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FOR the second successive year, credit unions have placed in first position in the CXi Ireland Customer Experience Report 2016. The CXi Customer Experience Survey 2016 is a study which measures the level of service which organisations across the country give to their customers. Scoring very highly on empathy, personalisation and integrity, credit unions led the way, followed by Lush Handmade Cosmetics in second position and An Post in third place.

The 2016 CXi survey was conducted in June 2016 by Amárach Research. A representative cross section of Irish consumers were asked to select from 170 brands across ten sectors. Over 42,000 customer experiences were evaluated as part of the study. The report aims to raise the game of customer experience management in Ireland, to establish a league table by which companies can benchmark their progress in this area and to measure how customer experience in Ireland compares internationally.

Commenting on the report, Mark Murphy, CEO of Killarney Credit Union stated: “This result is testament to the hard work of credit union staff and volunteers who continue to put members’ needs at the forefront of everything that we do. Here in the South Kerry area, we are very proud of the service which we provide to members. We work hard to understand what our members’ want and do everything that we can to deliver superior service to them.”

Credit unions are deeply embedded in the communities they serve. While other financial institutions are closing branches and directing their customers, in many instances, to use automated services, credit unions continue to excel in personalisation. This means that they work hard to understand their members and take time to recognise their individual needs and circumstances.

Mark added: “As member-owned organisations, providing excellent service to our members is very much at the heart of everything that we do. As we continue to expand the services which we offer, we will continue to ensure that we put the needs of our members first. Our ethos will never change and our members will remain central to all of the decisions that we make, both now and in the future." A full copy of the CXi 2016 report is available at www.cxi.ie.