AO passes one million Trustpilot reviews with 4.9 rating

Electrical retailer AO World (AO), which is based in Greater Manchester and sponsors Manchester’s AO Arena, has passed one million reviews on Trustpilot while keeping its 4.9 rating. It is the first retailer in the world to do so.

Trustpilot ratings are built on verified customer feedback and are widely used as a measure of genuine customer satisfaction. Other retailers on the platform have reached a million reviews, but none with a score this high.

The Bolton business already has its next target in sight and is a few months from reaching one million five-star reviews on the site.

AO founder and chief executive John Roberts said: “Achieving a rating of 4.9 from one million reviews represents an incredible milestone which I and the entire team are hugely proud of. That rating, at that scale, is only ever earned. It’s the quiet proof that when you look after customers properly, they tell the world. They are, after all, our best form of advertising.

“From our first order 26 years ago, constantly raising the bar on what amazing service means remains a singular obsession for us.

“That’s no mean feat, particularly in a logistically difficult category like electricals, and highlights AO’s structural advantage, which we have been building with world class quality at scale since 2000 and underpins our reputation as the UK’s most trusted electrical retailer.”

“Rare in any industry”

Trustpilot chief executive Adrian Blair said: “Well done to the AO team on hitting 1 million Trustpilot reviews! By engaging openly with so much feedback, AO has built trust and understands its customers at a level that is rare in any industry. Huge congratulations to John and the team!

“AO is able to do this because it wholly owns every step of a customer’s journey, from click to installation through to recycling.

“Crucially, customer feedback – particularly when things go wrong – is used to continuously improve customers’ experience including extensive, daily analysis of Trustpilot reviews to fix any problems quickly.”

Vicky Monk, retail director at AO, said: “Trust is one of the main things that sets AO apart from its competitors but that trust is something we’ve had to earn with every delivery since 2000.

“What this milestone really shows is how seriously we take every single customer experience. Things inevitably don’t go absolutely perfectly every day, but what matters is how you respond. Customers just want honesty.

“So, we must always get the basics right but it’s things customers don’t expect that create the magic. Whether that’s being kept informed when plans change, speaking to someone who genuinely cares and takes ownership, having people in your home who treat it with respect or leaving your child or pet with an AO Bear. It all adds up to Trust.

“It’s been an incredible challenge to reach a 4.9 rating at this scale. It has taken blood, sweat and determination from every team across the business and a relentless drive every single day to constantly improve what we do.

“Whether it’s the people creating product content for the website, the delivery drivers in customers’ homes, or the teams handling calls, that shared focus on doing the right thing for customers is what’s got us here.”