In an era where AI tools are fast, smart and scalable but also increasingly similar, trust is proving to be the differentiator in business services. This is the main conclusion of the MT1000 2025, the largest survey on the quality and reputation of business service providers in the Netherlands.
The survey was conducted by the Amsterdam Centre for Business Innovation, commissioned by MT/Sprout. 4,800 business decision-makers were surveyed for the study. Collectively, they accounted for almost 30,000 responses across more than 2,000 service providers. The eighteenth edition shows that companies that are close to their customers, work transparently and offer authentic human interaction are rated highest.
Personal component
'We have lost the personal component a bit in the digital transformation,' says research leader and UvA professor Henk Volberda. 'But just as AI is taking over more and more tasks, the human factor is becoming more important than ever. Trust is not a soft competence, but strategic capital.'
Trust is a strategic strength.
This development is not just about customer relationships, observes MT/Sprout editor-in-chief Donovan van Heuven. 'In a tight labour market, professionals very consciously choose employers who show they are trustworthy in their vision, their promises and their culture. And precisely in times of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, organisations look for partners who exude certainty, security and integrity. Trust then really is a strategic force. It can make the difference between growing on or just surviving.
Small is beautiful, those companies have an edgeHenk Volberda, Professor University of Amsterdam
Mobilee tops list
The winner of this year's MT1000 is Mobilee management & consultancy, a Utrecht-based specialist in digital transformation. Mobilee was in second place last year. Other high-flyers include Effectgroep (firmly in second and third place respectively in the event marketing and communications consultancy categories) and GZ OfficeXperience (office design, fourth place). Whyz Executive Search completes the top five.
Niche players gaining ground
Remarkably, not a single multinational made the top ten. A unprecedented feat in the 18-year history of the survey. Big names like Apple (place 11) and Microsoft (place 24) had to make way for smaller, Dutch niche players. Newcomers in the top ten include TWST (place 6), Yonego (7), Regina Coeli (8), TVM (9) and Leo Catering (10). According to Volberda, their success lies in the combination of customisation, transparency and a strong focus on value creation for the customer: 'Small is beautiful, those companies have an edge. Large organisations are more likely to lose out on customer focus and quality of execution. Niche players do little, but do it very well.'
The top 10 best service providers from the 2025 MT1000
- Mobilee management & consultancy (Organisational consulting)
- Effect Group* (Event marketing)
- Effect Group* (Communications consultancy)
- GZ OfficeXperience (Office furniture)
- Whyz Executive Search (Executive Search)
- TWST (Organisation Consulting)
- Yonego (Digital marketing & e-commerce)
- Language Institute Regina Coeli (Language training)
- TVM (General insurance)
- Leo Catering (Catering)
The full MT1000 rankings are available via the website
