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SINGAPORE: Customer satisfaction levels here have continued to drop despite efforts to boost service standards.
The latest customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Singapore Management University's Institute of Service Excellence, showed on Tuesday that five out of six sectors covered in the survey saw a decline in satisfaction scores.
Customers' satisfaction in the retail sector suffered the biggest drop this year. The tourism, hotel and accommodation services sector was the next worst-performing sector, but its decline was not as bad as last year's.
Satisfaction scores in the education, info-communication and food & beverage sectors also dipped, while the transport and logistics sector was the only one which remained unchanged.
The institute said findings since 2007 have shown that customers, at least within the retail and F&B sectors, are now placing more importance on service over product quality.
In response to the results, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Tuesday that the bulk of Singapore-based SMEs were not represented in the survey.
STB, which was responding on behalf of the GEMS Up movement, said all businesses face the challenge of attracting new customers and keeping current ones. The challenge is greater now as consumers have higher expectations.
It added that customers can also play their part by showing their appreciation for service providers who have delivered good service.
Developing a culture of service excellence is what the GEMS Up movement aims to achieve over the next three years.
Close to 10,500 households and some 3,500 tourists took part in the survey, which also showed that when it comes to tipping in the F&B industry, some 40 per cent of tourists practised it, while only about half as many locals did so.
- CNA/so
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