Singapore and “The Magic of Service”
I am a tad late in commemorating Customer Service Week but better late than never.
I have certain mantras. One of them is, “Travel. You are only as good as the places you’ve been and the things you’ve done.” I try to live by it and decided to visit Singapore this year.
When my friend learnt that I was going to Singapore on holiday, he asked if I’d write about it. I hadn’t planned to because I never do. But I am a self-proclaimed tourist so it made sense.
At the time, I wondered what I’d write about because earlier in the year I had written about Singapore and tourism somewhat in a story I titled, “How film and television can improve Nigeria’s image.” But during the trip it became a no-brainer. There was so much to see and learn that I just might do a follow-up to this story.
The first learning was that Singapore takes customer service very seriously and it permeates every sector.
At the hotel, I complimented a waitress and she asked me to leave a comment on Trip Advisor. Whilst paying for a pair of shoes, there was someone on standby holding a tablet and waiting for me to rate the service. I went to buy a t-shirt but because of the very magical service rendered by the attendant, I left with two t-shirts, two blouses and a dress. Let me tell you a bit more about this lady.
She convinced me to take advantage of the “2 for X price” offer. How did she do it? She took time to match the t-shirts with my complexion and insisted that I tried each item. She asked me to move my arms back and forth to ensure I was comfortable, and the rest is history. I was so pleased that despite going over my budget, after exiting the store I thought she deserved more than “thank you.” So, I went back to embrace her. Never have I embraced a shop attendant in appreciation. Mind you, it wasn’t a high-end store. Yet, what was most mind-blowing was my experience at the Singapore Changi Airport.
Again, never had I been requested to rate the services of immigration officers at any airport. Immigration officers are demi-gods! They are meant to be feared. The officer who stamped me in even had a bowl of sweets on her desk. It was a first, and I was in awe. I also often say that my holiday experience begins at the airport. And that the airport experience sets the tone for the entire trip. The Singaporeans confirmed my theory because this trip truly exceeded all my expectations.
At the departure terminal, the tax reclaim is self-service. I also haven’t seen that anywhere else. And more importantly, the transactions are pre-loaded unto the system, all you get to do is confirm them and state whether you’d like a refund in cash or by card.
My Singapore experience made me reflect on our immigration services and the services rendered by Nigerian government agencies in general. First of all, our immigration officers are neither welcoming nor brisk. I am also yet to understand why one officer takes a look at the traveller’s passport, and another stamps it. I also thought about how Nigerians are enslaved each time we need to procure a public service. Whether it is applying for a passport, national ID card or voter’s card, it is distressing.
More often than not, there are no seats in the government establishments. It is typical to find crowds of people standing under the sun, hanging around corridors or sitting on pavements whilst waiting to be attended to. And for the few that have sitting areas, helpdesks are non-existent. First timers who simply want to make enquiries, have no one to ask and end up enlarging the crowds.
At the point of registration also, there is always “The list” where you’re expected to write your name if you want to get served. Those who are desperate — no fault of the officials — arrive as early as 5am so as to occupy the top positions on “The list.” Unfortunately, opening hours are usually around 9am and the officials must first of all settle into their offices before they begin to attend to the huge crowds. When they eventually begin, they can only achieve a certain number of registrations for the day. The sadder thing is that “The list” is not carried over to the next day. Those who do not make the cut on day one would typically have to return the next day and write their names on a fresh list. As such, it could take months before you to get simple biometrics done. And just as much as time for the licence or national identity card to be issued. “The list” has become a fixture in our public service even featuring in general elections.
Interestingly, the troubles associated with accessing or procuring government services are fundamentally the result of a lack of rudimentary customer service.
Classical marketing was based on the 4Ps created by E. Jerome McCarthy in the 1960s. The 4Ps are product, price, place and promotion. As businesses evolved from selling products to also providing services, the importance of customer service was identified. Booms and Bitner suggested three extended Ps known as the “service mix Ps”- people, process and physical evidence. Consequently, the marketing mix became known as the 7Ps.
Whilst the government is not a commercial venture so might not be deemed to have customers, it has a monopoly on the provision of certain public services. As such, the public are its customers and customer service principles should apply.
People in the service mix refers to hiring the right contact staff who are trained, armed with update-to-date information, courteous and empathetic. More so, they should be accountable — a la the Singapore-way. Process involves procedures put in place to ease the consumer experience for example — queue management systems, appointment bookings, online registration, self-service options and more. And physical evidence refers to the impressions which people create when they come in contact with the organisation based on physical and intangible attributes.
Nigerian government agencies would be much more efficient if they applied the “service mix Ps” to their daily operations. The results would include; greater participation at elections, improved revenue collection, reduced lawlessness and more patriotic citizens. Unfortunately, they hide behind the illiteracy of some Nigerians to avoid automated systems and processes. Yet, those illiterate Nigerians have mobile phones, use Facebook, ATMs, POS terminals, SMS banking and book appointments for visa applications.
