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Dec 9, 2009
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Singapore has miles to go
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I REFER to the report, 'Customer satisfaction is new target' (Nov 27), on the national Go the Extra Mile for Service (Gems) movement broadening its scope to cover customer satisfaction, and not just customer service.
It was noted that though service quality is on the rise, customer satisfaction levels have slid because of factors like price and product quality.
My husband and I just came back from a holiday in Hong Kong and we feel that front line service staff here have miles to go before they can beat their peers in Hong Kong. Let me give a few examples from our trip:
Whenever we walked into a store or eatery, the staff welcomed us with a smile. Even when standing in a queue for takeaway orders, they acknowledged our presence, indicating we would be served soon.
In a small eatery on the roadside, we were trying to figure out the menu written in Chinese when the waitress, on hearing our conversation in English, brought out the menu in English without us asking for it.
At City Super, a supermarket, we bought food to take away and it was bad. We went back and complained to the cashier. Within one minute, the manager came out, apologised profusely and urged us to take any item, free of charge.
In any eatery, there is always one or more waiters watching out for the needs of diners. You just look up and they are at your table. In Singapore, the waiters do not see beyond their feet.
I was at a cosmetics store and was looking at eye shadow. The sales assistant offered to do up my face, assuring me she would not ruin my makeup but only enhance it. She did her work with a smile and I ended up buying more than I had intended.
In Singapore, while there are places offering excellent service, they are mostly top restaurants and hotels. In many places, the attitude of the staff does not give you a feeling that you are welcome.
In Hong Kong, you are made to feel like a king, the minute you walk into a place. You get the feeling they want you to spend time there and have a pleasant experience.
Singapore's service standards are far from satisfactory and that is why the Singapore Management University Customer Satisfaction Index indicated that customer satisfaction has dipped for two straight years.
Irene Yeo
Home > ST Forum > Story
Dec 9, 2009
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Singapore has miles to go
<!-- by line --><!-- end by line -->
<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
I REFER to the report, 'Customer satisfaction is new target' (Nov 27), on the national Go the Extra Mile for Service (Gems) movement broadening its scope to cover customer satisfaction, and not just customer service.
It was noted that though service quality is on the rise, customer satisfaction levels have slid because of factors like price and product quality.
My husband and I just came back from a holiday in Hong Kong and we feel that front line service staff here have miles to go before they can beat their peers in Hong Kong. Let me give a few examples from our trip:
Whenever we walked into a store or eatery, the staff welcomed us with a smile. Even when standing in a queue for takeaway orders, they acknowledged our presence, indicating we would be served soon.
In a small eatery on the roadside, we were trying to figure out the menu written in Chinese when the waitress, on hearing our conversation in English, brought out the menu in English without us asking for it.
At City Super, a supermarket, we bought food to take away and it was bad. We went back and complained to the cashier. Within one minute, the manager came out, apologised profusely and urged us to take any item, free of charge.
In any eatery, there is always one or more waiters watching out for the needs of diners. You just look up and they are at your table. In Singapore, the waiters do not see beyond their feet.
I was at a cosmetics store and was looking at eye shadow. The sales assistant offered to do up my face, assuring me she would not ruin my makeup but only enhance it. She did her work with a smile and I ended up buying more than I had intended.
In Singapore, while there are places offering excellent service, they are mostly top restaurants and hotels. In many places, the attitude of the staff does not give you a feeling that you are welcome.
In Hong Kong, you are made to feel like a king, the minute you walk into a place. You get the feeling they want you to spend time there and have a pleasant experience.
Singapore's service standards are far from satisfactory and that is why the Singapore Management University Customer Satisfaction Index indicated that customer satisfaction has dipped for two straight years.
Irene Yeo
