Big department stores have been voted the worst offenders for shoddy customer service standards, closely followed by banks and building societies with small local stores getting top marks for their excellent service.

The research conducted by window blinds outfit, Hillarys Blinds shows that shoppers are tired of being passed from one person to another, with four in ten admitting that this was irritating while a quarter of respondents said that lengthy waiting times made them angry.

Lack of training for new staff was found to be the key trigger for falling standards of service.

Fiona Ferguson of Hillarys Blinds said: “With retail stores employing hoards of temporary staff to handle the pre-Christmas rush, concentrating on excellent service must be a priority. It is essential to provide both product and customer service training for all staff in the run up to one of the busiest times of year for retailers.

“Added to this, it is only fair to give temporary staff the chance to do a great job, to ensure that Christmas is a successful and rewarding experience for customers, companies and the employees themselves.”

Over 1000 customers were interviewed as part of the research.