Personally, I find the service level in Singapore acceptable. I think the service level in retail shops are generally better than those in F&B. If I have to name one F&B in Singapore that has the worst service, it got to be Crystal Jade Kitchen.

Having been to the US (but not yet Japan), the service level in US is awesome for both for retail and F&B.

A survey was carried out by market research group Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) to get a better insight on the service debate in Singapore. With a representative sample size of over 460 participants, the survey was conducted earlier this year over a period of one month. The survey is supported by the Go the Extra Mile for Service (GEMS) Up project, a joint movement involving SPRING Singapore, the Singapore Tourism Board, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, the Institute of Service Excellence at the Singapore Management University, and the National Trades Union Congress.

 

  • About 60% or more of local customers, service staff and managers surveyed considered service in Singapore to be just acceptable.
  • A more positive picture was painted by tourists visiting the Lion City; some 74% of the tourists interviewed acknowledged that service in Singapore was ‘above average’, with almost half – 49% – going as far as saying the service in Singapore was better than in their home country.
  • 73% of managers & 64% of service staff said increasingly demanding clientele was the main barrier to delivering good service.
  • 87% of managers & 91% of the service staff agreed that the government can help drive service quality by promoting service-sector businesses as an employer of choice, attracting more talent into the industry.
  • 53% of managers said finding the right staff was the main obstacle in providing quality service.

A local videoblogger, Sam Driscoll, has chosen to highlight his experiences with customer service.