Publix and unusual suspects top customer experience list

Consumers have spoken. Publix is number one among retailers when it comes to producing positive customer experiences. According to the Temkin Group's, 2016 Experience Ratings, the Florida-based chain came in ahead of other supermarkets and retailers, some well known for taking care of their customers and others not so much. Following Publix on the list were H-E-B, True Value, Save-a-Lot, Kroger, Wegmans, Aldi, Amazon, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Food Lion, ShopRite, Dollar Tree, QVC, Giant Eagle, Trader Joe's, Sam's Club, Wawa, Winn-Dixie and Hy-Vee. Temkin's ratings were based on three factors including:

1. Success: How do experiences meet the needs of customers.
2. Effort: Does the business make it easy for customers to do what they want to do.
3. Emotion: How do customers feel about shopping in a retailer's store or website.

Interestingly, the 10,000 consumers surveyed by Temkin rated supermarkets, fast feeders and retailers as the top three industries for superior customer service. Even so, all three saw their rating numbers fall from last year. "Consumers' expectations are outpacing customer experience improvements, especially in industries with chronically poor customer experience such as TV service providers, Internet service providers, and health plans," said Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group, in a statement. "This year was particularly telling, as we found a steep decline in customer experience across all industries."

• 2016 Experience Ratings - Temkin Group
• Publix and H-E-B Earn Top Annual Customer Experience Rankings - Published by Temkin Group/PRNewswire