Quality of customer service in Switzerland

Cheryl Moderator

Member since 15 October 2018

CherylModerator18 March 2026 04:05:23

15780

Hello everyone,

Customer service can say a lot about everyday life in Switzerland, and for many expats, it’s something that could take time to get used to. In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats to adjust to local expectations, we invite you to share your insights.

How would you describe customer service in Switzerland?

Are staff generally friendly and helpful, or more formal and direct?

How do businesses handle complaints or requests for refunds?

Do expats get treated differently than locals?

Any tips on how to get the best service in Switzerland?

Share your experiences and stories, whether positive, challenging or funny!

Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
Expat.com Team

See also

Connecting to the internet in Switzerland - Guide
Taxi services in Switzerland - Business
The best services to use when moving to Switzerland - 2 Replies
Customer care in Switzerland - 5 Replies
FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY FOR A DANISH SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REP - 3 Replies
Split working between Zurich and UK home? - 1 Reply
New expat in Switzerland – small business owner in Thurgau - 3 Replies

matjung Contributor

Member since 17 May 2014

matjungContributor26 March 2026 20:39:34

132

In my experience customer service in Switzerland is heading from bad to worse.

Sure it depends on the context.

If you are looking for a drink and sandwich in a mountain area you are still getting served,

but if you need something from a Telco, Bank or Insurance company - I am getting memories about childhood when kids plaid hide and seek.

Customer service is hiding and refuses to be contactable, no emails, no web forms, if you are lucky a useless phone number or an untrained digital assistant..

If the AI / etc cannot fix the issue - you have a problem.

There are times, when you have to wait that a media like nau or 20minutes picks up the problem so that eventually a human being from customer service or escalation service volunteers to reach out to you to resolve an issue.

The bulk of HR guys are not any better.

In the past you got an email - someone else fits better into the role.

This turned into ghosting.

When looking for a place to stay ( finding the landlord with the available apartment ), the absence of communication became the new norm.

If you are lucky a social media response team takes on the role of customer service.

The best friend for a refund is the credit card company - call them for a charge back.

As the business webpages and portals do not have a button / AI for that.

(Then the merchant is getting the problem with charging you again - eventually he gets forced to do some customer service)

Still, I am confident, we get replies with a positive tone.