Serial entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has been voted Britain's best ambassador of customer service, according to a survey by the Institute of Customer Service.

The survey participants - all customer service professionals taking part in annual National Customer Service Week from October 5-11 - voted Amazon founder Jeff Bezos second.

Jo Causon, the Institute's chief executive, says it is no coincidence that Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos topped the poll.

"They are both renowned for high service standards in their fields. Sir Richard is often prepared to take the customer's side, while Jeff Bezos broke the mould with Amazon, by developing the blueprint for effective, personalised, online customer service," said Jo.

Research shows around 90% of customers are likely to tell others about a bad customer experience, but satisfied customers also tell other people, therefore generating new business.