The sector was also recognised as being the best sector for generating fewer problems for customers with only 9% having a problem as opposed to a UK average of 13%.
The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), which was conducted by The Institute of Customer Service found only banking was close to tourism in delivering these results with the same top scores for personal service.
In total the UK tourism sector received an overall customer satisfaction rating of 80.2 out of 100, an increase of 0.6 on its previous year’s score.
With the sector P&O Cruises came out top while Marriott was found to be the most improved
Other findings revealed customer interactions by email have grown to 11% while phone use has dropped to 12%
However, customers added they feel they are having to do more to get a problem addressed in the first place.
The Institute of Customer Service chief executive Jo Causon said: “Generally speaking, it’s been a great year for customer service in the tourism sector, with consumers telling us that businesses are improving overall experiences by getting things right first time and dealing with complaints faster and more efficiently.
“However, these factors do not necessarily translate into customer loyalty and recommendation. Just being ‘good’ is no longer good enough, and organisations should think about how they can deliver outstanding service at all times.
“Added to that, better consistency is needed across different channels. Engagement through digital methods such as email, text, apps and webchat functions have all increased in the last year, and these are the channels through which it’s most difficult for customer service staff to show empathy.
“Organisations therefore need to make sure that their staff are highly engaged and highly skilled, as every customer interaction – regardless of the channel it’s on – counts towards business performance.”
