The HK-based PERC has ranked Singapore civil servants the most efficient in a survey of 12 Asian cities.
They also noted that Sg civil servants are unhelpful when things go wrong.
No surprises here.
On the other hand, the findings mean there is still plenty of opportunity for service-minded individuals to really make a difference.
The other day, I dropped by the Commonwealth Bank (the one at the Plaza) to get bank drafts for CA and me.
The customer service officer (Annette) helpfully pointed out that I would save myself $20 if I bought one draft for both of us instead of two separate ones.
When I had finished signing the paperwork, Annette asked: "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
I said no.
Annette got out from behind her counter and walked me to the teller to collect my draft. She explained to her colleague what I needed, and said 'thank you Marilyn' as she left me in the latter's capable hands.
Marilyn's first question to me was: "How are you today?"
We had the usual Aussie exchange of pleasantries while she got the draft ready. As she handed it over, she asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"
A common customer service practice, you may sniff. Nothing special.
The thing is, it's not hard to issue a top-down memo to staff to implement certain best practices.
The hard part is:
How do you motivate employees to follow through with best practices daily when no one is watching, to the point that it becomes their natural response when dealing with customers?
How do you foster a culture of genuinely wanting to help your customers?
Or does the solution lie in finding and hiring people with the right attitude and aptitude for the position?
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