Ordinary Kiwis urged to have their say in survey

24 September 2007

Ordinary Kiwis urged to have their say in national KiwiHost/JRA survey

Customer Service Week an ideal time for consumers to have their say in the first annual KiwiHost /JRA Perceptions of Customer Service in New Zealand Survey

Ordinary Kiwis are being urged to have their say on customer service in New Zealand – particularly over International Customer Service week from October 2 to 6 – via online participation (www.kiwihost.co.nz/survey) in the first annual KiwiHost /JRA Perceptions of Customer Service in New Zealand Survey.

“Kiwi customer service, good or bad? It’s time to find out,” said Managing Director of KiwiHost New Zealand, Simon Nikoloff. “Kiwi businesses are often ‘knocked’ as being poor at customer service. How often do you hear the words: ‘Customer Service in New Zealand is awful’? We thought both the public and business might like to play an active part in separating fact from fiction.”

KiwiHost –New Zealand’s most established customer service quality and training standard – has teamed up with JRA (NZ) Ltd (of the popular Unlimited/JRA Best Places To Work survey) to conduct a nationwide, definitive Kiwi customer service survey.

“KiwiHost has trained more than 300,000 Kiwis and more than 40,000 businesses in customer service. Our experience tells us that we’re not as bad at customer service as some people like to make out – but this survey, which will be held twice a year, will provide us with some real answers.”

Mr Nikoloff says the survey – which has been carried out since August and is due to end 12 October – will cover three key areas of customer service:

- Business to consumer – how business treats consumers;

- Business to business – the state of customer service in the B2B marketplace; and

- Youth – what perceptions do New Zealand’s teenagers have of customer service and how are they treated as a group?

From next year, the survey will be held twice a year and alternate between taking the pulse on business to consumer customer service and business to business service.

“It is officially International Customer Service week from October 2 to 6, so this creates the ideal opportunity for business to be thinking about the quality of their customer service and for ordinary Kiwis to have their say.

“This is also the first time, as far as we are aware, anybody has tried to find out how young people are treated in the customer service situation.

Senior Consultant at JRA (NZ) Ltd, Amy Shipley, said JRA is delighted to be working with KiwiHost in the joint venture survey.

“We did the unlimited/JRA Best Places To Work survey because the way people are treated at work is of national significance, but so is customer service – it’s a topic that is close to everyone’s heart and, like your job, a major topic of discussion around the water cooler,” says Amy.

“The survey has been running since August and we’re loving reading the comments of the survey so far. Some of the comments are very entertaining and very interesting.”

Mr Nikoloff said recent research by Harris Interactive in the United States found that 90 percent of people report that on average they tell at least one person about a bad customer service experience, and 85 percent said they will tell multiple people.

“It’s all very well to know about what’s going on in the United States, but we’re particularly concerned about the state of customer service in New Zealand and we expect that this definitive, national survey will give us some answers,” he said.

To participate in the brief survey, and be in to win a $20 petrol voucher, people are invited to visit www.kiwihost.co.nz/survey.

ENDS

For more information: www.kiwihost.co.nz

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