Answering to PM's service quality Singapore

• bravo27

  3 Nov 05, 14:55

  I've been hearing Rod Monterio & Jean Danker called up service/ tourism related organisations during car tunes in the evening while driving after work.
  
  I've heard them pull pranks on helpdesks of Singapore Zoological Garden, Sentosa etc... Of course, the customer service officers did very well in answering their calls. The unfailing patience shown was amazing. To a certain extend, I kinda doubted it.
  
  Shouldn't they pick other organisations that are not GLC? Shouldn't we put our service quality in real test by picking off the shelf? I personally felt kinda ke-long(correct me if I am biase).
  
  
• dragg

  3 Nov 05, 14:57

  like what they did in the army everything is for show only.
  
  
• bravo27

  3 Nov 05, 15:09

  lol...apparently u think our army is a joke, right?
  
  i tot that it would clearly reflect how "good" our service is if we bring the test to HDB or SPF or even the SAF. Service quality does not only evolve around tourism. Re-look into common services that Singaporeans come in contact and have the worst experiences with.
  
  I personally had a couple of bad experiences with aunties that manned service helpdesks. I wonder how they looked like on the other end. Were they polishing their nails while talking to you? lol
• robertteh

  3 Nov 05, 15:23

  Originally posted by bravo27:

  I've been hearing Rod Monterio & Jean Danker called up service/ tourism related organisations during car tunes in the evening while driving after work.
  
  I've heard them pull pranks on helpdesks of Singapore Zoological Garden, Sentosa etc... Of course, the customer service officers did very well in answering their calls. The unfailing patience shown was amazing. To a certain extend, I kinda doubted it.
  
  Shouldn't they pick other organisations that are not GLC? Shouldn't we put our service quality in real test by picking off the shelf? I personally felt kinda ke-long(correct me if I am biase).
  
  

  Government is an example of service that can be improved in Singapore. People are the customers of such a service and when things go wrong how are the people treated by the government ?
  
  What did the LTA do for example when people got maimed at the surprised or unauthorised barricades at overhead bridges or got stalled in the MRT trains for no apparent reasons. When HDB unilaterally wanted to further increase shop rentals without justifications as opposed JTC, it may again be a case of poor service philosophy at the ministers' level who regularly deny problems about high costs and tax-and-recover policies which are basically anti-service.
  
  Are people treated with courtesy or bureaucracy? To improve any service excellence, the government should set itself as an example. If government ministers keep telling off people not to expect free lunch, will not that kind of attitude rub off on LTA and HDB in their service. For now the government ministers do not even realize that prevention of Nicol Highway collapse is their responsibility and when things go wrong they should be more open to admit their shortcomings instead of denying them totally or trying to find scapegoats.
  
  No wonder the country service level is very poor because it all started by government regularly telling people to buzz off by giving unhelpful or bureaucratic replies even in the face of extreme public inconveniences or problems.
  
  Before LHL calls for change he must recognize that our society has many problems that may trace back to the attitudes or quality of ministers.
  
  Instead of quality service or showing works done, citizens are sometimes challenged or told off rudely not to expect free lunches (subjective anyway who is taking free lunches since people pay for all their high bonuses and many self-approved benefits) or giving of excuses of one kind or another.
  
  Good service will not happen in Singapore until government service improves.
• NT2

  3 Nov 05, 15:28

  maybe the DJs notify these companies b4 they call..so tt they put up a good show. after wat is mediacorp radio under.........
• bravo27

  3 Nov 05, 15:34

  Rob,
  
  I agree that government service must take lead. We shall see how things goes.
• ShutterBug

  3 Nov 05, 16:41

  robertteh, has contributed a very valid point; Good Service, starts with the Government. Same as; good manners begins at home.
  
  But sad to say, our government will still continue to deny things, and threaten those who gets too close to revrealing the truth, and making them lose face.
  
  
• av98m

  3 Nov 05, 16:44

  One of the problems is that customer service people are usually very poorly paid, how to expect them to provide good service and smile when they're depressed, angry or worrying how to pay their bills? After all, even our ministers and mps will turn to corruption unless they're paid lots of money, why not address the problem of the poorly paid peasants at the bottom of the corporate hierachy? And unlike the ministers and mps, I don't think this group of people will demand milllion dollar salaries.
• ShutterBug

  3 Nov 05, 17:21

  You see, this all comes down to courtesy.
  
  As I have pointed out in my contribution in other postings, COURTESY is a problem here in SG because of high costs of living, the thining job market, and the general fast pace here. Everyone is hard pressed to survive! Me too!
  
  But since we are aware of what's making us lose our sense of courtesy, we should be able to make conscious efforts to watch our manners. And not brush it off like people from China.
  
  I tell you, Service Quality is going to take beating by those opportunists from China. They're here, and everywhere in Singapore. Like an infestation!
  
  
• robertteh

  3 Nov 05, 17:36

  Originally posted by bravo27:

  Rob,
  
  I agree that government service must take lead. We shall see how things goes.

  May be we can set up the following performance benchmarks here to check government service quality change for one year or till the next election:-
  
  (B1) Whether LTA will say Nicol Highway collapse or barricade accidents at overhead bridge are not due to their own negligence. (1=not done 2=done 3=excellent)
  
  (B2) MOM will stop his serving foreign workers first and local workers last. (1/2/3)
  
  (B3) NTUC will stop talking about employers' rights as employers' unions well represented by employers themselves by their hire and fire practices.(1/2/3)
  
  (B4) Ministers will stop the blame on workers' lack of "retraining" or give all the "no free lunch" excuses.(1/2/3)
  
  (B5) 70% of our Surpluses will come back to the country to create jobs and relief unemployments in our own country.(1/2/3)
  
  (B6) NKF type of constant denials of problems and finally having to make U turns when it is too late.(1/2/3)
  
  SCORE AS AT 1.1.2006 : (No. of votes for "1" + "2" + "3" divided by max possible marks = nos voted x "3" x 100% ; low mark : 33 -50 % )
  
  
• robertteh

  3 Nov 05, 17:41

  Originally posted by ShutterBug:

  robertteh, has contributed a very valid point; Good Service, starts with the Government. Same as; good manners begins at home.
  
  But sad to say, our government will still continue to deny things, and threaten those who gets too close to revrealing the truth, and making them lose face.
  
  

  Citizens got the internet so they can now monitor government service level to see if they will improve with the talk about improving service quality.
  
  Benchmarks can be set up objectively so that government knows in advance what the people expect of their service. All the forumers can then decide how to vote if they got the chance to vote.
  
  Some can punt on the benchmark for fun or for leisure as a way to keep track. Being fair people benchmark can be set fairly as agreed by forumers. This is the best as no body will say we forumers are being unfair being too demanding as our expectations are on the benchmarks and for all to see. This will be the best way to show how we vote them again.
• ShutterBug

  3 Nov 05, 17:53

  Well it's your idea and sounds GOOD to me.
  
  But, I doubt "they" consider this suggestion? Since when in Singapore's history have they ever took our suggestions?
• BillyBong

  4 Nov 05, 09:15

  There is a greater need to check on govt or GLC organisations rather than the private sector.
  
  Private sector companies have more to lose and very little to gain by extending poor service. Govt/GLCs have less incentive simply because they are in the employ of....the government.
  
  Similarly, the bulk of such institutions are staffed with locals which will provide a good indication of how responsive and alert Singaporeans are to answering problems and providing service.
• dragg

  4 Nov 05, 09:26

  Originally posted by ShutterBug:

  Well it's your idea and sounds GOOD to me.
  
  But, I doubt "they" consider this suggestion? Since when in Singapore's history have they ever took our suggestions?

  only if you make suggestion that can help increase the coffers.