu-Ghazaleh said: “A year that was marred by Covid-19, 2020 witnessed businesses facing unprecedented disruptions that altered consumer behavior radically. The pandemic challenged their operating models and put their ability and commitment to satisfy customers to the biggest test ever. As brand affinity tends to play a significant role during crises, the brands that nurture a culture of excellence and focus on building customer loyalty have the prospect of surviving and thriving in the next normal.” 

The Index was derived from 8,225 authenticated assessments by consumers spanning both genders and a broad range of age, nationality and education levels. In terms of demographics, the most satisfied consumers were 16-17 years old and high school graduates, whereas the least satisfied consumers were Arabs and Emiratis. For service dimensions, the highest score was for Location and Product Quality, and the lowest score was for Value and Call Center. It is worth mentioning that seven out of eight dimensions improved from last year with the most noted for Product, Reliability and Speed. Meanwhile, satisfaction with Digital Service dropped, which is considered a point of concern as brands move into more e-commerce.

The Customer Satisfaction Index surveyed 15 industry categories of which Clothes, Cafés, Home Furniture, Electronics and Casual Dining scored the highest satisfaction, while the lowest scoring was for Mobile Operators, Islamic Banks and Retail Banks. 

Service Hero has also announced the top three winning companies from more than 300 brands listed in the 2020 UAE CSI based on the highest average customer satisfaction scores. Nike emerged as the first-place country winner while Krispy Kreme and Jolllibee took second and third places, respectively. The Service Hero 2020 UAE Customer Satisfaction Index winners across 10 industry categories are as follows: 

Based in Kuwait, Service Hero is the only consumer powered customer satisfaction index in the Middle East. The company is a member of ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research) and adheres to the global organization’s principles and guidelines for self-regulation and ethical practice. Service Hero is overseen by an Independent Advisory Council to assure that results are impartial, objective, and accurately reflect consumers’ preference, making the company’s findings a credible benchmark that offers transparent and relevant insight for companies. It is comprised of academics and business professionals representing leading institutions and corporate establishments in Kuwait and the UAE, including the American University of Kuwait, Australian College of Kuwait, Gulf University for Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi University, and Zayed University. Since 2010, Service Hero has measured around 330,000 validated consumer assessments covering more than 600 private sector companies.