New data by Esendex has revealed how industries stack up when it comes to customer service excellence – and where businesses are missing the mark in customer support.
In 2026, delivering exceptional customer service is no longer a courtesy, but a competitive necessity. With 90% of customers now expecting an “immediate” response, the stakes for brand reputation and customer loyalty have never been higher.
To see how UK businesses are meeting this challenge, we’ve updated our Customer Service Index for 2026, using key indicators to measure how well industries truly deliver for their customers. From response times to communication channels, we explore which sectors are coming out on top this year and what it takes to provide top-tier customer support in 2026.
We recorded how long it takes to reach a human agent on the phone and Trustpilot scores for customer sentiment, as well as the availability of other communication channels, including webchat, SMS and WhatsApp across five key industries.
The latest findings point to UK businesses making a shift in the right direction.
Consumers now wait an average of 3 minutes and 33 seconds to reach a human customer service representative – a significant improvement on last year, when consumers had to wait more than five minutes.
And when it comes to letting customers reach out on their own terms, industries are offering more communication channels than ever.
Financial services retain the top spot – but insurance isn’t far behind
Financial services emerged once again as the top-performing industry when it comes to customer service, providing the fastest access to human support. Customers in this sector wait just 1 minute and 59 seconds on average to speak with a human, well below the overall average.
Banks, insurers and fintechs have increasingly embraced multichannel communication – allowing customers to access support how and when it suits them.
The sector also had the highest number of communication channels on average (5), meaning customers had greater choice when it came to methods for getting in touch.
A closer look at the data reveals differences between traditional banks and neobanks.
While traditional banks deliver slightly faster access to human support – 1 minute and 52 seconds compared to 2 minutes and 11 seconds – and slightly more communication channels on average, neobanks actually come out on top when it comes to customer satisfaction, with Trustpilot scores of 4.32 compared to traditional banks’ score of 3.2.
The satisfaction gap between traditional banks and neobanks suggests that while speed remains important, customer satisfaction in financial services is increasingly driven by the quality of the overall experience and ease of resolution – not just how quickly a call is answered.
While financial services emerged as the winner, insurance came close second, with a high number of communication channels (4.9) and a Trustpilot score similar to that of financial services. However, the sector lost out on the top spot due to a longer average wait time for a human agent, at 3 minutes and 3 seconds.
Telecoms revealed as the worst sector for customer service
By contrast, telecoms businesses ranked lowest in the index, driven primarily by the sector’s low Trustpilot score (2.3/5). Despite a relatively short phone wait time of 2 minutes and 7 seconds, the sector came second-lowest for the number of communication channels (2.3).
The middle ground: retail, utilities and insurance
Other industries with room for improvement were retail and utilities.
Utilities came third, with a modest offering of communication channels and the highest Trustpilot score (4.09) but was weighed down by exceptionally long wait times of 7 minutes and 44 seconds on average.
Retail placed fourth in the rankings, with few communication channels (2.1), low Trustpilot scores and call wait times on par with the average.
The findings underline the growing importance of investing in both efficient service systems and a broad mix of communication channels to ensure customers can seek help quickly and via a path that suits them.
The Customer Service Index 2026: which industries came out on top?
| Industry | Overall ranking | Average wait time to speak to a human via phone call | Average number of communication channels | Trustpilot average score (out of 5) |
| Financial Services | 1 | 1m 59s | 5 | 3.76 |
| Insurance | 2 | 3m 3s | 4.9 | 3.81 |
| Utilities | 3 | 7m 44s | 3.5 | 4.09 |
| Retail | 4 | 2m 54 | 2.1 | 2.83 |
| Telecoms | 5 | 2m 7s | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| All industries | 3m 33s | 3.7 | 3.4 |
Richard Hanscott, CEO of Esendex, commented on the findings:
“The results show that while speed and accessibility remain crucial in shaping the customer experience, ultimately, the overall quality of service and the final outcome are the most important considerations for customers.
“Financial services have set the standard again this year, proving that investing in fast response times and a choice of communication channels pays off. Customers can’t put their life on hold just to contact businesses – so making sure that they can reach out in the channel that suits them best – be it web chat, SMS, calling, or messaging apps like WhatsApp – is essential.
“While it’s encouraging to see that overall wait times have fallen across the UK, the lower satisfaction ratings for retail and telecoms show that some industries still have a long way to go to meet rising expectations – and that speed should not be prioritised at the expense of quality.”
Methodology
Esendex used publicly available online data to assess how effectively organisations support their customers across financial services, retail, utilities, insurance and telecommunications.
A sample of leading brands from each sector was analysed using information published on company websites and Trustpilot. The latest study produced a Customer Service Index based on key indicators that reflect how easy it is for customers to get help, including how long it takes to reach a human agent and the availability of communication channels such as web chat, SMS and WhatsApp.
Each brand was scored according to how accessible and responsive its customer service offering was, with Trustpilot rankings factored in, and these results were then combined and averaged by industry to create sector benchmarks.
Wait times were calculated from the time it took from starting a call to a customer service contact number to reaching a human agent.
Esendex
The team at Esendex comprises tech experts and experienced marketers who thrive on sharing their know-how, to support prospects and customers to identify the right mobile messaging solutions for their business.
