1 in 3 Singaporeans frown over long “hotline waiting times”: survey

Telecoms need to upgrade customer care.

Consumers are generally satisfied with fixed line telephone, mobile telephone, fixed broadband and mobile broadband services in Singapore, but there is still much to be desired in terms of dealing with client complaints.

In the most recent Consumer Awareness and Satisfaction Survey (“CASS”) commissioned by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore’s (“IDA”), out of a highest score of 5 (“very satisfied”), all services achieved ratings of above 3.5 for the three factors of “quality of service”, “price competitiveness of the service offerings” and “variety of services”.

The survey is now into its fifth cycle , with a total of 1,500 respondents interviewed door-to-door between December 2013 and March 2014. Local consumers were asked about their awareness, as well as subscription and usage patterns, of the telecommunication services. In addition, they were surveyed on their satisfaction with the services that they had used.

IDA adds that in terms of customer care provided by the three major telecom companies, respondents were generally less satisfied with “hotline waiting time” as compared to other aspects such as the “time taken to resolve complaints” and the “competency of customer service officer”.

About 33% of respondents also suggested that service providers should look into reducing “hotline waiting times”. This was despite satisfaction with hotline waiting times actually improving since 2010 for all three major telecom service providers.

Mr Leong Keng Thai, IDA’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director General (Telecoms and Post), said, “It is encouraging to know that consumers are generally satisfied with telecom services in Singapore. Nevertheless, service providers should continue to place emphasis on customer engagement and servicing as one of the key retention strategies. Service providers should look beyond traditional customer service solutions such as telephone hotlines and be innovative, such as using live chat software solutions, to shorten waiting time and boost customer satisfaction.”