SINGAPORE: We often complain about bad customer service, but it’s time to take a cold hard look at whether we’re even deserving of good customer service.

A viral video showing a customer shouting at staff at a McDonald’s outlet in Hougang Mall drew the ire of many Singaporeans last week.

Almost everyone was united in condemning the man’s actions and in commending the patience of the counter staff.

Netizens described his behaviour as deplorable.

Even apologies did not placate him.

At one point he said, “I want to see what action you all do to her” indicating he wished retribution upon the staff for the perceived service lapse.

In response to media queries, a McDonald’s spokesperson said: “While our employees strive to do their best every day to serve our customers with care, we also hope that any unintended misunderstandings can be resolved amicably.”

“We believe that under any circumstance, our employees – just like any human being – should be treated with respect, and do not deserve to be shouted at in the manner as portrayed in the video.”

This response in itself is commendable.

The establishment is standing up for its employee and rightfully saying that the days of “the customer is always right” are over.

Over the years, we have seen several examples of abuse of those in the service industry.

A video of a customer verbally abusing a taxi driver went viral in 2015. He called the driver names like “blind bat” and complained rudely about a myriad things including the speed at which the cabby was driving.

Because of several instances of bad behaviour, even hospitals today have had to put up signs warning patients and their families not to verbally or physically abuse their staff.

Granted, the cases that make headlines tend to be extreme – where customers seemed to overreact to minor misunderstandings and could not be placated in spite of the staff’s efforts.

However, in day-to-day interactions, many other customers are rude in subtler ways.

Words such as “please” and “thank you” seem to elude us, even if the service provider is providing tip-top service.

Getting acknowledgement or a smile from customers can be likened to pulling teeth, according to some in the industry.

NO EXCUSE FOR ABUSE

Often customers say they are brusque and impatient only because service staff aren’t up to the mark.

It’s common to encounter service staff who can’t communicate clearly, lack product knowledge or manners, and it can be frustrating to be on the receiving end of bad service.

But even if we receive service that we consider wanting, let’s remember that there are better ways of expressing our dissatisfaction. There’s no point being rude, losing our temper and resorting to verbal or physical abuse, especially if the person across from us is trying to remedy the situation.

Most businesses have feedback channels. Why not use them?

Companies that recognise the importance of superior customer service to their bottomline will take steps to address problems.

It also wouldn’t hurt to use these feedback channels to convey praise of outstanding service staff when we encounter them. Let’s not be quick to complain and slow to compliment.

POOR SALARIES, A LACK OF PRIDE AND BAD CUSTOMERS

In the recent McDonald’s case, the service staff seemed beyond reproach. They managed to maintain their patience even in the face of an ugly tirade.

In other cases, those of us who use unsatisfactory service as an excuse to be bad customers in the first place also need to recognise the various reasons for a disappointing service culture.

Many have cited the generally low salaries in the industry and the possibility that many don’t take pride in their jobs.

These are certainly issues that must be addressed. 

A bad service experience can hurt a business, so business owners need to realise that investing in their staff – not just in terms of training, but remuneration – is crucial.

Some have said customers must understand that in order to get good service, we need to be willing to pay more for products and services in general so that money can be channelled to salaries within the industry. This may very well be true in some instances which is why we too need to manage our expectations.

In some situations, we merely expect a transactional relationship with service staff and in others where we pay premium prices, we are right to expect more, but even then if our expectations aren’t met, there’s no sense in resorting to verbal or physical abuse.

Let’s recognise that service staff too could be having a bad day and that they are human, hence will sometimes make mistakes. Often, it’s not the frontline staff’s fault. It could be an issue related to the establishment’s policies, in which case taking your frustrations out on frontline staff would be futile.

Generations of individuals who see service as servitude have also propagated a lack of pride in such jobs.

Key to tackling this is customers’ attitudes towards service staff.

How can we expect good service in an environment where many customers themselves show no respect for those who provide that service.

Do we also unconsciously lack respect for service staff because we consider their jobs less important by virtue of the fact that these jobs can be low-paying?

Yet, when we get bad service, we take it seriously and it could ruin our day. Doesn’t this indicate that the jobs those in customer service do are in fact, vital and deserve our utmost respect?

In spite of all this negativity, many service staff continue to provide great service even to grumpy and ungrateful customers.

Shouldn’t this be enough for us to check our own behaviour as customers, even if we’re having a bad day?

It can be challenging. I myself have been short with service staff because I’ve had a bad day at work. Awareness is the first step. The next step is to modify that behaviour.

It’s not rocket science.

Good customers can motivate staff to go the extra mile, which could attract more to the industry.

SOCIAL PRESSURE AS A MORAL TOOL

Another facet of this issue is what actions are taken by those who witness bad customer behaviour.

Some netizens reacting to the viral video of a customer verbally abusing McDonald’s staff recently pointed out that no one in the vicinity came forward to intervene.

In the face of bad customer behaviour, social pressure can be a great moral tool to get the abuser to stop.

We could do more by calling out such behaviour immediately to arrest it instead of merely filming it to post for online vigilantes to comment on.

When extreme cases of bad customer behaviour go viral, it’s crucial to use these as teaching moments for ourselves and our children, but let’s go a step further to encourage action. 

Fear is understandable. What if the abuser turns on you instead? We have seen several cases of this too.

But if enough of us do calmly and collectively all at the same time, the bullying is likely to stop.

It’s time to push past our apprehensions and stand up collectively in the face of such incidents.

HOLDING A MIRROR UP TO SOCIETY

Fair salaries and customer service training are key to improving service culture, but equally vital is customer behaviour.

We have several measures of customer service in Singapore. Perhaps it’s time to have more indices to measure customers’ behaviour and attitudes towards service staff.

Hearing from service staff and their challenges with customers could be one way of holding a mirror up to society.

Most of all, each of us needs to consciously act on what we see in order to create a positive service culture, one that is a virtuous circle of mutual respect regardless of whether you are service professional or a customer. 

Bharati Jagdish is the host of Channel NewsAsia Digital News’ hard-hitting On The Record, a weekly interview with thought leaders across Singapore, and The Pulse, Channel NewsAsia’s weekly podcast that discusses the hottest issues of the week.

SINGAPORE: The leader of a contraband cigarettes syndicate was sentenced on Thursday (Mar 22) to five years and three months’ jail, and fined S$30 million for smuggling duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore.

Singapore Customs and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a joint media release that the man, 50-year-old Mok Chee Kin, was also given another five months’ jail term for bribing a Certis Cisco officer.

The sentence is the highest handed down by the State Courts for such offences. The previous record was a three years and six months’ jail, and a S$14 million fine given to another offender in 2014.

As Mok did not pay the court fine, he will serve a default sentence of another 30 months’ jail, bringing the total imprisonment term to eight years and two months, the authorities said.

Mok, who is stateless, was nabbed in 2016 after an operation by Singapore Customs at Jurong Port that began on Mar 30. 

Customs officers were looking out for a white truck which they suspected was being used to smuggle contraband cigarettes out of the port.

Upon spotting the truck at a car park, the officers moved in and uncovered 10,500 cartons of cigarettes in the vehicle.

The total duty and GST evaded amounted to about S$898,600 and S$87,230 respectively, the authorities said.

Investigations revealed that Mok had placed an order for the cigarettes to be shipped from Batam, Indonesia, to Jurong Port.

Mok instructed Lee Helmi Iskandar Rosli, a 31-year-old Singaporean, to receive the shipment at the port.

Another Singaporean, 36-year-old truck driver Devinderan Arajinan, was tasked to collect the cigarettes at the port and deliver them to other parts of Singapore.

Lee and Devinderan were both arrested during the raid. 

Mok and another man, 27-year-old Malaysian Rajeswaran Sandra, were nabbed a few days later. The latter’s role in the syndicate was to give bribes to a Certis Cisco senior protection officer to ensure that Devinderan would not be stopped for checks when he makes his exit out of Jurong Port.

Rajeswaran did this on two previous occasions, paying the officer a total of S$4,500.

Lee, Devinderan and Rajeswaran were sentenced to 36 months’ jail each by the State Courts between November 2016 and February 2017 for their various roles in the smuggling offences.

Lee also received a fine of S$5,000, while Devinderan and Rajeswaran were given an additional three months’ jail each for their corruption offences.

Mok had a previous conviction for the same offence; he was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment in 2011.  

As a repeat offender, Mok was liable to an enhanced punishment under the Customs Act, the media release said, which includes a mandatory jail term of up to six years, as well as a heavier fine of no less than 30 times the duty or Goods and Services Tax (GST) evaded.

SINGAPORE: Forget integrated resorts and theme parks – want a more unique and insider look at Singapore? Try your hand at the traditional Chinese exercise of qigong or learn how to cook a Hainanese vegetable dish called chap chye, all within the tiny but bustling central neighbourhood of Geylang Bahru.

Local non-profit charity TOUCH Community Services and home-booking giant Airbnb on Thursday (Mar 22) launched the latter’s first series of Social Impact Experiences in Singapore.

“Experiences” is Airbnb’s tours and activities business and sees hosts curate an insider’s view of their city with tourists and fellow locals both. The Social Impact arm brings non-profit organisations onboard to offer the same, while receiving 100 per cent of proceeds.

Singapore makes its debut in this category with senior citizens and long-time Geylang Bahru residents James Tan, 77, Catherine Loh, 70, and Maria Yee, 61, separately sharing their passions and hobbies at a price of S$50 per guest.

“Experiences give guests unprecedented access into communities, often where travellers don’t normally go,” said Sriram Vaidhya, Airbnb’s Head of Trips for Southeast Asia and India.

“With TOUCH Community Services, it’s a great way to showcase the incredible wealth and knowledge collected by the seniors. They’re the real stars here.”

Ms Yong Yin Hoong, assistant manager at Geylang Bahru’s TOUCH Seniors Activity Centre, said there were other interested elderly but the selected trio stood out because they spoke English, presented themselves well, and were most comfortable sharing.

All three are beneficiaries of TOUCH who also volunteer with the organisation. They spent up to half a year being prepared by Airbnb staff and running a few trials. Their Experiences – qigong with Mr Tan, chap chye with Mdm Loh and gardening with Ms Yee – will kick off in late April on a once-a-month basis, entertaining about four guests for up to two hours each time.

“Most importantly, they must enjoy what they’re doing,” said Ms Yong. “We don’t want to give them a list of things to do. When they’re happy, they will want to do more, meet more people, make more friends and maybe show other elderly they can do it too.” 

“GIVING BACK”

Ms Yong confirmed that all fees paid by guests will go directly into supporting the work of TOUCH and paying for the operational costs of the Experiences – such as cooking ingredients for Mdm Loh.

Said Mr Vaidhya: “We provide assistance in helping hosts list their Experience. It’s up to the Experience host to decide what price they want to set at – though we provide guidance about what price points work well and how to optimise that to attract the most number of guests.

“We have a responsibility to give back and be extremely aware of causes important to a particular community. And senior care is important to Singapore society,” he added.

When Airbnb launched its first Experiences in Singapore last year, there were media reports suggesting both guides and users could be in breach of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Act.

By law, only licensed tourist guides can provide paid guiding services to tourists. These services include “providing any direction, information, description or explanation … in or to a place or point of interest in Singapore”.

Channel NewsAsia has reached out to STB for comment. When asked, Mr Vaidhya pointed to a “vetting protocol” for Airbnb Experiences which encourages guests to follow guidelines for “quality and safety”.

He also said Airbnb’s Experiences and Homes divisions are run separately in Singapore. The latter has occupied the spotlight of late, with two men prosecuted for unauthorised short-term letting of apartments.

Singapore has a minimum rental period of three months for private housing and six months for public. The Government has said it would consult the public in March or April on how best to regulate this market.

SINGAPORE: A total of 300 Singapore-based companies across all industries can get a free evaluation of their readiness to move into Industry 4.0, as part of the Government’s efforts to drive the adoption of advanced manufacturing and help manufacturers build smart factories of the future. 

Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon announced on Thursday (22 Mar) that the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) will be funding the evaluation. He was speaking at the IoT Asia 2018 conference where over 6,000 industry participants were present.

Called the Singapore Smart Industry Readiness Index, the tool will allow companies across industries to evaluate the current state of their facilities, identify the gaps and opportunities present, as well as better understand Industry 4.0 concepts and the rise of new manufacturing technologies.

These will provide the companies with information on the steps needed to progress and also aid them in designing a comprehensive transformation roadmap. 

Asked how much the assessments cost, EDB said it was unable to disclose the amount due to confidentiality agreements.

‘ONE OF THE LAST PIECES OF THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM OF CHANGE’

The index was first launched in November last year by EDB in partnership with TÜV SÜD, a global testing, inspection, certification and training company. 

It will assess companies’ processes and the technologies they employ, as well as their organisation structure, among other things.

Dr Koh said: “Enabling our industries and supporting our companies and workers in their efforts to adopt Industry 4.0 solutions will be a key priority for Singapore. This will help to keep Singapore as a globally competitive Advanced Manufacturing hub to attract strategic investments and anchor our position in the global value chains.”

He described the index as “one of the last pieces of the entire ecosystem of change” that will help companies figure out where their gaps and needs are.

“It is the piece that helps companies to first make that diagnosis,” Dr Koh said. “A good analogy would be that if you don’t know what is wrong with you, you can’t begin to go about to do the treatment.”

APPLICATIONS WILL BE CHOSEN BASED ON CERTAIN CRITERIA

Manufacturer Thong Siek, which is the distributor and retailer of seafood products such as the popular DoDo brand of fishballs, had undergone the assessment and told Channel NewsAsia that it has helped them to better visualise their plans in adopting new Industry 4.0 manufacturing technologies.

Ms Lim Xiao Fei, the company’s deputy chief operating officer, said: “It’s easier for us to put together a more comprehensive plan in terms of digitalisation of our production floor and automation projects. So it will be easier to come up with a proposal to talk to SPRING Singapore and other agencies for support in terms of funding.”

Companies can register their interest for the funded assessments at EDB’s website. The agency said that applications will be chosen based on certain criteria. 

Dr Koh said that the government will work closely with Trade Associations & Chambers to drive the use of the index, as well as to deepen engagements with companies and extend the necessary support and guidance to help businesses transform.

“Because them being the industry experts in the cutting edge and leading front of change would know what’s over the horizon and what the needs of their member companies are,” he said. 

“So by working with them, we can better decipher where the trends are heading, plus they can become the critical aggregator of their needs and the first mover of change to get companies to come aboard this journey.”