SINGAPORE: Singapore's service standards are up, according to service audits by SPRING Singapore. And it may not be long before it surpasses Hong Kong – the republic's main rival in regional service rankings.

That is the outlook offered by secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Lim Swee Say, when he attended a customer service initiative at family restaurant, Fish and Co.

He said companies are shaping up on their need for quality service to survive the current economic climate.

While that may mean hiring more foreign staff, Mr Lim said this may not be a bad thing.

The labour chief said: "Just because not everybody speaks the same standard of English, does not mean that it's a weakness. It's a matter of how you organise your workflow so that for the customer who speaks English, you could get someone who can speak English to serve the customer.

"For someone who is more comfortable speaking Mandarin, you can make use of the staff to serve them."

- CNA/so