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

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

3. Key Findings

4. 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.

5. Section 1: Consumer Empowerment

6. Confidence about Rights as a Consumer
(Base: All aged – 1,000)

7. Knowledge about Consumer Rights
(Base: All aged – 1,000)

8. Protected Regarding Consumer Rights
(Base: All aged – 1,000)

9. Empowerment Levels x Profile of Sample
(Base: All aged – 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

10. Section 2: Customer Service

11. 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% 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)

12. 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%
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

13. 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%

14. 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

15. Likely Action as a Result of Good & Bad Customer Service
(Base: All aged – 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

16. Research Background and Methodology

17. 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
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.

18. 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

19. 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

20. Profile of Sample – III – Internet Use
(Base: All aged – 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

21. Profile of Sample – IV – Social Media
(Base: All aged – 1,000)
Nov 2011
June 2011
Higher Amongst
Type of phone
Regular users of % %
Facebook
Twitter
Bebo
Linkedin
None of These %
ABC1F50 59%
Dublin 55%
(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