The findings of the 2022 Mystery Shopping survey, commissioned by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), have revealed a significant decline in the performance of the island's utility service providers.
The average performance score across all service providers was 49 per cent.
The survey was conducted to assess the quality of service being provided by the companies.
According to the OUR, the survey examined the quality of service provided to the mystery shoppers in-store, via telephone calls to call centres and online chats with utility providers' representatives.
The combined figures indicate that the best performing utility providers were the Jamaica Public Service Company and Digicel with scores of 56 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.
The National Water Commission followed with 45 per cent and FLOW 38 per cent.
The worst performing service area for the utility providers was the online chat, while the companies performed best through their call centres.
Elizabeth Bennett Marsh, Acting Director of Consumer and Public Affairs at the OUR, said the utilities regulator is disappointed with the results.
She said in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, utility providers have focused on customer contact through digital means and through their call centres and the OUR was optimistic that it would have seen better performances in these areas.
Mrs Bennett Marsh says the underlying reasons for the lackluster performance will be explored and addressed in detail with the utility providers at the OUR's annual Quality of Service Symposium later this year.
The Mystery Shopping exercise was conducted in February and March.
It involved a range of people across all demographic groups.
Visits and calls were done during peak and off-peak periods.
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