As we begin our journey into 2013 we know there are some key challenges ahead.  I recently spoke to Neil Davey at myCustomer.com about predictions for the big issues for 2013 and you can view the full article here.

The first week of 2013 has seen lots of coverage in the press about customer service and how some of the leading brands are faring.  Tesco’s results announced yesterday are showing they are ‘back on form’ in comparison to their leading competitors.  Shop Direct Group sales were also up with a 5% growth in sales in the 6 weeks to Christmas with online sales accounting for 80% of the total - up from 74% in 2011.  Marks and Spencer however didn’t fare as well over the Christmas period as anticipated with a 1.8% fall in like for like sales.

Regulators are beginning to show their teeth with Ofcom announcing a crackdown on silent calls to home landlines which have doubled in the last year – ironically much of the responsibility for this lies with claims management firms who promise refunds on mis-sold PPI. The Financial Ombudsman Service has been forced to recruit 1,000 extra workers to deal with the ‘unprecedented’ number of complaints about mis-sold PPI, taking on a further 245,000 cases since last April accounting for two-thirds of its total workload.

HMRC is being challenged about its service delivery by the National Audit Office as complaints from citizens continue to rise and other leading brands such as Santander, Talk Talk, EDF, Halifax and Vodafone have been profiled in mainstream press who claim their service leaves a lot to be desired.

CCA will continue to work closely with members to ensure the products and services we offer are best placed to support the challenges ahead. We will be launching our research and benchmarking programme in the next few weeks to offer real insight for our network on the best approach to tackling the key issues head on so watch out for the programme announcement.

In the meantime, I’d like to wish you all a happy, prosperous and hopefully positive 2013!