BP Wins Customer Service Crown

FINDLAY, Ohio -- Among convenience stores, BP provided the best customer service in 2007, according to a nationwide survey released yesterday by RealPeopleRatings.com. Chevron/Texaco and Shell tied for second place, while The Pantry Inc. secured third.

RealPeopleRatings.com, launched in 2005, is a quarterly consumer perception survey conducted by Corporate Research International, a market research firm specializing in mystery shopping and customer satisfaction surveys. The company sends the quarterly surveys as online opinion polls to its pool of panelists. On average, more than 2,500 panelists participated in each quarter's survey, the company stated.

Each quarter, respondents rated their perception of each business' customer service on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest possible score. If a respondent did not have experience with the business, the panelist did not enter a score. The scores were averaged using the results from all four quarters in 2007 to reveal this year's winners.

Aside from BP, SUBWAY, Olive Garden, Cici's Pizza, Nordstrom, Stride Rite and Ace Hardware earned the highest customer service marks in their respective industries.

"These results contribute to companies achieving a complete, 360-degree view of how customers perceive their business," Mike Mallett, CEO of Corporate Research International, said in a statement. "Business owners can stay ahead of their competition by having the most up-to-date information available about their customer service."

Below is a complete list of this year's survey leaders:

Convenience Stores
BP
Chevron/Texaco (Tie)
Shell (Tie)
The Pantry Inc.

Supermarkets
Publix
Kroger
Safeway

Drug Stores
Walgreens
CVS/pharmacy
Rite Aid

Fast Food Restaurants
SUBWAY
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Quiznos

Full-Service Restaurants
Olive Garden
Texas Roadhouse
Outback Steakhouse

Pizza Restaurants
Cici's Pizza
Papa Murphy's Take 'n' Bake Pizza
Papa John's

Department Stores
Nordstrom
Saks Fifth Avenue
Bloomingdale's

Shoe Stores
Stride Rite
Shoe Carnival
Payless ShoeSource

Home Improvement Stores
Ace Hardware
True Value
Lowe's

Office Supply Stores
Staples
Office Depot
FedEx Kinko's

Sporting Goods Stores
Dick's Sporting Goods
Foot Locker
Finish Line

Electronics Stores
RadioShack
Best Buy
Circuit City

Banks
Credit Unions
Washington Mutual
Wachovia

Hotels
Marriott
Hyatt
Hilton

Airlines
Southwest
JetBlue
American

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