Record customer satisfaction levels achieved for service in 2016

SINGAPORE — Customer satisfaction levels with service across the board reached an all-time high last year, rebounding from a dip in 2015. Overall satisfaction levels rose to 71.8 points – up by 1.69 points – out of 100.

Data from the Institute of Service Excellence (ISE) at the Singapore Management University showed that the high score was led mainly by a stronger showing in the finance and insurance (up 1.48 points), and healthcare (up 1.4 points) sectors.

Within the finance and insurance sector, banks scored 72.9 points in their strongest showing since the start of the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore in 2007. This was due to perceptions of better quality and value, said the ISE in a press release on Wednesday (March 29).

And as the index is weighted according to gross domestic product, the performance of the finance and insurance sector contributed substantially to the eventual national score. Of the 11 sectors measured in 2016, all but the logistics and private education sectors registered year-on-year increases in score.

Findings showed that the finance and insurance sector was based on relationships, and companies should focus on qualities such as responsiveness, empathy and assurance to differentiate themselves from competitors, said ISE executive director Neeta Lachmandas.

A new subsector for credit cards was included in the index last year, and scored 70.7 points. ISE research and consulting head Chen Yongchang noted that credit card customers pinpointed contact centres as the channel that they most frequently encountered, and yet, were least satisfied with. These customers cited response time, staff attitude and handling of fee waivers as reasons behind their dissatisfaction.

The healthcare sector scored 71 points – increasing 1.4 points from the preceding year. The better performance was led by improvements in private and restructured hospitals, said the ISE. 

Customers’ perception of quality was based largely on the waiting experience at healthcare institutions, said Mr Chen. “This suggests that while shorter waiting times are welcomed at healthcare institutions, it was the waiting experience that was most important in determining how customers rate their satisfaction with healthcare providers,” he added. 

The land transport sector performed better last year, with a 3.44 point increase to 66.8 points. A new subsector for transport booking apps was introduced last year, to study satisfaction levels for third-party booking apps such as Grab (69 points) and Uber (69.7 points). The two companies fared better than ComfortDelGro (68 points) and other transport booking apps (67.2 points).
 

Clarification: An earlier version of this story said of 11 sectors measured in 2016, all but the logistics sector registered year-on-year increases in score. SMU has clarified that the private education sector also did not register any significant year-on-year change in score.