I know there are still some good customer services officers and representatives in singapore but its very hard to really come across one. you hardly see a smiling sales person or customer service person in areas in town or shops…

i have spoken to strangers or friends here in NZ before when they tell me about their experiences in Singapore… and they have relatively good comments and that amuses me. cos i dont think i have encountered that good level of customer services or friendly attitudes before!

I’m not sure if this is the reason for such bad customer and sales service so rampant in SG, but I thought it might be? Could it be that these people don’t find pride in their job, as they thought they’re putting themselves down by serving someone else? If they are thinking this way, then they obviously has missed the gist and essence of customer service!

sometimes i am embarrassed to say i am Singaporean cos i m ashamed of the level of customer services that we are providing. and i have come across a cafe manager treating me completely different to another customer who was “by chance, a handsome Caucasian entrepreneur”.. made me sick down to my guts!
And.. last year when i was back shopping in town for shoes, having a salesgirl shouting so rudely at you cos you asked for different sizes of shoes to try on! and when i asked to speak to the Manager, she stared at me and refused to call her manager out and refused to give me her name!

I think there has been some double standard in terms of customer service…. and that needs to change!

Being in hospitality industry, I would have to say that hotels react very similarly to customer dissatisfaction, ie, offer a free upgrade or discount off the next visit, like in your unpleasant situation. I suppose for luxury hotels, where they do not often get return visits from local guests, it gets harder. What the manager could have done is to give a waiver of service charge (10%) in your case. Or a dining voucher would be nice since they have F&B outlets. You are right to be disappointed by how your case was handled.
Credit cards sales? Worse! You’re no different from the next person they call. I was once told to take up a platinum corporate card and was eventually sent a totally different card, what a mess-up. I never used that card or the existing credit card with that bank. And, I tell you, it’s the same marketing company the banks are using!