Canadian spot named among world's friendliest cities for customer service

There’s some truth to the stereotype that Canadians are nice and polite, and a new ranking of the world’s friendliest cities for customer service supports it.

United Kingdom-based price comparison site MoneySuperMarket recently revealed its ranking of the world’s top cities for customer service.

“In a world driven by technology and viral social media culture, online customer reviews are now more important than ever to businesses,” reads the report. “People are drawn to businesses where they feel welcome, comfortable and looked after. But service isn’t the same everywhere. So, where in the world can people find the friendliest customer service?”

MoneySuperMarket analyzed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide. The ranking is based on the language in reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned in those cities.

Only one Canadian city made the list — Montreal. It ranks sixth place with 56.8 per cent of reviews mentioning friendly staff and service. It sits just below Dublin, Ireland, and above Vienna, Austria.

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Montreal is a destination known for its delectable cafes and restaurants, with foodies flocking to the city to try iconic meals like its smoked meat sandwiches and poutine. Great service always pairs well with delicious food.

The top spot on the list goes to Edinburgh, Scotland, where 59 per cent of reviews mentioned friendly staff.

“Whilst Scotland’s capital draws visitors year-round for its Gothic architecture, rich history and thriving culture, come August, the city transforms entirely, as people from across the globe descend for the world-renowned Fringe Festival,” reads the ranking. “With the event known to bring in as much as £407m in economic impact, excellent customer service isn’t just a nice touch in Edinburgh; it’s at the core of the city’s economy.”

Hanoi, Vietnam, follows closely behind in second place with 58.6 per cent of reviews mentioning friendly service.

“Much of this warmth can be attributed to a deeply rooted culture of community and social harmony in Vietnam, with a rich tradition of hospitality culture,” reads the ranking.

Liverpool rounds out the top three with 58.3 per cent of reviews mentioning friendly service.

MoneySuperMarket

This isn’t the first time Montreal has been the only Canadian city on a ranking. In 2024, Time Out released a list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, and one in Montreal was the only Canadian spot to make the list.

Check out the full ranking of the world’s top cities for customer service.