Customer Service Benchmarking Studies
Ethos Consultancy currently conducts two annual independent industry benchmarking studies and will increase the number of industry studies in 2010 to include Cosmetics, Automotive and Hospitality Industries. Please contact Ethos Consultancy if you are interested in speaking about the possibility of conducting a Benchmarking Study in your industry. In addition to above, Ethos regularly conducts international benchmarking into customer service in public sector.
Bank Benchmarking Study
2009 marks the 5th anniversary of this study. The Bank Benchmarking Study (BBS) offers an insight into the performances of retail banks operating in the UAE with regards to response time and service quality that retail banks deliver through all channels.
Carried out by trained and experienced researchers and shoppers who focus on real scenarios whereby a prospective customer approaches a retail bank via three channels: branch, call center or website. These channels are then evaluated on key differentiators that define customer experience at a bank and include interpersonal performance, response time, service quality and satisfactory outcome.
Approximately 40,000 responses are analysed each year. 1,500 visits cover the 29 banks included in the study, with 80 different criteria being measured. Each year Ethos announces and awards the category winners, which include: Best Bank Overall, Best Islamic Bank, Best International Bank, Best New Bank, Best Call Centre Performance and Best Website Response Performance.
Retail Benchmarking Study
Following the success of our annual Bank Benchmarking Study (RBS), Ethos Consultancy, leaders and innovators in customer service measurement and improvement solutions across the Middle East, conducted their first Retail Benchmarking Study between end April and the start of May 2009.
Covering 22 retail sectors across the UAE, this study is the most comprehensive of its kind. An impressive 2284 mystery shopping visits took place covering 115 brands and 558 outlets - the purpose - to evaluate the UAE's retail sector service quality and sales performance.
Whilst visiting the 558 retail outlets scattered across 37 retail shopping locations including shopping plazas, shopping centers, walks and 10 major shopping malls, each mystery shopper was paying close attention to 5 key criteria. The outlets premises, greeting and appearance received from the sales staff, the overall sales and service approach demonstrated by the sales staff, the farewell received and finally the overall experience.
"Benchmarking is the practice of being humble enough to admit that someone else is better at something, and being wise enough to learn how to match or even surpass them at it." Robert Keay, Managing Director