"I believe it is better"

"I believe the customer service I receive today is much better than it was 5 years ago. As the world evolves, customer services demands have become higher due since there are more products and services out there, and these products/services are more complicated, therefore requiring more assistance from the manufacturer/service provider. But thanks to technology and the implementation of such customer service channels as Live Chat, Virtual Agents and Social Media, access to customer service is easier and quicker. Most questions can be answered online, and most people would rather find their answers themselves online than call a call center. Having these options available, while still keeping the old customer service channels as well, has completely changed the definition of customer service.
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"In my opinion, It had been better, because the technology have been better and at your fingertips."

"I believe generally customer service has improved in the past five years, although that is not necessarily reflected when analyzing the data because the complexity of inquiries into customer service are more challenging (since many of the easier tasks are now self served), and customers' expectations have also grown."

"Better - more accessible contact methods and more 24/7 than before. Also more proactive service checks than before such as MR"

"Companies are more aware so they make systems and processes more customer centric. At the end of the day, it is staff interaction that is left to chance. In Singapore where there's labour shortage and few are keen to join the service industry because of the long hours and lower than average pay, staff interactive abilities are lacking."

"This varies from one company to another, companies that have been in the game for long are rendering good services whilst the new ones are struggling as they are still grappling with understanding regulatory requirements."

"It must be worse. Many companies in South Africa are minimising costs and thus, see research activities aimed at improving the quality of service as unnecessary expenses. Most of them are no longer conducting researches."

"I think the customer service we get today is more commoditised then it was some 5 years ago, in that a high degree of repeatability has been established. However, there has been a reduction in personalised service from then. In short, we have gotten better at repeating acceptable service, but fewer moments of gloriously personalised customer service exist today. So on average, we have gotten better, but in specific kinds of personalised interactions, we have gotten worse."

"I think it is worse than 5 years ago."

"Worse, most companies although they make an effort to interact with me through multiple channels just can't get their act together and I get conflicting information depending on channel"

"I would definitely say that customer service now has reached new heights from what we would have experienced 5 years ago. This is largely attributable to increased expectations from customers. Back then, our expectations were different, lower. Customers were more patient and tolerant; the pace was a bit slower and things a little easier. In today’s world of “More!” and “Now!” our expectations are higher, we demand more service for our money. What would have wowed us back then and make us think companies are really going the extra mile in terms of service is now what we expect as standard and minimal, we are harder to please."

"Worse - The wide spread adoption of IVR and web self service are not a substitute for a human that can make a subjective decision. I don't call a company to be directed to their website. This is especially annoying when calling an ISP about their service being down."

"I believe that companies are giving better customer service because when I have had a problem they have kept in touch until all is fixed."

"Some better and some worse. a lot of the level of "good" customer service is based on the situation and how the customer service reps handle it, along with the tools and empowerment they have to resolve the situations. This varies from industry to industry and company to company."

"Yes, in general I would say that the service rendered by most companies are better off than 5 years ago. The improvement is largely due to the higher customer expectation brought about by a better exposed customers to higher customer service. Companies also recognized that all things being equal, better customer service is likely to tip the scale in their favor and in the same breath, a bad customer experience will result in lost opportunities especially in terms of referrals and revenue."