THESE ARE THE WINNERS OF "VOTED CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THE YEAR 2027"!
Germany’s Best Customer Service Teams of 2027 Honoured
On 4 November 2026, Germany’s best customer service teams were honoured for the seventh time at the Gibson Club in Frankfurt. As part of the “Customer Service of the Year” audit and competition, 15 categories were evaluated this year, resulting in 14 award winners recognised for their outstanding service quality.
The competition has long since expanded beyond Germany’s borders. In addition to Germany, “Customer Service of the Year” is also held in Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and Canada. The award is therefore part of an international initiative that recognises and celebrates excellent customer service worldwide.
To receive the award, participating companies must achieve a predefined minimum score while also obtaining the highest result in their respective category. Consequently, only one company can be awarded the title in each category.
The 2027 Award Winners
The following companies were awarded the title of “Customer Service of the Year 2027”:
- Tire Manufacturers: Michelin
- Bike Leasing: Lease a Bike Deutschland
- Energy Providers: Stadtwerke Duisburg AG
- Medical Devices: Libre (Abbott)
- Mobility Services: Elli
- Fashion Retail: Witt-Gruppe
- Hosting Services: IONOS
- Toner Retail: Tonerpartner
- Technical Support for Delivery Services : DHL Express
- Online Printing Services: VistaPrint
- Credit Banks: Creditplus Bank
- Telecommunications: Vodafone
- International Express Delivery: DHL Express Deutschland
- Banking: Berliner Volksbank eG
The Testing Phase
From 26 May to 31 July 2026, participating companies across 15 categories were evaluated through mystery shopping enquiries. Over a period of approximately ten weeks, nearly 7,000 tests were conducted across five customer contact channels: telephone, email, chat, social media and websites.
The evaluation covered up to 15 criteria, including soft skills, response quality, accessibility, response times and overall customer service satisfaction.
Importantly, only the award winners are publicly announced. Rankings and information about companies that did not receive an award remain confidential. This ensures that the competition serves as a constructive benchmarking tool, highlighting opportunities for improvement without publicly evaluating individual companies.
Results and Trends
This year, participating companies achieved an average overall score of approximately 66%. The website channel stood out once again, achieving the highest average score of all evaluated contact channels at nearly 91%.
A positive development was observed in the chat channel. While the average score stood at approximately 60% in the previous year, it increased to over 69% in the current edition.
However, there is still room for improvement in customer communication via email and social media. The results highlight how significantly service quality can vary between contact channels and underline the importance of delivering consistently high standards across all customer touchpoints.
VistaPrint achieved the highest overall score this year, with 85.79%, setting the benchmark for the current competition edition.
Customer Service as a Key Success Factor
According to the latest Customer Service Barometer 2026, service quality remains a decisive factor in how customers perceive companies and whether they remain loyal to them.
91% of respondents stated that the quality of customer service influences their perception of a company. For 84%, it plays an important role in purchasing decisions and long-term customer loyalty. Almost half of respondents (49%) even consider customer service quality more important than a company's pricing or advertising.
At the same time, the study reveals that there is still room for improvement: 42% of customers who used customer service had to make contact multiple times regarding the same issue. Competent employees, quick problem resolution and short waiting times therefore remain particularly important.
These findings underline that excellent customer service is far more than an additional benefit – it is an essential component of sustainable customer loyalty.
Voices of the Award Winners
Martina Pante, Member of the Management Board at Berliner Volksbank eG, emphasises the importance of customer focus and personal advice:
“Good customer service starts with listening. That is why feedback from our customers is just as important to us as independent evaluations. Being named ‘Customer Service of the Year 2027’ confirms that we are on the right track in consistently aligning our services with our customers’ needs and combining personal advice with digital services.”
Michael Fries, Executive Vice President EU & Global Manufacturing at VistaPrint, highlights the company's strong customer focus and the achievements of his team:
“We are very proud of this award. Receiving the ESCDA Award [Customer Service of the Year in France] in Germany clearly reinforces one of VistaPrint’s core principles: consistently putting our customers at the heart of everything we do. What makes our customer service unique is that we go far beyond traditional support by also providing direct assistance with design.”
Sabine Liebe, Managing Director of Lease a Bike, describes the award as recognition of the entire customer service team:
“At Lease a Bike, customer service is not an isolated department – it is embedded in everything we do. The fact that this approach is paying off is largely thanks to our fantastic service team. I am incredibly proud of the passion, patience and expertise our colleagues demonstrate every day when supporting our customers.”
After the Testing Phase: Transparency & Development
Following the testing phase, participating companies receive a detailed evaluation of their results. This highlights both the strengths of their customer service and potential areas for improvement, providing a solid foundation for targeted development.
In addition, benchmarking enables companies to compare their performance both with other participants in their own category and with the entire field of participating companies. This allows them to assess their service quality not only within their industry but also across different categories.
Beyond the measurable results, however, the human aspect also plays an important role. Participating in the competition can strengthen team spirit, highlight employees’ dedication and encourage recognition of their daily efforts.
In this way, “Customer Service of the Year” combines objective quality assessments with recognition of the people who deliver excellent customer service every day.
Looking Ahead: The Next Competition Edition
Following the successful award ceremony, attention is already turning to the next edition of “Customer Service of the Year”.
In 2027, companies will once again have the opportunity to have their service quality independently assessed and qualify for the “Customer Service of the Year 2028” award.
Participation not only offers the opportunity to receive a prestigious award and gain public recognition but also provides valuable insights into a company's service quality and its continuous improvement.
And for those wondering how their own customer service performs -
Registration for the next edition of "Customer Service of the Year" is already open!
👉🏻Registration "Customer Service of the Year"👈🏻