According to a recent representative study, just under a fifth of consumers prefer a service provider to other providers as soon as it has a service seal.
In February 2020, the Hamburg-based market research institute SPLENDID RESEARCH, as part of a representative survey, asked 2,400 Germans between the ages of 18 and 69 online about service seals.
The study ascertained general attitudes towards service seals and their relevance in numerous industries. It also provides information about awareness, share of buyers, trust and target groups of a total of 14 service seals as well as their effects on buying behaviour and willingness to pay.
The results of the study showed that service seals have a positive influence on purchasing behaviour. With comparable providers, 22% of seal experts prefer the certified service provider. In addition, 43% are willing to accept at least slightly higher prices.
Service seals also provide important guidance for numerous German citizens: 45% of consumers agree that a service provider with a seal is generally more credible than one without. For almost a third of Germans, a seal of approval stands for an increased quality of advice.
In addition, younger people in particular attest service seals of particular relevance: Consumers between the ages of 18 and 39 assess the influence of a seal on a service provider much more positively and generally attribute greater importance to labels during the information and purchase process.
“In addition to the respective core messages, a service seal on a higher level signals the endeavour for customer satisfaction and transparency. For numerous consumer groups, the presence of a seal has a positive impact on the perception of a service provider,” Thilo Kampffmeyer, Head of self-studies at SPLENDID RESEARCH, pointed out.
Decisive for a positive effect is the trust placed in the seal. The state in particular has a high reputation among the population. A clear majority, however, is very sceptical about private test institutes with the intention of making a profit. The RenewablePlus label (76 out of 100 points) and the service seals of TÜV Rheinland (74 points), TÜV Saarland (73 points) and TÜV Nord (72 points) enjoy the highest trust.
Leaders in terms of awareness are TÜV Rheinland tested service quality (82%), TÜV Saarland Service tested (72%) and the Germany test seal from Focus Money (70%).
SPLENDID RESEARCH added that many seals also successfully transfer the respective core message: For example, the TÜV Rheinland label shows 60% of consumers professional competence at the excellent company. If a service provider again bears the Top Focus seal, the wearer is credited with high customer satisfaction.
The complete study is available at www.splendid-research.com/studie-service-siegel.
