A survey of over 2,000 working age adults has revealed that the perceived standard of UK customer service is slipping in the wake of record inflation.

Close to half (41%) of the respondents questioned by People 1st International said that the standard of customer service they had received in the last 12-18 months had worsened.

A further 37% were ambivalent towards the standard of customer service on offer, suggesting that ‘skimpflation’ – a phenomenon whereby inflationary pressures and squeezed profit margins force firms to cut corners – is beginning to creep in.

Disinterested staff and chatbots replacing human interactions were amongst the most commonly cited complaints of respondents who thought that the standard of customer service offered by firms is in decline.

On the flipside, when quizzed about what they value most when it comes to customer service, well trained, knowledgeable and happy staff ranked head and shoulders above the rest, with 68% of respondents singling out high quality staff interactions as their number 1 must have.

Download the infographic here.