When we think of customer service, many have horror stories of unhelpful employees or being on hold for hours before being thrown between different staff and departments in a bureaucratic version of swingball. Now, a new survey from ServiceValue has revealed which Swiss companies are bucking the trend by offering the best service to customers.

Service Champions survey returns to Switzerland after 10-year absence

To create the Service Champions list, every 10 years ServiceValue looks into the customer feedback and reviews of 620 companies based or operating in Switzerland. 57 different industries were included, ranging from domestic businesses right up to the largest international companies.

Customers were asked whether they had received a good level of service from each company in the past three years. Then, Goethe University in Frankfurt used these responses to craft a score out of 100 percent for each company, with 100 being the best customer service ever. 

Ochsner Sport the best company in Switzerland for customer service

In all, Ochsner Sport was rated as having the best customer services in Switzerland. The sportswear store - and saviour of many a ski holiday thanks to its rental service - was given a score of 79,2 percent. Other sports shops were given equally high ratings, with STÖCKLI and Decathlon getting 78,8 percent and 76,4 percent respectively.

When it came to the top industries, sports shops were followed by department stores. Manor, soon to be the occupant of the iconic Jelmoli store in Zurich, took first place in the category with 78,2 percent. Hotel chains (Kempinski 78,1 percent), bookstores (Orellfüssli, 77,3 percent) and insurance providers (Helvetia, 76,9 percent) rounded out the top five.

Consultants, fitters and insurers occupy bottom places

On the other end of the scale, personnel consultant firms took the bottom spot. art of work Personalberatung, the highest rated in the industry for consumer service, scored 75 percent. Kitchen fitters (Herzog, 75,1 percent) and legal insurance providers (Allianz (Suisse) / ELVIA, 75,2 percent) completed the bottom three. 

Following the news that premiums would rise for the third time in a row in 2025, it’s perhaps no surprise that Swiss health insurance providers find themselves in the bottom four, with SWICA the highest rated with 75,2 percent. Travel agencies and bicycle shops concluded the bottom five.

Aldi the highest-rated supermarket and phone provider in Switzerland

Looking at specific industries, Ackermann (74,6 percent), Galaxus (74,1 percent) and BRACK (74 percent) were the highest-rated online stores in Switzerland when it came to service. Aldi Suisse, Lidl Connect and Swisscom occupied the top three for mobile phone providers, while Sunrise, Swisscom and Salt. were best when you throw TV and internet packages into the mix.

In the battle of Swiss supermarkets, it was German discounter Aldi that was highest rated for service, followed by Coop and Migros. Finally, the top Swiss banks were Raifeissen, Bank Cler and Migros Bank.

Of course, with the study ranking over 620 companies and 57 industries, this overview just scratches the surface. To see how other industries and companies were ranked, check out the official website.

Thumb image credit: Sorbis / Shutterstock.com