Dyson's Malmesbury call centre has been named the best retail and distribution call centre in the UK.

It placed fourth overall in the top 50 and also won the best newcomer award.

The study by, independent market research company GfK NOP, was commissioned by the UK’s Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service, a programme organised to raise customer service standards.

Around 16,800 mystery shopper enquiries were made to the call centres to identify the best performers. Each call centre was rated using over 50 criteria across five key areas of service: timeliness, ease of use, reliability, staff knowledge and personalised service.

They were awarded a customer service rating in percentage terms. Dyson UK customer service and finance director Damian Evans is proud of his Malmesbury staff.

He said: “It is well deserved recognition of their dedication and passion for delivering fantastic customer service.

“It is particularly satisfying given that these awards are based on genuine interactions with real customers.”

Programme Director for the Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service Simon Thorpe said he hoped Dyson’s benchmark would lead to other firms improving their standards.

He said: “We would like to congratulate Dyson for their excellent performance.”