Publix, H-E-B big winners in customer experience survey

Two regional grocers beat all the competition in and out of their category in a survey of customer experiences across 20 different industries.



Publix Super Markets and H-E-B deliver the best customer experience in the supermarket industry, according to the 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings, an annual customer experience ranking of companies. With a score of 84%, Lakeland, Florida-based Publix not only received the highest score in the supermarket industry, it received the highest score in the entire ratings, ranking first out of 331 companies across 20 industries.



A close second was Austin, Texas-based H-E-B, which, with a score of 82%, earned the second highest score for both the supermarket industry and the ratings overall. Hannaford followed close behind with a score of 82% and an overall rank of fourth.



The supermarket industry averaged a 78% rating in the 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings and came in first place out of the 20 industries surveyed, which ranged from utilities to auto dealers to wireless carriers. The average rating of the industry improved by four percentage-points between 2016 and 2017, going from 73.8% to 78.1%.



"Supermarkets have been the highest-scoring industry since their inclusion in the Ratings in 2012, and this year was no different. Publix and H-E-B lead a strong group of supermarkets, all of which received at least a ‘good" rating,’ "stated Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group. (A score of 70% or above is considered "good,” a score of 80% or above is considered "excellent," and a score below 60% is considered "poor.")



The ratings of all supermarkets in the 2017 Temkin Experience Ratings are as follows:



• Publix: 84%

• H-E-B: 83%

• Hannaford: 82%

• Food Lion: 81%

• Trader Joe's: 81%

• AmazonFresh: 80%

• Kroger: 80%

• Save-A-Lot: 80%

• Wegmans: 80%

• Winn-Dixie: 80%

• Hy-Vee: 78%

• Whole Foods: 78%

• Aldi: 77%

• Giant Eagle: 77%

• Albertsons: 76%

• ShopRite: 76%

• Stop & Shop: 75%

• Vons: 75%

• Piggly Wiggly: 74%

• Wawa Food Markets: 73%

• Safeway: 72%



The ratings for nearly all supermarkets increased between 2016 and 2017. Vons improved the most, gaining 12 points, and Whole Foods improved the second most, gaining 10 points from last year.