Ghana’s reputation for warmth and hospitality suffered a serious blow as the nation’s customer service performance plunged to a D+ in the 2026 Ghana Customer Service Index (GCSI), unveiled at the British Council in Accra on Thursday, January 29.
The event, hosted by Class News’ Prince Benjamin, marked the 8th edition of the annual assessment, which is spearheaded by the Institute of Customer Service Professionals (ICSP) under the leadership of renowned service expert, Yvonne Ohui MacCarthy.
The latest index underscores a dramatic decline from previous years: Ghana had earned a C- in 2021, a C+ in 2022, and then climbed to B grades in 2023 and 2024, before slipping to a D+ (59%) in 2025. This year’s results, therefore, reflect mounting challenges for a country celebrated for its friendly citizens.
According to McCarthy, most of the 5,308 survey respondents in 2026 were non-Ghanaians—a sign, she said, of the vital need to protect Ghana’s image through quality service and customer care. She emphasized that as customers’ income rises, so do their expectations for professionalism and trust, which she described as the ultimate measure of service.
The Ghana Customer Service Index, an innovative feedback mechanism, gathers input via in-person interviews and its online platform. It reviews customer satisfaction across 11 sectors, which in 2026 were ranked as follows: Insurance, Banking, Utilities, Retail, Petroleum, Hospitality, Healthcare, Transportation, Public Institutions, E-Commerce, and Telecommunications.
Data analyst and GIMPA lecturer Emmanuel Djaba, who also serves as lead consultant at Apercu Consulting, detailed the rigorous methodology behind the index. The GCSI employs a cause-and-effect model, measuring factors such as trust, competence, professionalism, ease of doing business, and customer-focused innovation, all feeding into the central customer satisfaction score and, ultimately, customer loyalty.
The night concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing sector leaders for outstanding service. Honourees included Activa International, Stanbic Bank, Ghana Water Ltd, Melcom, TOTALEnergies, Aqua Safari, Family Health Hospital, Bolt, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Hubtel, and MTN.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com