Satisfaction guaranteed

Tip-top service may be a popular claim to fame in the insurance industry but, as Martin Friel explains, getting to the bottom of what customers really want takes more effort than simply counting on the latest marketing spin

"We came top of a recent customer satisfaction survey," claim an endless stream of service-based companies - but what does this mean in real terms, and can such surveys be relied upon? There is not one company worth its salt that would say customer service is not important, but how they go about delivering such a vague concept differs wildly, as each business sector tries to provide exactly what their customers want.

Market research companies make money hand over fist, trying to get to the bottom