National Consumer Agency Market Research Findings: Consumer Empowerment and Customer Service March 2012 Research Conducted by

Table of Contents Key Findings Section 1: Consumer Empowerment Section 2: Customer Service Research Background and Methodology Profile of Sample

Key Findings

Key Findings Consumer Rights Customer Service 77% state they are confident of their rights (↓1% point) 72% assert they are knowledgeable of their rights (↑1% point) 76% feel protected in respect of their rights (↑5% points) Customer Service Supermarkets and shops selling clothing or footwear had the highest level of satisfaction with customer service, both at 91%. The lowest level of satisfaction, at 64%, applied to those contacting airlines’ customer service, airlines also had the highest proportion claiming dissatisfaction at 30%. Nearly 3 in 5 (57%) consumers state that as a result of receiving bad customer service they would stop doing business with a provider.

Section 1: Consumer Empowerment

Confidence about Rights as a Consumer (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Knowledge about Consumer Rights (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Protected Regarding Consumer Rights (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Empowerment Levels x Profile of Sample (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000) Overall Confident 77% Not Confident 11% Knowledgeable 72% Not 14% Protected 76% 8% Male 75% 12% 70% 15% 74% Female 80% 10% 78% 15-24 16% 63% 25-34 81% 7% 35-44 13% 9% 45-54 55+ 67% ABC1/F50+ 85% 82% 5% C2DE/F50- 64% 17% Responsible for main shop Not responsible for main shop 73% 68% 6% = Significantly lower than total sample = Significantly higher than total sample

Section 2: Customer Service

Experience with Customer Service – I (Base: All that have purchased goods services from each sector within the past 12 months) Contact with Customer Service Method of Contact Shops Selling Clothing or Footwear (Base: 941) In Person 90% Other 3% Email 2% Phone Web Post 1% 87% 4% 49% 29% 12% 9% 6% In Person 57% Phone 19% 7% 52% 13% 11% Phone 56% In Person 22% 8% Supermarkets (Base: 932) Communication Services e.g. Home phone, mobile, broadband (Base: 807) Banking Products and Services (Base: 758) Insurance Products & Services (Base: 692) Energy Suppliers (Base: 695)

Experience with Customer Service – II (Base: All that have purchased goods services from each sector within the past 12 months) Contact with Customer Service Method of Contact Phone 79% Web 8% In Person 7% Post 5% Email Other 70% 18% 12% 4% 2% 53% 10% 9% 43% 15% 14% 1% 71% 19% Other 1% TV Service Provider (Base: 628) Waste Services (Base: 592) Bus & Train Transport (Base: 471) Airlines (Base: 450) Shops Selling Furniture & Household Appliances (Base: 405) * Caution small base size

Satisfaction with Customer Service – I (Base: All that had contact with customer service) Very dissatisfied (1) Very satisfied (5) Neither/ Nor (3) Mean Score 3 4.4 1 4.3 8 4.2 6 4.0 10 3.7 9 3.8 (2) (4) Supermarkets Shops selling clothing or footwear Shops selling furniture or household appliances Insurance products & Services Banking products & Services Energy suppliers 91% 91% 83% 83% 70% 76%

Satisfaction with Customer Service – II (Base: All that had contact with customer service) Very dissatisfied (1) Very satisfied (5) Neither/ Nor (3) Mean Score 3 3.8 16 4.0 12 6 3.6 (2) (4) Communication Services Waste Services* TV service providers Bus & Train Transport* Airlines 75% 75% 71% 70% 30% 64% * Caution small base size

Likely Action as a Result of Good & Bad Customer Service (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000) Good customer service Bad customer service % % Continue to do business with the provider Tell people you know of your experience Do more business with the provider Stop doing business with the provider Tell people you know of your experience Do less business with the provider Continue to do business with the provider Other

Research Background and Methodology

Research Background and Methodology Nov/Dec 2007 Aug 2008 Nov/Dec 2008 May/June 2009 Benchmark Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 3 Nov/Dec 2009 June 2010 Nov/December 2010 May/June 2011 Wave 4 Wave 5 Wave 6 Wave 7 Nov 2011 Current Wave Wave 8 The research was conducted by means of face-to-face interviewing with 1,000 people between the ages of 15-74. To ensure that the data is nationally representative, quotas were applied on the basis of age, gender and social class. Interviewing was conducted over a four week period in November 2011.

Profile of Sample - I (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000) MAIN GROCERY SHOPPER % % % % 15-24 Dublin Male ABC1 F50+ 25-34 Yes No Rest of Leinster 35-44 45-54 Munster Female C2DE F50- 55+ Conn/ Ulster

Profile of Sample – II – Main Grocery Shoppers (Base: All Mainly Responsible for Grocery Shopping in Home – 526) % % % % 15-24 (17) Male (49) Dublin (28) 25-34 (22) ABC1 F50+ (48) Rest of Leinster (26) 35-44 (19) Female (51) 45-54 (16) Munster (28) C2DE F50- (52) 55+ (26) Conn/ Ulster (18) ( ) = Total Sample

Profile of Sample – III – Internet Use (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000) USE INTERNET EVER PURCHASED ONLINE BANKING ONLINE (Base: All Internet Users - 762) (Base: All Internet Users - 762) No (25%) Yes No (30%) Yes No Yes (51%) (70%) (49%) (75%) % Yes % Yes % Yes Male Female 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ Male Female 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ Male Female 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+ () = June 2011

Profile of Sample – IV – Social Media (Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000) Nov 2011 June 2011 Higher Amongst Type of phone Regular users of ....... % % Facebook Twitter Bebo Linkedin None of These 15-24 86% ABC1F50 59% Dublin 55% (21) 15-24 21% Have a ‘Smart phone’ Higher amongst: 15-24’s 25-34’s ABC1/F50+ Working full time Students Dublin 55+ 86% C2DEF50- 56% Munster 53% () = June 2011