The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) by the Institute of Service Excellence at SMU (ISES) found that different banks had different drivers of satisfaction. While customer service “is but one aspect of the service process to deliver a high level of quality for the customer”, it works hand in hand with other drivers to deliver customer satisfaction, “which will ultimately lead to better customer retention levels and loyalty”, said ISES Director Caroline Lim. “Our analytics and research has shown that for the banks sub-sector, service at the branch does indeed play an important part in customers’ perceptions of quality,” she added.

Whether it is the big gestures that customers remember or the little details that win over customers, ISES Academic Director and [Assistant Professor of Marketing (Practice)] Marcus Lee said that “everything that customers read, hear or experience of a company would influence their expectations of what their experience at the company would be like the next time they visit. “The general recommendation is for companies to use these opportunities to both shape the expectations of their customers to better represent the actual experience, as well as to assign meaning to the intent behind the actions of their staff,” he said.