Read in The Straits Times and Channel News Asia today that almost four-fifths of Singapore consumers are willing to pay more for excellent service. Internationally, we rank second only to India – and are on par with the United States – for consumers willing to pay more for good service.
Here are the key findings reported in mainstream media based on the study by American Express and Ebiquity:
Courtesy of Rewire Me
I was totally floored by a blog post by Jackie Huba of Church of the Customer.
In her post, Huba recounted how Nordstrom – a beacon of premium customer service in the US – upped the ante by replacing her worn-out loyalty card with a new one sent to her home without any prompting. All it took was for Huba to remark that her card was old and presto! A new card was delivered.
Oh the woes of the SME retail sector in Singapore. I’m sure you’ve read or heard about them.
Demanding consumers. Price competition. Sky high rentals. Relentless staff turnover (up to 300% a year in extreme cases). Difficulty in hiring. Competition from big chains. Rising utility costs. Increasing costs of goods. Growing transportation costs.
The list of problems faced by SME retailers is seemingly endless.
Singapore Airlines cabin crew are trained to own the customer experience (image from Singapore Airlines)
Does your organisation hold a common view of the customer experience? Does everyone know what it looks like when it is done well? What are you willing to give up to get it?
These questions frame the development of a customer experience vision for any tourism business.
Courtesy of HotelManagement.Net
The world has changed. Customers now have all the information they need to decide where they wish to visit, what they want to buy, and what services they require.
With an attention span of 90 seconds or less (at 140 characters each time), business as usual isn’t going to cut it for the Facebook and Twitter generation. The game has changed from word of mouth to world of mouse.
Robinsons is an icon of service in Singapore (image courtesy of goodcitydeals)
What is the best way to trigger positive and enduring word of mouth?
Is it…
Courtesy of sayitcommunity.com
Customer experience management is the new marketing. While the world swoons over the impact of digital technologies on customer experience, it is often basic customer service which determines if a company swims or sinks.
Ritz Carlton is the epitome of superior customer experience (source)
Have you pampered yourself with a Ritz-Carlton experience? If you did, I’m sure the experience was unforgettable.
How did the world’s premiere hotel brand manage to achieve such lofty heights in customer service and experience? What is its secret formula?
Courtesy of Inside Retail HK
How can retail and service businesses differentiate themselves through service?
That is the age-old problem faced by numerous consumer-facing businesses here in Singapore and everywhere around the world.