Dubai – Masaader News
Reporting the latest results on customer satisfaction in the UAE for 2017, Service Hero, the region’s only consumer powered customer satisfaction index, closed the doors to the 2017 assessments with 24,074 validated votes from a total of 28,460. The research showed that there was a 1.9% satisfaction increase among UAE’s consumers since 2016, and a 60% increase in consumer engagement in this 2nd round of Customer Satisfaction assessments.
Commenting on the positive results, Faten Abu-Ghazaleh, Service Hero President stated: “This year, the high results of validated assessments for the UAE Customer Satisfaction Index reveal how this country-wide aspiration to be among the happiest countries in the world has permeated down to the private sector, as country satisfaction is a very healthy 77.9 points out of 100.”
Consumers assessments of private companies were held across 14 industry categories. These include cafés, casual dining, fast food, new car sale, car service, clothes, electronics, home furniture, retail banks, Islamic banks, mobile operators, private hospitals, airlines, and supermarkets. Each industry category was measured by consumers on a 10-point scale across eight service dimensions, which are reliability, speed, product quality, staff attitude, value for money, location, call center and website quality.
The scores across these eight service dimensions showed that actual satisfaction scores were high for Location and Reliability, whereas Website scored the lowest. Dimension gaps on the other hand, showed that UAE is not meeting consumer expectations with a difference of 6.7 points between what they want and what they get, mainly for Value for Money and Website.
“At Service Hero, we believe service to others is the noblest cause and that interactions should be meaningful and aspire for happiness. By serving each other we enrich our lives and enable each other, both internally and externally, to understand what the consumer needs, expects and values. This helps build longstanding relationships of value that transcend people’s lives to a better place. We understand that there is an ecosystem for happiness which involves employee satisfaction, consumer satisfaction and citizen and resident engagement.” Abu-Ghazaleh added.
“The Service Hero Customer Satisfaction Index that runs annually aligns perfectly with the notable and strategic initiatives at the UAE federal level with the appointment of a Minister of Happiness in February 2016. The Ministry of Happiness’ vision is: To be among the happiest countries in the world. Its mission is: To have happiness and positivity as a lifestyle and the higher purpose of government work in the UAE.” Abu-Ghazaleh concluded.
Service Hero adheres to ESOMAR principles (the European society of opinion and market research) and is overseen by an independent Advisory Council, including its official partner; the American Customer Satisfaction Index. It has an Advisory Council of top academic institutions such as the Institute of Social & Economic Research, Abu Dhabi University and the Department of Economic Development Dubai, the American Customer Satisfaction Index and independent members to assure results that are impartial, objective and accurately reflect people’s preference, making Service Hero’s findings a credible benchmark that offers transparent and relevant insight for companies.
Additional findings from the 2017 index and research showed that all dimensions have improved, and was most apparent for the dimensions: Call Center, Speed, Staff and Reliability.
In terms of actual satisfaction, the most satisfied consumers were: Non-Arabs, 16-17 and 60+ years old, and low educated (high school or below), whereas the lowest were Emiratis, 18-29 years, and holders of Masters or PhD degrees. However; factors that pushed scores up or pulled them down in the UAE across industries were defined as per figure 3 below. The CSI for UAE is 77.9 points which is 1.3 points more than the Kuwait Index which is 76.6 points.
This reporting marks Service Hero’s second round of assessments in the UAE since its expansion from the Kuwait market in 2016. Today; with its determination to make a difference in the standards of service excellence across the region, one market at a time, Service Hero continues to use its in-depth market insight, research and data to contribute to the development of service providers and the private sector as a whole.