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20 Mar 2025

Cytech, the internationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for bicycle mechanics, have partnered with Bristol-based charity Life Cycle to offer a range of bicycle mechanic...

19 Mar 2025

A lot of cycling retailers would consider managing inventory the most crucial aspect of running a shop, investing significant effort and time into keeping on top of stock. However, high street...

19 Mar 2025

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has translated its e-bike and e-scooter safety guidance videos into multiple languages to improve accessibility for delivery riders and other...

14 Mar 2025

UK governing body British Cycling has announced a four-year strategy to "reinforce Britain’s position as a world-leading cycling nation", including improving access to cycling across the...

12 Mar 2025

Towns and cities across Britain are already seeing a wave of closures as independent businesses shut their doors ahead of April’s triple tax burden, including those in the cycling retail...

5 Mar 2025

New research has revealed a recent uptick in UK consumer confidence, leading to increased hiring by businesses, with the retail sector responding positively to signs of economic resilience.

4 Mar 2025

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued a fresh warning about the dangers of UPP e-bike batteries, urging consumers to stop using them immediately.

28 Feb 2025

Independent cycling retailer and ACT member Velo Fit has become the first to stock a new brand of bikes focused on combining quality and affordability.

26 Feb 2025

ACT parent company Bira has cautiously welcomed Labour's Crime and Policing Bill but is calling for urgent action and immediate funding to address the surge in retail crime affecting independent...

19 Feb 2025

Electric cargo bike firm Zedify is set to enter administration following a failed search for new funding, after aiming to be active in 50 cities over the next few years.

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Study names UK’s best and worst cities for retail customer service

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

A new study, by careers experts, StandOut CV, claims to have identified the best and worst cities in the UK for customer service by highlighting the frequency of positive and negative comments left by customers in each city. The study analysed 784,444 customer reviews from Google Maps.

The analysis reviewed a variety of industries which included B&Bs, barbers, bars, cafés, gyms, hairdressers, restaurants, shops and supermarkets to reveal how many times positive and negative phrases were used.

Looking at retail businesses, the data revealed the best-reviewed city for retail customer service to be Wells in Somerset, with 9.3% of reviews posting positive comments about their customer service. York was rated the second best, with 8.4% of the city’s reviews containing positive customer feedback.

 Top 10 cities for positive customer feedback in retail:
1.    Wells (9.3%)
2.    York (8.4%)
3.    Truro (8.2%)
4.    Ripon (8.2%)
5.    Ely (7.3%)
6.    Chichester (7.2%)
7.    Winchester (6.9%)
8.    Salisbury (6.7%)
9.    Manchester (6.5%)
10.    Chester (6.5%)

Cities that performed less well in their retail customer service were led by Leicester, with 3.25% of its retail business reviews containing various negative customer comments.

Top 10 cities for negative customer feedback in retail:
1.    Leicester (3.25%)
2.    Westminster (2.91%)
3.    Southampton (2.90%)
4.    Bradford (2.86%)
5.    Birmingham (2.85%)
6.    Manchester (2.53%)
7.    Oxford (2.53%)
8.    Bristol (2.34%)
9.    Nottingham (2.30%)
10.    Cambridge (2.27%)

Cities providing the best customer service in the UK

When looking at the overall data, which considers retail businesses as well as many others, the study found Wells in Somerset had the highest percentage of positive customer comments, relative to the city’s overall total, with 26.9% of reviews mentioning any of the positive customer service phrases analysed in the study. Ripon in North Yorkshire came next (20.7%), followed by Chichester (19.9%).

Customer Services best cities

The city of Westminster had the highest overall proportion of customer service reviews where 2.42% of business reviews contained negative comments from customers, followed by London (2.41%), and Birmingham (2.3%).

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