[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2023\/01\/30\/best-customer-service-brands-2023\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2023\/01\/30\/best-customer-service-brands-2023\/","headline":"Best customer service brands 2023: A bear market shows its teeth","name":"Best customer service brands 2023: A bear market shows its teeth","description":"The brands with the best customer service in 2023 are great examples \u2013 but a down economy may lead to service cuts.","datePublished":"2023-01-30","dateModified":"2025-03-10","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/tracey-wallace\/#Person","name":"Tracey Wallace","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/tracey-wallace\/","identifier":367,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/21377d3250d3cee37a219265f855ca86717424033839661349c4b6845d2250cc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/21377d3250d3cee37a219265f855ca86717424033839661349c4b6845d2250cc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Best-customer-service-brands-2023-FTR.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Best-customer-service-brands-2023-FTR.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2023\/01\/30\/best-customer-service-brands-2023\/","about":["Auto",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/customer-experience-general\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/customer-service\/","name":"Customer Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q1060653"]},"High Tech",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/","name":"Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7406919"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/service\/service-general\/","name":"Service","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Service","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q7406919"]}],"wordCount":1403,"keywords":["Best Customer Experience","Best Customer Service","Brand Experience","Customer Service Trends","Insurance Industry","Retail Trends"],"articleBody":"2023 is shaping up to be a less than phenomenal year for customer service and customer experience. Large-scale industry layoffs in the tens of thousands by companies like Google, Microsoft, and more signal a divestment from great customer service and experience.The uncertainty of the market and the impact of ongoing layoffs makes the list of brands with the best customer service for 2023 a challenging one to tackle.Layoffs often come in waves, with companies making cuts based not necessarily on their own financial standing, but because others are making cuts.In other words, layoffs are \u201ccontagious\u201d across industries, says Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in an interview published by Stanford News.\u201cThe logic driving this \u2013 which doesn\u2019t sound like very sensible logic because it\u2019s not \u2013 is people say, \u2018Everybody else is doing it, why aren\u2019t we?\u2019\u201d\u201cApparently, many organizations will trade off a worse customer experience for reduced staffing costs, not taking into account the well-established finding that it’s typically much more expensive to attract new customers than it is to keep existing ones happy.\u201dAnd it isn\u2019t just the technology industry where we see layoffs happening. Retailers, too, are laying employees off, \u201ceven as final demand remains uncertain,\u201d says Pfeffer.Brands with the best customer service in 2023In 2020, we saw brands embrace customer service as a strategic initiative in the pandemic, especially as so many services had to move online.This continued into 2021, but in 2022, customer service scores dropped, on average. After all, the pandemic was waning, demand for online services declined, and an uncertain economic future loomed.How will we fare in 2023?According to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), these are the top 17 brands with the best customer service and customer experience in 2023:Trader Joe\u2019s, Customer Service Score: 85Lexus (Toyota), Customer Service Score: 84Chick-fil-A, Customer Service Score: 83Clorox, Customer Service Score: 83Hershey\u2019s, Customer Service Score: 83New York Life, Customer Service Score: 83Procter & Gamble, Customer Service Score: 83Quaker (Pepsico), Customer Service Score: 83Samsung, Customer Service Score: 83Acura (Honda), Customer Service Score: 82Apple, Customer Service Score: 82Audi (Volkswagen), Customer Service Score: 82Coca-Cola, Customer Service Score: 82Etsy, Customer Service Score: 82H-E-B, Customer Service Score: 82Infiniti (Nissan), Customer Service Score: 82New Balance, Customer Service Score: 82These companies are great beacons for others to emulate, but beware \u2013 in an economy with contagious layoffs and an increasingly uncertain economic outlook (thanks in large part to the layoffs themselves), this list could change quickly as brands reevaluate their spend, particularly when it comes to headcount.      Customer service trends 2023: From ashes of uncertainty, service rises                In 2023, customer service will remain a corporate priority as organizations incorporate new tech and approaches to improve service and keep customers happy.      A different take: Top brands for customer serviceNewsweek’s annual list of companies that excel at service that’s done in partnership with Statista is very different from ACSI’s, reflecting the complexity of customer experience, the range of personal preferences, and of course methodology.Interestingly, insurance companies dominate their list of the top 15 best brands for customer service in 2023:The Hartford: Customer Service score \u2013 9.96 out of 10Nobu: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.95 out of 10American Fidelity: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.95 out of 10Gerber Life: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.95 out of 10USAA:\u00a0Customer Service Score \u2013 9.91 out of 10Nationwide:\u00a0Customer Service Score \u2013 9.76 out of 10Hoka: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.64 out of 10Rosewood Hotels: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.6 out of 10Valentino: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.59 out of 10SXSW Music Festival: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.58 out of 10Mandarin Oriental: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.56 out of 10Guardian: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.54 out of 10Givenchy: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.53 out of 10NextSeed: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.53 out of 10zZounds: Customer Service Score \u2013 9.52 out of 10      The 2023 CX trends powering business: Service takes center stage                CX trends in 2023 revolve around elevating the role of service for deeper connections with customers and better business outcomes.      What is ASCI, and how does it measure customer satisfaction?The American Customer Satisfaction Index is a national, cross-industry measure of customer satisfaction in the U.S. economy. Developed at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, it uses a stable, multivariable modeling system for measurement that runs on a scale of 1-100, making possible extensive time-series analyses of customer experience and customer service data.Moreover, the ASCI puts together a cause-and-effect model that measures the drives of outcomes or customer satisfaction, helping organizations focus on customer satisfaction to improve their overall business.The ASCI has found that companies with high levels of customer satisfaction have increased levels of consumer spend and stock returns that beat the market. In general, higher levels of customer satisfaction can predict business performance.Evaluating the best customer service brandsNewsweek’s study, which surveyed 30,000 consumers in the US, evaluates retailers and service providers across 166 categories. The survey assesses customer service in five core categories:Quality of communication: measures whether was the service interaction (email, phone or in-person) was friendly or politeProfessional competence: assesses the quality of information providedRange of services: measures if a customer’s expectations and requirements were metCustomer focus: measures whether the customer feels acknowledgedAccessibility: evaluates availability of service\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSupermarkets, cars, and chocolate \u2013 oh myAs inflation creeps up and becomes more of a strain on U.S. households, it’s interesting to see supermarkets like Trader Joe\u2019s and H-E-B (the major supermarket chain in Texas), land on this year’s best customer service list.Trader\u2019s Joes, though, is known for its lower-cost items, whereas H-E-B, also known for their lower prices, is beloved in Texas for the company\u2019s donations and overall financial aid to their local communities.Cars are another category that shows up frequently in this list. Inflation has touched on gas prices, too, and many of the automobile companies on this list have well-priced, eco-friendly models that help save on gas prices. Moreover, topping the list in the automobile category are two Toyota and Honda models, both vehicles known for their long-life and strong resale value.To top the list this year, companies need to meet consumers where they are: which is cash-strapped and looking for more savings in the goods they purchase.Unless, of course, you are a brand that brings a bit of joy, like Hershey\u2019s, landing at No. 5 on the list and providing chocolate delicacies in all forms to consumers. Are consumers returning to the simpler things, and joys, of life?      40-year ache: Inflation forcing consumers to make choices, cut back                "Hey Siri, find cheap food." Consumer spending is weakening as sky-high inflation forces shoppers to tighten their belts. How can brands keep customers?      Notable no-shows when it comes to the best customer service in 2023It’s worth noting that brands at the center of controversy are missing from either list of top 15 customer service brands.For example, social media giant Twitter. The company was bought out by Elon Musk, who fired a larger portion of the company, and continues to make many changes to the functionality of Twitter, rolling several features out, only to pull some of them back mere hours or days later.Both Amazon and Robinhood have struggled over the last year, too. Amazon, beloved for its speedy and easy shopping and shipping, continues to see a zeitgeist assemble around an anti-Amazon approach, as folks go back to shopping in-store, and at smaller, local businesses.Robinhood, on the other hand, has helped millions invest in individual stocks and build nest eggs without the need for advisors or their fees. But lawsuits, no-trading periods, and the bankruptcy of similar products have many consumers concerned about the company\u2019s future, and the money they\u2019ve put into it.Customer service at a crossroadsWe don\u2019t know where this year is headed, but one thing is certain: companies are cleaning house, laying employees off, and changing the status quo of the last two years.How those changes affect consumer perception and actual customer experience is yet to be seen.But count on this: Not everyone will think any of it is all good or all bad, and those companies willing to make the biggest bets may just see the biggest support \u2013 or the biggest criticism \u2013 because of it. Likely, they\u2019ll see both.  96% of consumers have more trust in brands when they make it easy to do business with them.Are you delivering what customers want? Get ‘The State of Customer Service’ report\u00a0HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2023","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2023\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2023\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"30","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2023\/\/01\/\/30\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Best customer service brands 2023: A bear market shows its teeth","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2023\/01\/30\/best-customer-service-brands-2023\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]