Improved customer satisfaction through Customer Centric Initiatives and Higher service productivity

Singapore’s leading supermarket retailer, NTUC FairPrice, is stepping up its service performance with a service motto to provide “Service from the Heart”. The new motto embodies FairPrice’s Brand Promise to deliver quality products at best value and service, as well as its commitment to build a strong Service DNA in Singapore.

The new service motto was officially launched by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister for Prime Minister’s Office and NTUC Secretary-General, together with FairPrice’s senior management today. Mr Lim spearheads the national drive to improve service levels, including the Customer-Centric Initiative (CCI) and ‘Go-The-Extra-Mile-For-Service’ (GEMS) Movement.

The ceremony in the DBS Auditorium was attended by more than 400 guests, including FairPrice Board of Directors and FairPrice staff, representatives from other NTUC social enterprises, as well as FairPrice’s business partners.

The programme also included a keynote address by Dr Joseph Michelli on how to drive service into the business DNA. Dr Michelli is a business consultant and author of books about service excellence at companies such as Starbucks and the Ritz Carlton hotel company.

Explaining the rationale for FairPrice’s new service campaign, Mr Tan Kian Chew, its Group CEO, said: “As one of Singapore’s largest retailers, we serve more than 300,000 customers every day. Ensuring that we are able to consistently deliver best value, quality products and excellent service has not been easy. However, we have been trying our best. This is what customers expect from one of Singapore’s most trusted retailers. It is also fundamental to our brand promise, and something that is close to our hearts.”

New ‘Service from the Heart’ Motto Defines FairPrice’s Service DNA

With FairPrice’s promise to customers centered on delivering quality products at best value and service, it believes that customer satisfaction can only be achieved by delivering this promise to all customers consistently and reliably.

The new “Service from the HEART” service motto defines FairPrice’s service DNA so that all staff share a common understanding and expectation of what it means to deliver excellent service.

Using the acronym HEART, FairPrice’s new service motto helps its staff to understand what it means to deliver excellent service to its customers, by being Helpful, Empathetic, Attentive to details and Reliable so as to win customers’ Trust.

Improving Service Levels through CCI Programme

FairPrice has successfully improved its service levels through the CCI Programme, being one of the first companies to participate in the programme when it was first launched for the retail sector in 2005. In 2009, FairPrice embarked on Phase Two of the CCI journey. This will review its service related processes under the Singapore Service Class framework, to identify gaps in delivering service excellence and closing the gaps.

CCI Related Programmes Implemented by FairPrice

Since 2005, Fairprice has implemented various programmes to improve its service performance:

Mystery Shoppers’ Audit Programme – External audits are conducted at all stores every month to assess their performance in housekeeping, merchandising and display, and customer service.

Training – In 2005, FairPrice was the first retailer to train its frontline staff under the newly launched WSQ Retail Competency Framework, which covers customer service, retail operation and management. FairPrice has also participated in the GEMS service training for frontline staff. Further, FairPrice has developed in-house training for all frontline staff that focuses on service coaching, winning customers and service standards.

Grooming Service Professionals – FairPrice has partnered NTUC Learning Hub to groom its staff into service professionals through the Customer Service Professional boot camp training. The programme aims to cultivate a strong service mindset through experiential learning.

Awards – FairPrice has a number of awards that recognise individuals and stores that have excelled in customer service. These include the Model Retail Assistant Award and Model Team Leader Award, the FairPrice Service Champion Award for individual staff, and the Service Star Award for stores that consistently deliver an all-round excellent shopping experience.

Results of CCI

Since FairPrice started its CCI programme in 2005, its customer satisfaction levels have improved significantly.

Last year, FairPrice was the biggest winner in the National Service Excellence Award, and the leader in the supermarket category of the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore.

Improving Customer Satisfaction through Higher Service Productivity

FairPrice recognises that good customer feedback management contributes to improved service levels and increased customer satisfaction. Customers can currently provide feedback to FairPrice through six formal channels – all of which FairPrice treats seriously as it views every feedback as an opportunity for improvement.

In 2008, a new Customer Experience Management (CEM) system was introduced to enhance the management of customer feedback and to serve as a one-stop seamless contact point between customers and FairPrice.

With the CEM system, every customer feedback is recorded, monitored and responded to in a timely manner. The automated workflow employed by the CEM system has greatly improved the productivity of customer feedback management, contributing to faster service recovery and higher customer satisfaction.