The Nation Brand Index ranked the United Kingdom behind just the USA, Germany and France as the most admired nation and it also ranked in the top ten internationally for being "rich in historic buildings and monuments" and for having “a vibrant city life and urban attractions." However, it was only placed 13th for the warmth of its welcome and 14th for the customer service experience.
Class System To Blame for Poor Customer Service in Britain
As Michel Roux pointed in his recent BBC TV series Service, where he trained budding youngsters about the skills of waitering, the front-of-house experience in Great Britain does not rank alongside the French, the Italians or even the Americans. Roux believes, like other commentators, that one of the main reasons for this is the lingering legacy of the class system: "The issue of service in Britain is, maybe, a class problem with service seen as subservient," he says. "The old Upstairs-Downstairs syndrome, where it is only for the lower classes." Fashion guru Mary Portas also uncovered some British complacency in high street fashion, furniture show rooms and phone shops, suggesting that: “The so-called service industry has become a faceless couldn’t-give-a-monkey’s business.”
Reports Show That Business in Britain Lacks Customer Service Skills
A recent report by a skills council for leisure and tourism showed that almost two thirds of businesses felt their employees lacked the necessary customer service skills while another survey suggested that half of UK consumers will probably encounter poor customer service during an average month. What has made the experience worse is the inherent British reluctance to complain, thus ensuring that the status quo of sloppy service and inhibited customer remains, although programmes such as Watchdog have encouraged the consumer to come forward by exposing retailers and poor practice. Moreover, there is a fightback among consumers who would not make an intended purchase due to poor customer service. Over two thirds of Britons surveyed said they would actually pay more - up to 10 per cent - to receive a better customer experience elsewhere than rely on those who take their custom for granted
Perception of Service Industry as Second Class Occupation Needs to Change
"There is a lot of focus on developing the infrastructure for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but not enough on ensuring we have the softer skills needed to welcome the world to Britain," says Brian Wisdom, chief executive of People 1st. When Seventy-three percent agree that Britain needs to improve customer service ahead of the Olympics then that is proof enough that there is a real issue to solve. The perception of Britons that the service industry is a second-class occupation will not bode well in front of the global community at London 2012.
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