Mail, package and freight delivery companies have made the greatest improvements since the last study by The Customer Respect Group in Ipswich, Mass. Overall, the transportation, distribution and logistics industry scored a customer respect index of 7.0, up from 6.6 six months earlier. Scores in The Fourth Quarter 2005 Online Customer Respect Study of Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Industry range from a low of 1 to a high of 10, and the latest results move the transportation industry from fifth place to second among industries studied. It's tied with the retail industry and just behind the airline and travel industry, according to The Customer Respect Group.

The transportation companies that ranked highest in customer respect were Overnite Transportation Co., with a score of 8.7, and Canada Post Corp., Purolator Courier Ltd., United Parcel Service Inc. and the U.S. Postal Service, all of which received scores of 8.0. Overnite is a UPS company, and Canada Post owns 90 percent of the stock of Purolator.

Unlike the majority of transportation firms, which share customer data without permission, companies that had the highest customer respect scores have adopted opt-in policies and don't use personal information without a customer's permission, the survey said.

"When companies install new systems that make the reuse of data easier, they are then obligated to involve the customer and get their explicit consent," Terry Golesworthy, president of The Customer Respect Group, said in a statement. "By ignoring the customer's concerns, companies risk losing customer loyalty and repeat business. The burden has now shifted to the marketers to retain trust and protect their brand reputations."

The survey results indicate that all of the companies studied now tell customers about their policies regarding the use of personal data. "Especially strong in this area are Overnite, UPS and the U.S. Postal service, and their policies act as good examples of best practices," The Customer Respect Group said in a statement announcing the survey results. "Overnite had a perfect score in this area, with the other two companies only slightly behind."